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WALTHAM, MASS –
Jayden Williams (Bethlehem, Pa./Allentown Central Catholic) ran in from seven yards out with 53 seconds left in the game to put West Chester in front for the first time in the game en route to a 20-19 victory over host Bentley in a non-conference football contest at Bentley Stadium on a sun-splashed Saturday afternoon.
The Golden Rams opened their 2023 campaign with a one-point victory over the Falcons for the second time in as many years. Last fall, West Chester carved out a 17-16 win at home.
It wasn't how head coach Bill Zwaan probably drew it up in his head. Nonetheless, his Golden Rams stuck it out to the very end.
"The fact that we made so many mistakes, so many crucial mistakes, and still came out with a win is pretty amazing really," Zwaan said afterwards. "Intestinal fortitude, and all that stuff that people talk about, definitely got tested today. But, we hung in there and the guys that we know can make plays, made plays, and we put the ball in the end zone."
Williams' game-winning score capped a 71-yard drive that took just 44 seconds. Bentley missed a 46-yard field goal with 1:37 to play and the hosts clinging to a 19-13 lead. That left the door open for the guests, giving them one more shot.
Cooper Jordan (Downingtown, Pa./Bishop Shanahan) marched onto the field and executed the 2-minute drill very well. He hit
D'Shaun Seals (Philadelphia, Pa./Imhotep Charter) on a 45-yard pass to get the ball into Bentley territory. He then found
Johnathan Haynes (North Wales, Pa./North Penn) along the sideline for a 25-yard play that put the ball inside the 10-yard line with just over one minute left.
"We have pride in each other and stick together as a team," Jordan said after the game. "The way we persevered and overcame all the adversity says a lot."
Jordan finished the day 18-for-26 for a career-high 299 yards and one touchdown. The come-from-behind win was the second fourth-quarter comeback that Jordan has engineered in his young career.
Bentley jumped out to a 14-0 lead in the first half. However, West Chester got one of those TDs back with two minutes left before the break. Jordan hit tight end
Thatcher Miller (Lititz, Pa./Warwick) on an 8-yard scoring pass, and despite not putting together a great half of football, the Golden Rams only trailed by a touchdown.
Sean Henry (Reading, Pa./Exeter) kicked the first of his two field goals on the day five minutes into the second half that cut the deficit to 14-10. Bentley then answered three minutes later with a field goal of its own to make it 17-10.
On the ensuing kickoff, some indecisiveness by West Chester's return man resulted in a safety, and Bentley increased its lead to 19-10.
Henry booted his second field goal of the day with 9:14 left in the contest. Bentley took the ensuing kickoff and ran the ball all the way to the West Chester 29, where its drive stalled out. The Falcons' field goal kicker was wide left, and Jordan came on to work his magic.
"We've had faith in Coop for a long time," Seals said. "When the play broke down, and he went into the scramble drill, I knew Coop would be looking down field. So, I made sure to get open as fast as I could, and he found me."
Seals finished with four catches for 95 yards.
Defensively,
Connor Noble (Chester Springs, Pa./Downingtown East) led all West Chester tacklers with nine tackles.
Shane Mosley (Havertown, Pa./Haverford) registered eight. West Chester forced a fumble, intercepted a pass and sacked Bentley's quarterback twice.
The Golden Rams hit the road once again next Saturday night for a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) crossover tilt at Slippery Rock.
