WEST CHESTER, Pa.- Cooper Jordan (Downingtown, Pa./Bishop Shanahan) accounted for all five West Chester (2-1) touchdowns, throwing for three scores and rushing for two more to help the Golden Rams send their home-opener crowd home happy with a 34-16 victory over Seton Hill (1-2) inside Farrell Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
It was a festive atmosphere throughout the day on Saturday in West Chester as the Golden Rams celebrated the new name of the field (Tomlinson-Fillippo Field) in recognition of two great Golden Rams, Tom Fillippo '69 and Robert "Tommy" Tomlinson '70. West Chester also unveiled its new videoboard, made possible thanks in large part to the generosity of Roger '82 and Agnes Ware, which will help transform game day in Farrell Stadium for decades to come.
Jordan was excellent through the air on Saturday, completing 13-of-19 (68.4 %) for three scores and 224 yards. Jordan's longest strike of the day was a 41-yard connection to
Matthew Iuvara (Haddon Heights, N.J./Haddon Heights) late in the second quarter.
Jordan also rushed for a pair of scores, continuing to show just how dangerous he can be with his legs as he rushed for 112 yards, including two scores on 20 carries, averaging 5.6 yards per carry. This effort marked the seventh time in his career in which Jordan has eclipsed the 100-yard mark.
Additionally, Jordan's five touchdowns were the most he has accounted for in a single game since his five touchdown effort vs Millersville on Homecoming a year ago.
Iuvara led the team in receiving yards with 84 yards on four catches, including his 41-yard touchdown reception. Iuvara picked up 35 of his 84 yards on yards after the catch.
Ivan Thorpe (Philadelphia, Pa./Chestnut Hill Academy) also had a big day, catching three passes for 68 yards, including a 30-yard reception over the middle.
Connor Noble (Chester Springs, Pa./Downingtown East) made 12 tackles, including one tackle for a loss, while
Johnny Pergine (Limerick, Pa./Archbishop Wood) made nine tackles, including a sack, in the victory.
After a pair of scoreless opening possessions by both teams, West Chester opened the scoring with 7:27 to play in the first quarter when Jordan scrambled in from 18 yards out to give the Golden Rams an early 6-0 lead after a missed extra point. This 18-yard touchdown rush capped off a six-play, 55-yard drive for the Golden Rams. This rush also served as the longest run of the game for the Golden Rams.
Seton Hill countered with an eight-play drive of its own moments later, which covered 57 yards before the Golden Rams defense stiffened in the red zone and held the visitors to just a field goal.
With its lead cut to 6-3, Jordan and West Chester went right back to work, marching down the field with a five-play drive, which covered 59 yards, punctuated by a 20-yard touchdown pass from Jordan to
Future Robinson (Philadelphia, Pa./Roman Catholic), which, after a good extra point, helped West Chester stretch its lead to 13-3. This was the second big connection of the drive for Cooper and the Golden Rams, as West Chester has gone from the WCU 49 to the Seton Hill 27 on a long pass to
Matthew Iuvara (Haddon Heights, N.J./Haddon Heights) just two plays earlier in the drive.
After another Seton Hill three-and-out to open the second quarter, West Chester went back to work quickly, marching 74 yards on eight plays in just under six minutes to extend the lead to 20-3. Jordan completed a pass to
Ivan Thorpe (Philadelphia, Pa./Chestnut Hill Academy) over the middle for a 14-yard gain, which helped the team cross the 50, and later picked up 16 yards on the ground to get West Chester to the Seton Hill 17. After a six-yard rush by
Ali Barkley (Whitehall, Pa./Whitehall) to pick up a first down at the three-yard line, Jordan and West Chester fooled much of the stadium on a fake handoff to
Juke Peaker (Philadelphia, Pa./Northeast) while Jordan scampered around the left end to stretch the lead to 20-3.
Jordan and the Golden Rams picked up another touchdown through the air before the half when the senior quarterback found Iuvara for a 71-yard strike, which stretched the lead to 27-3 heading into the halftime break.
Jordan had an outstanding first half as he rushed for 79 yards and two scores on 13 carries, while going 7-of-10 through the air for 144 yards and two more touchdowns to help the Golden Rams be in control at the midway point.
West Chester outgained its guests by a 257-97 margin and picked up 15 first downs compared to just four by the visiting Griffins through the first 30 minutes of action.
In the third quarter, West Chester forced another three-and-out by Seton Hill, and the Golden Rams marched across midfield on their ensuing possession before a first-down sack slowed the Golden Rams' momentum and put the Golden Rams at second and 14 on their own 47. West Chester got 10 yards between second and third down, making it fourth and four on the Seton Hill 43. West Chester tried for a first down on fourth down for the first time on Saturday, midway through the third, but the pass was broken up, giving the Griffins the ball back just on the other side of midfield.
Ky'Ron Craggette, who had entered the game as the PSAC's leading rusher, broke his first big gain of the day on the ensuing possession, breaking through for 29 yards to get down to the Golden Rams 18-yard line. From the 18, Boden St. Marie dropped back and found Isaiah Cherry in the left corner of the end zone to cut the Golden Rams lead to 27-9.
West Chester finished the third quarter with the start of an impressive drive as the team went from its own 29 to Seton Hill's 30 after a pair of completions by Jordan and a 14-yard rush by the senior captain before the quarter came to a close.
West Chester started the fourth with an incompletion before Jordan rushed for seven yards to make it third and three on the Griffins' 23. After a stop on third down,
Rylan Zuk (Telford, Pa./Souderton) came on for a 40-yard field goal attempt, which just missed to keep the lead at 27-9.
On the first play of the Griffins' possession, West Chester knocked the ball loose. While the Griffins were able to recover, just before
Nate Desmond (Ridley Park, Pa./Ridley) was able to jump on top of it, it was good for an 18-yard loss, which effectively halted the possession before it could begin.
Seton Hill began putting together a drive midway through the fourth quarter, but
Miles Goodwin (Oreland, Pa./Springfield Twp) halted the drive as soon as it began with an interception to give the ball back to the Golden Rams.
With the ball back, Jordan threw his third touchdown pass of the afternoon on fourth and 12 as he rolled out right and found
Robby Longo (Springfield, Pa./Springfield) in the back of the endzone to give West Chester a 34-9 lead with under two minutes to play. This scored capped off a nine-play, 43-yard drive, which had begun on the Griffins' 43 after Goodwin's interception.
Seton Hill put together one final scoring drive, capitalizing on 30 yards of penalties on the Golden Rams on one play before Hayden Teska hit Jayden Llanos from 13 yards out to cut the lead to 34-16.
For Seton Hill, Craggette was limited to just 65 yards, including his rush of 29 yards. St. Marie was 7-for-12 through the air for 90 yards and a score, while Hayden Teska was 8-for-14 for 87 yards with one touchdown and one interception in the loss.
West Chester outgained Seton Hill 406 to 235 and picked up 23 first downs against just 15 by the Griffins in the 18-point triumph.
Up Next
West Chester will be back in action next Saturday at Millersville, beginning at 12 p.m.
