SHIPPENSBURG, PA – Five turnovers proved to be too much for West Chester's football team to overcome on the road as the Golden Rams dropped a 34-18 decision to Shippensburg at Seth Grove Stadium Saturday afternoon.
West Chester (4-2, 2-1 PSAC) dropped its first conference tilt of the season to Shippensburg (5-1, 2-1), which received votes in last week's American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) weekly Top 25 Division II poll.
Shippensburg rolled up 328 yards of total offense while limiting the conference's top rushing attack to just 100 yards on the ground – 154 yards under its season average.
Senior RB
Phil Poquie (Philadelphia, Pa./The Haverford School) led the ground attack with 78 yards and a touchdown on 14 carries. He amassed 201 all-purpose yards in the loss.
Desman Johnson (Yeadon, Pa./Penn Wood) finished 10-for-29 for 131 yards and two interceptions – though the last pick was not his fault.
Defensively,
Jackson Taylor (Glenside, Pa./Abington) registered 10 tackles and picked off a pass.
Michael Gobora (Newtown, Pa./Pennsbury) had five tackles, including 2.5 for a loss and 1.5 sacks.
Despite all that, the Golden Rams trailed only 23-18 with much of the fourth quarter still to play. However, it was the Raiders who put up the final 11 points of the afternoon to end a personal five-game losing streak to its Eastern Division rivals.
West Chester returns to John A. Farrell Stadium next Saturday afternoon for a 12 p.m. kickoff against East Stroudsburg University on Community Day at the stadium.
