WEST CHESTER, PA – The second year of the
Duke Greco era gets under way this Saturday at 12 p.m. when the Golden Rams head to the Boston area to take on Northeast-10 preseason favorite Bentley University at Peter Yetten Stadium in Waltham, Mass.
West Chester's opener can be seen on FloCollege. An audio-only broadcast featuring the Golden Rams Network team of Mike Samsel and Andrew Daley can be heard on the Golden Rams' page of the PSAC Digital Network. For West Chester fans making the trip to Massachusetts, tickets to Saturday's game can be purchased
HERE.
Greco's challenge is to feed off of the momentum the Golden Rams showed in the second half of last season when they finished the year with four wins in their last six games. A total of 16 new faces make up West Chester's Week 1 two deep with eight of those being freshmen. The coaching staff has been busy this offseason shaping this roster into what they want, and Saturday will be the staff's first look at what they got.
"Since December, I think we have added about 50 new players," Greco flat-out stated. "But, we had a good group of kids coming back. The best part of camp was that this team is working hard. After the first couple of days, they have really been locked in. They jelled quickly. Everything clicked after we had a team outing at Marsh Creek Youth Football Night. That event was really good.
"Everyone has pretty much been on the same page since then. The new guys haven't experienced that adversity in a game, yet. So, we will see what happens when they do."
It helps when you have a senior quarterback, who has started every year he has been on campus, comes back to lead the fifth-ranked offense in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) and a fifth-year linebacker returns to sew up the middle of the defense.
Cooper Jordan (Downingtown, Pa./Bishop Shanahan) was the PSAC East Offensive Player of the Year in 2024. He is closing in on 2,000 yards rushing in his career while also ready to eclipse 2,000 yards passing. Meanwhile,
Connor Noble (Chester Springs, Pa./Downingtown East) registered over 100 tackles for the Golden Rams last fall.
Jordan, and QB2
Ethan Kohler (Schwenksville, Pa./Perkiomen Valley), provide all the leadership the offense needs as two signal callers who know the offense and have the confidence of the players in the huddle. Transfer
Colin O'Sullivan (Fort Washington, Pa./Upper Dublin) from Division I Rutgers, has really impressed as well.
"All three QBs had a great camp," Greco said. "Coop and Ethan are Coop and Ethan. I talk to both of them a lot about competing against themselves, as well as against each other. I think both of them would start at a lot of schools in our conference."
The competition in the backfield for that coveted RB1 position has been intense. Only one ball carrier from a year ago returns,
Juke Peaker (Philadelphia, Pa./Northeast). But, right up until the final week of camp, Greco revealed that he had three guys all listed atop the depth chart. He had not made a decision.
"
Ali Barkley (Whitehall, Pa./Whitehall) had a really good camp," Greco explained. "He legitimately has been the most consistent every day. The other two guys right there with him are
Khalil Owens (Germantown, Md./Northwest) and Peaker. They have also had a really good camp and both are veterans to the college game and the PSAC.
"
Jamir Robertson (Philadelphia, Pa./Roman Catholic), with what we are asking him to do, has had a really good camp."
Another area where Greco welcomed new faces to the fold is on the perimeter in the passing game. Transfer
Matt Iuvara (Haddon Heights, N.J./Haddon Heights) was brought in from Monmouth University while fellow portal WR
Ivan Thorpe (Philadelphia, Pa./Chestnut Hill Academy) joined the Rams from Virginia Military Institute (VMI). Another Monmouth guy
Will Silverman (Doylestown, Pa./Central Bucks East) was picked up by the Golden Rams and should see significant time.
They all have turned in good camps during the month of August and should be new tools for Jordan to use in the Golden Rams' offense. Thorpe possesses the most potential while Iuvara has been a pleasant surprise for the coaching staff.
R-Jr., tight end,
Thatcher Miller (Lititz, Pa./Warwick) has been eager to get back on the field after an injury in Week 3 last year ended his campaign prematurely. He is one of three captains designated by Greco and was one of Jordan's favorite targets over the past three years.
Depth will certainly not be an issue for the Golden Rams on defense. Both
Richardo Delgado (Warminster, Pa./Archbishop Wood) and
Maurice Beverly (Philadelphia, Pa./Imhotep Charter) return following a year away from the program. Both can get after the quarterback strengthening the pass rush. West Chester can go two deep at almost every linebacker position and put someone on the field that would probably start anywhere in the conference.
"Linebacker wise, having Delgado and Beverly back is great," Greco reaffirmed. "Beverly might have had the best camp of anybody. Our system fits him really well. Plus, Noble looks as good as ever. All of our linebackers are older and know the system. Noble will be a lot better this year.
Johnny Pergine (Limerick, Pa./Archbishop Wood),
Luke Trunell (Yardley, Pa./Conwell Egan) and
Seamus McCain (Philadelphia, Pa./Penn Charter) know the system, and
Khadir Rowe (Philadelphia, Pa./Northeast) is pushing for playing time."
Along the defensive line, R-Sr., and tri-captain
Nate Desmond (Ridley Park, Pa./Ridley) was slowed by injury at the end of last year. He is one of the best linemen in the division when healthy. He should be ready to go this fall. Junior
Jack Fry (Norristown, Pa./Archbishop Carroll) is also back to help bolster the interior of the line. Transfers
Anthony Delle Donne (Lineboro, Md./Calvert Hall) and
Amara Yobouet (Philadelphia, Pa./Northeast) have been brought in to help with run defense.
Transfers
Khalif Kemp (Philadelphia, Pa./Imhotep Charter) and
Ronnell McCorn (Brunswick, Md./Good Council) have really impressed during camp. They make up that depth on each end of the d-line.
The defensive secondary has familiar faces in some new roles. But, Coach Greco likes where this unit is heading into the season.
Jamir Reyes (Philadelphia, Pa./Imhotep Charter) takes over as the strong safety while
Kaleb Brown (Reading, Pa./Wilson) takes one of the cornerback positions.
Jimmy Wright (Havertown, Pa./Haverford) is the free safety. Transfer
Gus Ross (Phoenixville, Pa./Bishop Shanahan) will man the other corner.
"Defensive backs might not be as talented as the group last year, but they are not making mental mistakes because they know their limitations," Greco explained. "Reyes is a smart player who won't give up a big play. The communication in the defensive backfield has been great."
West Chester was picked to finish third in the Eastern Division of the PSAC. The Golden Rams are young in some key places. But, the offense is extremely talented and the defense vastly improved. Greco steered his charges to a 4-6 record overall in his first year at the helm. A 4-2 run towards the end of the season left the Golden Rams with a winning record (4-3) in the conference and in a tie for third place.
It doesn't take a deep dive into the first four games of last year to realize that West Chester could have won three of those games with some better fortune, or the elimination of one play. Experience and a year of growth at some skill positions could turn those "L"'s into "W"'s for Greco.
