WEST CHESTER, PA – Visiting Kutztown scored a pair of touchdowns in the final eight minutes of the contest to come from behind and beat homestanding West Chester, 27-17, in the final conference contest of the season for the two schools at John A. Farrell Stadium Saturday.
West Chester (5-5, 3-4 PSAC East) had taken its only lead of the game at 17-13 on a 7-yard touchdown pass from
Cooper Jordan (Downingtown, Pa./Bishop Shanahan) to
Rahiem Bowens (Lansdowne, Pa./Penn Wood) in the back of the end zone. However, Kutztown (8-2, 7-0) came right back on a 69-yard TD pass from Judd Novak to Mekhi Gibson on the next series. The Golden Rams rushed Novak with an all-out blitz on the play, but the Bears QB found Gibson down the middle of the field, and the speedy wide receiver raced about half the field for the score.
Trailing 13-3 at halftime, West Chester rallied when Jordan busted free on a scramble and raced 53 yards for a score in the third quarter that pulled the hosts within three. That set up Bowens' score in the fourth quarter, before the Bears mounted their comeback.
Kutztown and West Chester traded field goals early on in the game. Then, the visitors jumped out on top thanks to a 66-yard TD reception by Kurtis Ravenel, Jr., on the first play of the ensuing drive following the Golden Rams' game-tying field goal. Those two long touchdown plays, coupled with a 45-yard run by Novak that eventually led to a 37-yard field goal by the Bears that made it 13-3, was the difference in an otherwise tight, defensive struggle.
"It's so frustrating," West Chester head coach Bill Zwaan said afterwards. "We fought back and got the lead, and I thought that our team was so revved up that if we could just have stopped them there, we would go down and get another one."
Kutztown scored just one touchdown on four trips inside the red zone and was just 4-for-10 on third down. West Chester put together just 328 yards of total offense and was limited to just two opportunities in the red zone.
Senior linebacker
Khalib Slaughter (Flemington, N.J./Hunterdon Central) led West Chester's defense with 11 tackles, including a sack. He also forced a fumble.
Connor Noble (Chester Springs, Pa./Downingtown East) had nine tackles and was credited with three QB hurries.
Jordan finished the day 17-for-22 for 180 yards and one TD. He also rushed for 88 yards and the one score.
Ethan Kohler (Schwenksville, Pa./Perkiomen Valley) also saw a few series' under center. He went 6 of 10 for 55 yards.
D'Shaun Seals (Philadelphia, Pa./Imhotep Charter) and
Seth Degree (Philadelphia, Pa./West Catholic) each had seven catches on the day for 72 and 61 yards, respectively.
West Chester closes out its 2023 campaign at home next Saturday against Clarion University. Kickoff for Senior Day is scheduled for 12 p.m. The Golden Rams will honor their 12 seniors along with the senior members of both the WCU Incomparable Marching Band and the cheerleaders.
