WEST CHESTER, Pa. -- Eric Nickel (Bridgewater, N.J./Bridgewater-Raritan) found Jerome Kapp (Barto, Pa./Boyertown) in the front left corner of the end zone from 22 yards out with eight seconds remaining as the 19th-ranked Kutztown University football team overcame an early 14-point hole to win its second consecutive outright PSAC Eastern Division title, 21-14, Saturday afternoon at John A. Farrell Stadium.

The Golden Bears will host West champ Slippery Rock in the State Game next Saturday, Nov. 13, at 12:05 p.m. in a rematch of the 2019 title game. The Rock defeated No. 3 Cal U, 38-26, to secure its spot, while Kutztown already knew it would represent the East regardless of the result against West Chester.

Despite already knowing it would be playing for a PSAC title, there was plenty on the line for Kutztown going up against their arch-rival, including NCAA seeding ramifications. The Golden Bears entered their PSAC East finale second in the latest Super Region 1 rankings, but top-ranked Bentley suffered a 31-14 defeat at New Haven Saturday opening up the door for Kutztown to jump to the top spot.

West Chester (6-4, 4-3 PSAC East) had other ideas, however.

The Golden Rams finished their first two drives in the end zone as quarterback Shane Dooley connected with Rasheem James from 20 yards out and Mari Wright from 16, putting the upset-minded hosts ahead 14-0 with 1:21 left in the first quarter.

While Kutztown had to work for its points all afternoon, the defense once again answered the bell after allowing 167 first-quarter yards. Over the final three quarters, WCU could muster only 79 yards of total offense while being held off the scoreboard.

Though the Bears trailed by two scores at the end of the first they were on the move following a 40-yard run by Zaire Jones (Salem, N.J./Salem) down the Golden Ram 35. Jerome Kapp (Barto, Pa./Boyertown) put the Bears (9-1, 7-0 PSAC East) on the doorstep when he took a reverse 20 yards down to the three.

West Chester was poised to force a fourth-down play from the Bears, but were hit with an unsportsmanlike penalty call on third down. Two plays later, quarterback Eric Nickel (Bridgewater, N.J./Bridgewater-Raritan) pushed forward to finish the 9-play, 75-yard drive with a 1-yard TD run that cut the Golden Rams' lead in half.

Nearing the end of the first half, Nickel's first-down pass from his own 6-yard line was intercepted by Obi Anyatonwu, setting the Golden Rams up with excellent field position and a chance to extend their lead going into the locker room. Safety Nick Palmer (Montville, N.J./Bergen Catholic) returned the favor, however, picking off Dooley at the KU 4, a massive takeaway for the Golden Bear defense.

After receiving the second-half kick, KU used a balanced attack to go 75 yards in just under six minutes, tying the game on Nickel's second 1-yard scoring run of the afternoon. Kurtis Ravenel Jr. (Carlisle, Pa./Carlisle) had two catches for 25 yards and Darryl Davis-McNeil (Roslyn, Pa./Abington) picked up 27 on the ground during the 11-play drive.

Two straight tackles for loss from the Golden Bear defense late in the third quarter, including a sack by Togba Jallah-Porte II (Collingdale, Pa./Academy Park) and Ryan Meyers (Hellertown, Pa./Saucon Valley) on third-down, forced a 43-yard field goal attempt by WCU's Sean Henry, but Cody Scherer (Lehighton, Pa./Lehighton) blocked it and the game remained even at 14.

The Golden Rams were working near midfield early in the fourth when Justin Harris (Deptford, N.J./Salem) intercepted Dooley on a downfield pass at the KU 36. The Maroon and Gold couldn't do anything with it, but punter Dean Krcic (Saylorsburg, Pa./Pleasant Valley), as he's done all year, provided a clutch 56-yard boomer to the WCU 4 that would ultimately factor into setting up Kutztown's winning drive.

Krcic was excellent once again. Even though he was only called upon three times, he had a career-long 70-yard punt in the second quarter and finished with a 54.7 average for the day.

The defense made the most of WCU being pinned deep in its own territory. Tyler Whary (Hereford, Pa./Upper Perkiomen) was in on all three tackles, combining with Jallah-Porte II to sack Dooley on second down, and the Bears took over at the Golden Ram 41 with 5:18 to go following John George's punt from his own end zone.

Kapp came up with a huge 8-yard reception on 4th and 5 at the WCU 17 to keep the drive alive, but a 12-yard sack from Nyeem Jones on 2nd and goal knocked Kutztown out of the red zone and set the visitors up with 3rd down at the WCU 22. That's when Nickel dropped back and found Kapp for the go-ahead score with just eight seconds remaining.

Whary would sack Dooley as time expired and the Golden Bears had their second straight outright PSAC East title in hand, along with a second consecutive unbeaten trip through the league schedule. Kutztown has won 15 in a row over East opponents going back to 2018.

Davis-McNeil and Jones combined for 177 yards rushing on 24 attempts. McNeil had just six of those, but made the most of them, going for 97 yards (16.2 per carry) and a long of 60. Jones totaled 80 yards rushing on 18 totes.

West Chester was solid against the pass, limiting the Bears to 134 yards through the air. Kapp's four catches for 88 yards and the game-winning score accounted for most of it. Only Ravenel Jr. and Kaden Hastie (Tabernacle, N.J./Seneca) had catches besides Kapp.

The Kutztown defense was swarming to the ball with Chris Thomas (Norwood, Pa./Interboro), Whary and Scherer leading the way. The Golden Bears sacked Dooley six times and had nine tackles for loss in all. They also allowed just 89 yards on the ground, the fifth straight game in which an opponent has not reached the century mark and ninth in 10 games this season.