Long Propels No. 9/10 West Chester to PSAC Football Title Against Slippery Rock, 33-10
Photo credit to Mike Schnelle
CHAMPIONSHIP GAME RECAP
Box Score
SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. --- No. 9/10 West Chester used the versatility of quarterback A.J. Long to claim a 33-10 victory against Slippery Rock in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Football Championship Game on a blustery Saturday afternoon at Mihalik-Thompson Stadium in Slippery Rock, Pa.
The Golden Rams improved on their flawless season and sit at 10-0 while The Rock dropped to 9-2.
It was WCU's first outright championship since 1967.
Long was named the Most Valuable Player after rushing for 144 yards on 30 carries with a touchdown while using his arm to go 13-for-21 for 153 yards and three TDs.
WCU’s defense entered the game with the top ranked defense in the PSAC and flexed its muscles by holding SRU to a season-low in points while sacking quarterback Roland Rivers five times.
Rivers threw for a touchdown while rushing for 17 yards.
The Rock took a 3-0 lead on a 32-yard field goal from junior Jake Chapla with 11:40 remaining in the opening frame. The field goal tied Chapla for the most field goals in a career at SRU with 35.
The Golden Rams wasted little time in responding and took a 7-3 lead following a 43-yard touchdown scamper from Mike Class with 9:07 on clock.
Long threw a two-yard touchdown pass to tight end Cody Boozel on fourth down in the waning moments of the first quarter, 14-3.
The WCU QB used his legs to run to push the lead to 21-3 following a 28-yard touchdown run early in the second quarter.
The Golden Rams used their top receiver to extend the lead to 24, 27-3, after Lex Rosario hauled in a 44-yard pass.
SRU shaved the deficit when the PSAC Football Champion Scholar, Henry Litwin, caught an impressive 51-yard heave from Rivers with 2:02 remaining in the first half.
WCU junior Jarey Elder snuffed out a River’s pass to halt a drive with an interception and returned it 37 yards to SRU’s 19.
Two plays later, Class notched his second TD of the day with a 17-yard reception.
Both defenses buried their heels and held the opposition scoreless for the final 30 minutes of play.
SRU running back Wes Hills paced The Rock with 92 rushing yards on 24 carries while Litwin paced the receivers with 81 yards.
Class finished with 61 rushing yards and 30 yards receiving.
WCU entered the contest at No. 3 in the NCAA DII Super Region 1 Rankings and will join the rest of the country when it find out its postseason fate on Sunday, Nov. 11 at 5 p.m.
CHAMPIONSHIP GAME PREVIEW
SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. ---No. 9 West Chester will travel to Slippery Rock to play in the PSAC Football Championship Game Saturday, Nov. 10 at 1:05 p.m. at Mihalik-Thompson Stadium in Slippery Rock, Pa.
The Golden Rams will enter the contest with a flawless 9-0 record while The Rock enters the contest at 9-1. The Rock’s lone loss came in week two against Shippensburg, 25-21.
This marks the seventh time the two institutions will meet in the PSAC Title Game. SRU claimed the most previous contest, 61-12, in 2015.
SRU has won four consecutive title games against WCU.
Both offenses will be on display while ranking No. 1 and 2 in the league in scoring offense. SRU paces the PSAC with 41.5 points per game while WCU averages 40.0.
WCU’s defense has been a strength all season while leading the PSAC by allowing 15.2 points per game.
Opponents have been held to 55.9 yards per game on the ground against WCU while SRU’s offense ranks second in rushing at 207.1 yards per game.
SRU’s Wes Hills sits second in the league in rushing average (139.1) and is fifth in rushing touchdowns (12).
The Rock’s quarterback, Roland Rivers, produces 248.4 yards per game in the air, which is third-best in the PSAC. WCU’s A.J. Long sits fifth at 220.9.
SRU’s duo of Jermaine Wynn Jr. and Henry Litwin have combined for 13 receiving touchdowns on 73 receptions.
WCU linebacker and reigning East Defensive Athlete of the Year, Tyler Morrissey, has produced another solid season and is third in the league in sacks (8.5). Teammate Nate Barnes is tied for fourth with 6.5. Golden Rams’ Diquan Gilbert leads the PSAC with 1.06 sacks per game.
The contest will air on PCN and on the PSAC Digital Network.
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@PSACsports) and use #PSACfb to show your support and also "like" the PSAC on Facebook at
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Tickets can be purchased by clicking HERE.
| PSAC Rankings |
| SLIPPERY ROCK |
|
WEST CHESTER |
| Offense |
|
Defense |
|
Offense |
|
Defense |
| 41.5 ppg – 1st |
Scoring |
20.9 ppg – 4th |
|
40.0 ppg – 1st |
Scoring |
15.2 ppg – 1st |
| 207.1 ypg – 2nd |
Rushing |
92.6 ypg –2nd |
|
217.6 – 1st |
Rushing |
55.9 – 1st |
| 283.1 ypg – 3rd |
Passing |
229.3 ypg – 10th |
|
232.7 – 7th |
Passing |
189.0 – 2nd |
| 490.2 ypg – 1st |
Total |
321.9 ypg – 3rd |
|
450.2 ypg – 3rd |
Total |
244.9 – 1st |
| Time of Possession |
30:28 – 6th |
|
Time of Possession |
34:12 – 1st |
| 3rd Down Conversions |
43.4 % – 3rd (59 - 136) |
|
3rd Down Conversions |
49.2 % – 2nd (58-118) |
| Turnover Margin |
+6 – 5th |
|
Turnover Margin |
+10 – T1st |
PSAC Championship Game
This is the 39th PSAC Football Championship Game matching the top representative from the Eastern and Western Division. The game was annually played from 1960 through 1987 one week after the end of the regular season. At that time, there became additional Division II playoff opportunities and the league voted to eliminate the game as to not interfere with those opportunities. The PSAC reinstated the game in 2008, this time matching the Divisional representatives in the last game of the regular season.
PSAC Championship Game Record Seventh Meeting
This year marks the seventh time that Slippery Rock and West Chester will meet in the PSAC Championship Game, the most between any two opponents. The Rock holds a 4-2 advantage in such contests and have won four consecutive after WCU took the first two.
1961: West Chester 21, Slippery Rock 0
1963: West Chester 36, Slippery Rock 7
1972: Slippery Rock 29, West Chester 27
1973: Slippery Rock 28, West Chester 14
1974: Slippery Rock 20, West Chester 7
2015: Slippery Rock 61, West Chester 12
School by School Breakdown of PSAC Football Champions (Including Co-Champions)
| West Chester – 18 |
California – 9 |
Lock Haven - 4 |
| IUP –18 |
Millersville – 8 |
Mansfield - 2 |
| Bloomsburg – 17 |
Shippensburg – 7 |
Kutztown - 1 |
| East Stroudsburg – 12 |
Clarion – 6 |
Mercyhurst - 1 |
| Slippery Rock – 11 |
Edinboro – 6 |
|
Championship Game Results
Slippery Rock
2015 defeated West Chester, 61-12
2014 defeated Bloomsburg, 28-26
2013 lost to Bloomsburg, 42-38
2011 lost to Kutztown, 21-14
1974 defeated West Chester, 20-7
1973 defeated West Chester 28-14
1972 defeated West Chester 28-27
1963 lost to West Chester 36-7
1962 defeated East Stroudsburg 13-6
1961 lost to West Chester, 21-0
|
West Chester
2017 lost to IUP, 24-7
2015 lost to Slippery Rock 61-12
2008 lost to California, 47-36
1987 lost to IUP, 21-9
1986 lost to IUP, 20-6
1974 lost to Slippery Rock, 20-7
1973 lost to Slippery Rock, 28-14
1972 lost to Slippery Rock, 28-27
1971 defeated Edinboro, 35-14
1970 lost to Edinboro, 14-6
1969 defeated Clarion, 41-34
1967 defeated Clarion, 27-7
1966 lost to Clarion, 28-26
1963 defeated Slippery Rock, 36-7
1961 defeated Slippery Rock, 21-0
1960 defeated Lock Haven, 35-6 |
Since reinstating the game in 2008, there have been seven different champions. Until 2015 when Slippery Rock won at West Chester, the home team had won every game. The Western Division representative has won each of the last four seasons.
(West) 2008 California 47, West Chester 36
(East) 2009 Shippensburg 42, California 35
(West) 2010 Mercyhurst 56, Bloomsburg 37
(East) 2011 Kutztown 21, Slippery Rock 14
(West) 2012 IUP 41, Shippensburg 10
(East) 2013 Bloomsburg 42, Slippery Rock 38
(West) 2014 Slippery Rock 28, Bloomsburg 26
(West) 2015 Slippery Rock 61, West Chester 12
(West) 2016 California 49, Kutztown 7
(West) 2017 IUP 24, West Chester 7