WEST CHESTER, Pa. - Ja'Den McKenzie (Morton, Pa./Springfield) busted off a 30-yard touchdown run with :23 seconds left in the fourth quarter to break a 7-all tie and lift No. 22 West Chester (1-0) to a 14-7 victory over visiting Bentley (0-1) in the season opener at John A. Farrell Stadium Saturday.
McKenzie finished the game with 112 yards rushing and the one TD on 10 rushes as the Golden Rams overcame five turnovers and 131 yards rushing from Bentley running back Andrew Brazicki to pick up the win at home.
Dan Neuhaus (Downingtown, Pa./Bishop Shanahan) caught a 25-yard TD pass from QB Paul Dooley (Philadelphia, Pa./Springside-Chestnut Hill) with 1:55 left in the third quarter to knot things up at 7-7.
Brazicki scampered 20 yards down the far sideline with 8:35 remaining in the first quarter to put the Falcons on top early, and that is the way things stood for the next 36 minutes until Dooley found Neuhaus wide open down the seam that capped an 8-play, 79-yard drive with just under two minutes left in the third quarter.
Sr., DT Tyrone Barge (Philadelphia, Pa./Imhotep Charter [Rhode Island]) finished with a career-high 10 tackles. He was a big reason that Bentley's offense could only put up one score in the game. Jordan Burney (Philadelphia, Pa./Bishop Egan) and Jackson Taylor (Glenside, Pa./Abington) each chipped in eight stops apiece.
West Chester hits the road next week for a contest against Gannon in Erie, Pa.
