Photo Gallery by Alex McBean
WEST CHESTER, PA –
Trey Blair (Havertown, Pa./Haverford) plunged into the end zone from three yards out with 1:26 to play, and
Kaleb Brown (Reading, Pa./Wilson) intercepted a deep pass on the final desperation drive of the game, as West Chester held on for a 38-31 victory over visiting Gannon in its home opener at John A. Farrell Stadium Saturday.
West Chester (2-1) went 76 yards on nine plays in the last five minutes to score the go-ahead touchdown against Gannon (0-3).
Rahiem Bowens (Lansdowne, Pa./Penn Wood) caught a 39-yard pass on the drive that got the Golden Rams into the red zone. Blair did the rest, crashing over the goal line for the eventual winning score.
"We needed every point we scored today," West Chester head coach Bill Zwaan said. "Defensively, we couldn't stop them. But, Rahiem made a couple of great plays. (WCU quarterback
Cooper Jordan) put the ball on the money when he had to.
"We are moving forward in some ways. But, we just need to get going on defense. We are struggling with that right now."
A combined 42 points were scored in the second half as the contest turned into an old-fashioned shootout at Farrell. Fortunately, all three Gannon touchdowns in the second half were answered right away by touchdowns from the Golden Rams.
Bowens finished the day with a career-high 160 yards receiving on five catches. His 73-yard TD catch at the beginning of the second quarter matched his career-long from a year ago against Lock Haven. Bowens added a 4-yard TD catch in the third as well.
Blair scored twice on the ground, adding a 31-yard scamper to pay dirt with 51 seconds left in the half. Both of his scores came late in each half to put the Golden Rams ahead.
Julian Jordan (Harrisburg, Pa./Bishop McDevitt) caught a 3-yard touchdown pass from
Cooper Jordan (Downingtown, Pa./Bishop Shanahan).
Jordan finished the day 14-for-22 for 249 yards and three touchdowns against one interception. He started the contest just 3-for-11 in the first half with a costly fumble inside West Chester's 10-yard line that led to Gannon's first score.
Big plays had an effect on the outcome Saturday.
Dayshawn Jacobs (West Chester, Pa./Rustin) returned a kickoff 79 yards to Gannon's 13-yard line. That led to a 38-yard field goal from
Sean Henry (Reading, Pa./Exeter) in the first half. The Golden Knights never kicked it to the deep backs again after that return.
D'Shaun Seals (Philadelphia, Pa./Imhotep Charter) returned a punt 40 yards as well. However, that drive ended on a fumble at Gannon's 3-yard line.
"We had two turnovers in the first half. We don't have those, then we probably have a few more points on the board. We turned the ball over three times against Slippery Rock. We just can't have that.
"(Jordan) made some plays when he had to, Blair scores a couple touchdowns, big kick return, big punt return. It all adds up."
Defensively, West Chester was led by
Connor Noble (Downingtown, Pa./Downingtown East) with 10 total tackles.
Khalib Slaughter (Flemington, N.J./Hunterdon Central) had seven tackles, including a pair of sacks.
West Chester opens PSAC East play next Saturday at Millersville for a 12 p.m. kick.
