West Chester Opens Season Impressively With 44-6 Win At Bentley

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WALTHAM, Mass. – Quarterback A.J. Long (Bethlehem, Pa./Friendship Christian [Tenn.]) threw a pair of touchdown passes and ran for another pair as West Chester opened its football season with a 44-6 victory over host Bentley Thursday evening.
 
West Chester ran out to a 34-6 lead at halftime and never looked back. The Golden Rams held a 235-38 advantage in total offense at the break, following an outstanding defensive effort from his stop unit. By game's end, the Golden Rams had racked up 433 yards of total offense to the Falcons' 68. Consider this season opener a statement for the defense.
 
"The defense was stout," WCU head coach Bill Zwaan said. "I kinda thought that would happen. It was a great effort. Physically, we played hard. It was a really good opener for us. We had contributions from everybody tonight. The younger guys really stepped up, and they will now push the older guys."
 
Long finished the day 10 of 14 for 184 yards and two touchdowns while also running the ball 13 times for 54 yards and a pair of scores. Sr., RB Mark Dukes (Pottstown, Pa./Pottsgrove) led all ball carriers with 101 yards on 21 totes, including a TD to open the game. Rasheem James (Philadelphia, Pa./Ben Franklin) finished with six catches for 82 yards and two TDs.

However, the night belonged to So, LB Nate Barnes (Carlisle, Pa./Carlisle). Barnes led the team with seven tackles, but he came just half of a sack short of tying the school's single-game record for sacks with 3.5. He recovered a fumble that led to West Chester's first touchdown early in the game as well.

"Our defensive front line had their hands on (Bentley's offensive line) all night," Barnes explained. "They were making plays and flushing the quarterback out of the pocket and forcing him to use his feet. That's how we were able to get him in the backfield.

"My versatility allows me to help cover out on two and that helps our corners get a lot of double coverage. My eyes are the most important thing. I have to concentrate on making the right reads."

West Chester's defense registered seven sacks in the game, only seven first downs and kept Bentley out of the end zone. The Falcons' only two scores were a career-long 46-yard field goal from their place-kicker Grant Buchanan and another 25-yard field goal that was set up by a long interception return down to the Golden Rams' 10-yard line.

Meanwhile, the Rams' scoring unit put up 27 points in the second quarter to bust open a 7-3 affair and leave little doubt as to the outcome Thursday night. James caught both his TD passes during that big second quarter - one from 20 yards out and the other from 29 yards. Long had a 6-yard run and Mike Class (Souderton, Pa./Pennridge) a 1-yard dive for the other WCU scores.

Dukes opened the scoring with a 1-yard plunge four minutes into the contest. He posted his first career 100-yard rushing day, finishing with 115 yards on 22 carries. That TD was a direct result of Ch'aim Smith (York, Pa./York Suburban) performing his best impersonation of Philadelphia Eagles' defensive lineman, Brandon Graham's famous forced fumble in Super Bowl LII, when he stripped the ball of Bentley's QB as he raised his arm to throw. Barnes jumped on the fumble at the 17-yard line, and five plays later, Dukes put West Chester on the board.

The Golden Rams' defense harassed Bentley QB Stephen Sturm into a 9-for-19 night with a pair of interceptions and the one fumble. The defensive front was the main reason Bentley only mustered 13 yards rushing on the ground.

West Chester (1-0) will be back in action on Saturday, Sept. 8 when the Golden Rams open their home slate against PSAC West foe Gannon (0-1) at John A. Farrell Stadium at 12 p.m. It will be Hall of Fame Day at Farrell Stadium, and West Chester will introduce the WCU Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2018 at halftime.