KUTZTOWN, Pa. – West Chester made big plays at both ends of the field and capitalized upon them to spoil Kutztown's Senior Day –and playoff hopes-- with a 28-9 victory Saturday afternoon at Andre Reed Stadium.
The numbers were even most of the way, but the Golden Rams were opportunistic where the Golden Bears were not. A late second-quarter goal line stand and a late third-quarter blocked punt proved to be the difference makers for West Chester (6-4, 4-3 PSAC East), which snapped a two-game slide in the all-time series and won in Kutztown for the seventh time in nine games dating back to 2005.
West Chester forced a punt from KU on its opening drive, before going right down the field for six. Cooper Jordan delivered a 10-yard pass to D'Shaun Seals to end an 11-play, 72-yard drive over 4:46, as the Golden Rams jumped out to a 7-0 lead midway through the first.
Jordan's athleticism created issues for a strong Kutztown (7-3, 5-2 PSAC East) run defense all afternoon. The true freshman from Downingtown, Pa., didn't beat the Bears with his arm, going just 9-of-30 for 30 yards and a TD, but his legs were a different story.
The Golden Bears yielded 129 rushing yards (on 20 carries) to Jordan and 247 to West Chester as a whole, both season-highs by an opponent. Kutztown entered Saturday's game with the nation's seventh-best run defense, allowing just 68.3 yards per game. The Golden Rams became just the third team to run for more than 100 yards against KU this season and the first since Notre Dame College (305) in the second round of the 2019 NCAA playoffs to go over 200 in a contest.
When it wasn't the elusive Jordan, it was bruising back Ja'Den McKenzie getting the call. McKenzie ran 15 times for 98 yards and a pair of TDs. Both he and Jordan averaged 6.5 yards per carry.
West Chester pieced together another drive similar to those that have defined Kutztown's success this season in the early stages of the second. McKenzie ripped off a 20-yard run and Jordan gained 37 yards, including a 15-yard TD that doubled the Golden Rams' lead to 14-0 with 7:16 left in the half.
Kutztown responded on its maiden drive of the second half. Missing starting running back
Darryl Davis-McNeil (Roslyn, Pa./Abington) due to injury, KU leaned on
Jordan Davis (Franklin, N.J./Saint Joseph Metuchen),
Noble House (Lansdale, Pa./St. Joseph's Prep) and Jaedyn Stewart to fill the void. Davis gashed WCU for back-to-back runs of 20 and 15 yards, before Stewart gained 12 to position the Bears just outside the red zone.
On 3rd-and-9 from the WCU 12, quarterback
Donny Blaine (Jefferson Township, Pa./North Pocono) located
Kurtis Ravenel Jr. (Carlisle, Pa./Carlisle) in the back right corner of the end zone. Ravenel, one of 27 seniors honored during a pregame ceremony, won a 1-on-1 battle to bring in his second career touchdown reception and cut the Golden Rams' advantage in half, 14-7.
Kutztown forced a punt on WCU's next possession, but Sean Henry placed a beauty down at the Golden Bear 2-yard line that would ultimately set up one of the game's biggest plays. Following three plays that gained no traction, Sterlen Barr came through to block Nathan Millard's punt and the Golden Rams took over at the KU 4.
The Maroon and Gold nearly paid West Chester back for a second-quarter goal line stand, but it wasn't to be. McKenzie found a hole behind the left side of his line and broke through for a 1-yard TD run on 4th-and-goal to restore his team's two-score lead, 21-7, with eight seconds left in the third.
Millard pinned the Rams at their own 1-yard line with just under 10 minutes remaining and it paid off in the form of points for KU.
Kyle Sapp (Westampton, N.J./Rancocas Valley Regional) and Brandon Hile combined to stuff McKenzie in the end zone for a safety that made it 21-9.
Kutztown couldn't move the chains off the free kick and West Chester put the game away with an 8-play, 57-yard drive finished off by a 7-yard McKenzie TD run with 4:11 to go.
Davis registered his third career 100+ yard rushing game with a career-high 134 yards on 19 totes. Stewart ran hard in his collegiate debut, picking up 35 yards on nine carries.
Ravenel led the receivers with four catches for 48 yards, while
Jerome Kapp (Barto, Pa./Boyertown) had five receptions for 35. Blaine completed 14-of-25 passes for 107 yards and a score.
Amani Justice (Salem, N.J./Salem) finished with a team-high 10 tackles and fumble recovery to lead the defense. The Salem, N.J., native moved into 14th in program history with 254 career tackles.
Kyle Sapp (Westampton, N.J./Rancocas Valley Regional) added seven stops (2.5 tackles for loss) and
Cody Scherer (Lehighton, Pa./Lehighton) had six tackles and a pass breakup. Tom Pellegrino, Earl Volz and Kam Wolf each recorded a sack.
Prior to the game, the Golden Bears honored their 2022 senior class:
CJ Brown (Coatesville, Pa./Coatesville),
Darryl Davis-McNeil (Roslyn, Pa./Abington),
Dawson Evitts (Auburn, Pa./Schuylkill Haven),
Albert Glasgow (Huntingdon Valley, Pa./Archbishop Wood),
Tom Griese (Dover, N.J./Morris Knolls),
Devin Hannan (Belle Vernon, Pa./Belle Vernon),
Justin Harris (Deptford, N.J./Salem),
Ryan Jennings Jr. (Voorhees, N.J./Eastern Regional),
Amani Justice (Salem, N.J./Salem),
Jerome Kapp (Barto, Pa./Boyertown),
Antaun Lloyd (Ambler, Pa./Wissahickon),
Alex MacKenzie (Sinking Spring, Pa./Conrad Weiser),
Tucker Monico (Sicklerville, N.J./Saint Joseph),
Austin Moyer (Souderton, Pa./Souderton),
Jake Novak (Manheim, Pa./Manheim Central), Tom Pellegrino,
Kurtis Ravenel Jr. (Carlisle, Pa./Carlisle),
Kyle Sapp (Westampton, N.J./Rancocas Valley Regional),
Isaiah Savitt (Wyckoff, N.J./Twinsburg (Ohio)/Ramapo),
Cody Scherer (Lehighton, Pa./Lehighton),
Brandon Smith (North Plainfield, N.J./North Plainfield), Earl Volz,
Ryan Wetzel (Downingtown, Pa./Downingtown West),
Tyler Whary (Hereford, Pa./Upper Perkiomen),
Nigel Wilson (Bound Brook, N.J./Bound Brook),
Parker Zimerofsky (Pottsville, Pa./Pottsville) and student assistant Louis Orth.
Kutztown will close out the regular season with a road game at Slippery Rock on Saturday, Nov. 12, at 1 p.m.
