Jordan and West Chester finish off Shippensburg for initial win
By Neil GOSHEN – Just when the stage was set for the West Chester football squad to surrender yet another second half lead, the Golden Rams came up with a series of huge plays — scoring two third quarter touchdowns in the span of 93 seconds — to propel WCU to a 28-10 victory Saturday over Shippensburg at Farrell Stadium.
It was West Chester's first victory of the 2024 season, and the initial win for first-year head coach Duke Greco. The Rams opened the season 0-4 for the first time since 2000, and three of those setbacks came in agonizing fashion, with WCU falling in the final minute of regulation.
"After losing a few games we had in our reach, to come out and finally win one feels great," said junior linebacker Connor Noble.
It wasn't anywhere close to perfect – the Rams were whistled for 10 penalties for more than 100 yards and lost the turnover battle 2-1 — but the end result was a welcome relief. West Chester's four losses have come by a total of 18 points, as Greco suffered as many setbacks in his first month at the helm as he did in his first two seasons as the head coach at Delaware Valley University.
"We are excited to be a part of (Greco's) first win," Noble said.
"We've taken a lot of punches so far in our first four weeks, so for this team to bounce back today and get the taste (of winning) is special," Greco added.
The win moves West Chester to 1-1 in the PSAC East and 1-4 overall. Shippensburg falls to 0-1, 1-4.
"(The start to the season) was tough because I felt this team deserved to win with the way they've worked," Greco pointed out. "And the support we've had, the hardest part for me was that I felt like we let people down in the first four weeks. So it is great for the guys today, to see the hard work pay off. Hopefully we can build off of this.
"We all use the word resilient, and that's what we've been. To come off the ropes after the first four weeks and continue to fight, it says a lot about the team."
The game turned dramatically in the third period after the Raiders had scored 10 points in a row to slice the lead to 14-10. It just felt all too familiar to earlier gut-punching setbacks this season against Bentley, Seton Hill and Bloomsburg.
It started with a huge interception by Noble at the Shippensburg 34. Six plays later, Jordan freelanced his way into the end zone from six yards out. And then, on the ensuing kickoff, the Rams' Dylan McKenzie leaped to secure a loose ball at the 26. Three plays after that Jordan found the end zone again, this time on a nine-yard scramble, and in a flash it was 28-10.
"Our defense played great today," Greco said. "Connor makes that play, gets the momentum back, and then Coop makes a play from nothing to score. It was not a great play call, it was him being him.
"Once we got up 18, it let us breathe a little bit. And with everything that's gone on – and no one is going to say it out loud – but all of our stomachs were a little tight up until that point."
A couple personal foul calls on the WCU defense helped the Raiders early in the fourth, but Shippensburg missed a 35-yard field goal. The Raiders moved deep into West Chester territory two more times the rest of the way but wound up turning it over on downs.
It was crystal clear afterwards that for a number of weeks now, the notion of finishing has been a major point of emphasis for the purple and gold.
"We talked about it so much, I can't say that word again. We've been close so many times and today we got it done," Greco acknowledged.
"We played a complete game and we finished," Noble added. "We've struggled with both over the course of the season, but today we finished what we started."
The Rams wasted a 56-yard first quarter drive when runner Dayshawn Jacobs fumbled it away at the Raiders' 12. But WCU came right back when Jordan raced 84-yards on the first play of the next series to open a 7-0 lead early in the second. It was a career-long for the junior.
"I just remember seeing the (Shippensburg) defensive end crash down," Jordan said. "(Tight end Mike) Darcy made a nice block on the cornerback to make it possible. Our coaches were saying all week that if I can get past the defensive end, there is going to be a lot of green grass."
Jacobs also rebounded on the ensuing possession, running for 34 yards on three attempts to set up a 33-yard TD toss from Jordan to senior receiver Raheim Bowens to make it 14-0.
"I'm feeling happy – things finally clicked today," Jordan said. "It's about time. I am feeling a sense of relief."
Shippensburg kicked a 24-yard field goal in the final minute of the first half and then cut the deficit to four on its first series of the second half, when runner Josiah Leonard scored on a 37-yard run. The Rams, however, outscored the Raiders 14-0 the rest of the way.
"We have a heck of a leader in our head coach," Jordan said. "He never lost faith in us, and we are not losing faith in this season. We are a hard working group, we want it, and nobody on this team has put their head down."
Jordan led WCU with 119 rushing yards and three TDs, and added 119 yards through the air without turning it over. Noble finished with 17 tackles, including a sack and an interception.
"(Jordan) has a great feel for the game, is very savvy and can make the coaching staff look good," Greco said.
"All three areas contributed to this: offense, defense and special teams," Jordan added. "It shows what we can be as a team."
NOTES: Multiple-season starting offensive linemen Caelen Krasley and Patrick Methlie – both redshirt juniors — did not dress and are reportedly out for the season with injuries. They were replaced in the lineup by senior Cam McQueen and sophomore Cole Evans ... West Chester punter Zack Liberatore had a noteworthy Saturday. He booted the football four times for a 42.2 average, and one was a career-high 63 yarder. Two others were downed inside the opposition 20, including one at the Shippensburg one.
