Gridders stay tough to remain unbeaten

Gridders stay tough to remain unbeaten

Athletics Football

This article describes a football game between WC and Cheyney won by WC 28-18. It hints at tension between the two schools.

Ed Miller and Michael Sommers

Quad Angles

Special Collections, Francis Harvey Green Library, West Chester University

11-12-1974

Randall Cream

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https://digital.klnpa.org/digital/collection/wcnp01/id/15233

West Chester State wrapped up its sixth straight Eastern Division crown Saturday with a brutal 28-18 win over an underrated and fierce Cheyney State. The undefeated Golden Rams trailed 10-7 at the half, but true to their usual second half spectaculars, came on strong thereafter with much of the credit due to the elusive running of Guy Van Alstine. The '73 Maxwell Club Trophy winner scored three touchdowns and picked up 166 yards in 23 carries. This game was a critical one, deciding whether West Chester would or would not go to the Pennsylvania Conference playoff. But it seemed like John Furlow's squad thought the vastly-improved Wolves a pushover and the game mere cake. Coach Billy Joe's squad thought they had a good chance to push the Rams off the Division throne. The Cheyney coach had said before the game "this game today is a pivotal one in our program, it will give us an idea to just how far we have progressed in football." The progress made by the Wolves of Cheyney can be expressed in two words with one meaning. The words — Abel Joe. The sophomore halfback burned the Rams for 191 yards in 24 carries and scored both touchdowns. The Rams took the opening kickoff and on the second scrimmage play fumbled it over to Cheyney. Not a good start. With Abel Joe smashing his way down the field on five straight carries, the Wolves moved 55 yards in nine plays. Towards the end of the set, the Ram defense began to tighten up and stalled the Wolves at the ten yard line. On fourth down, Ted Richardson kicked a 27\ard field goal to give Cheyney a quick 3-0 lead. Starting from the Ram twenty-six, West Chester galloped to the Cheyney nine in eight plays, with Chip Zawoiski, Warren Sothern and Van Alstine lugging the ball. Then, one of many drive-killing penalties was called against the Rams. Steve Cook tried a short field goal but it was wide and Cheyney's lead held. In the second quarter, the Rams again moved steadily upfield only to have their momentum again punctured by penalties. Again Cook's field goal attempt was no good. The Wolves took over on their twenty and Abel Joe took a handoff, cut left and galloped eighty yards for a touchdown. James Brown's kick was good and the Rams trailed, ten to zip. The Rams immediately went into action as they took the ball, with Van Alstine running the kickoff to the midfield marker. It was then time for Warren Mays to show the Cheyney folk exactly why he is number one in passing in the Pennsylvania Conference: a 15 yard pass to Zawoiski, a screen pass to Van Alstine and then a 14 yarder to Mike O'Connor. Then Sudsy Sothern broke through to the seven yard line, but another penalty put the ball back on the twelve. Mays then threw to Bob Hartshorn to take things down to the three yard line. Van Alstine took only one try to score and Cook's point after was good: 10-7. Abel Joe tried his old stomp-throughthe-defense tricks, but Mel Hinton tackled him with such force that the West Chester defender had to get a new helmet. No drive for Cheyney there. West Chester took the ball and Mays started putting it in the air. Trouble. The Ram receivers couldn't seem to hang on to the ball and Cook was forced to punt. Miracles of miracles, a penalty against Cheyney put them on their own six and then Abel Joe actually became human and fumbled the ball. With West Chester in possession, there was time in the half for one more play and Cook came out to try. his third field goal . . . and his third miss. West Chester went to the locker room where co-captain Mike Green told his teammates, "we've got to play like West Chester; if we don't, the season is over." And so the Rams went back on the field and stopped Cheyney cold, making Joeunable to do much of anything. West Chester took the ball, made up for two penalties en route and paraded to the goal line. Van Alstine took the ball in from nine yards out to give the Rams the lead. Cook's kick was blocked, but the score was now 13-10, with the Rams winning.Again the Wolves were motionless under the Ram defense, this time with Tom Hennessey stomping Abel Joe for a loss on a third and one play. West Chester's offense though, was halted, and it wasn't until Cheyney's Dave Wilson fumbled that things got rolling again for the Ram pointscorers.After Dennis lonovale's recovery of the Cheyney fumble, Sothern, Van Alstine and Zawoiski resembled a Greyhound Bus tour as they leisurely swept along the field. Then a Mayfe to Hartshorn pass put the ball on the ten. Van Alstine scored a hat trick and Furlow decided to go for two points. Van Alstine took a May's pitch and sped into the endzone making it, West Chester - 21, Cheyney - 10. With Van Alstine again doing the legwork, the Rams moved to the one foot line. Sothern flipped over the pileup and Cook connected for the one pointer. 28-10. Cheyney's Ron Dorsey kicked one of his booming punts after the Wolves next offensive attempt and buried under the Green Gang, and the Rams took over on the twenty-six. A mixup on the Ram handoff fumbled the ball to Cheyney. Abel Joe and another Ram penalty put the ball on the two. From there Joe bulldozed in for the score, then Willie Ross' run for two points and the 28-18 final score. It was a win for Big State — and an unexpectedly tough game, perhaps a good thing to prep the Golden Rams for this Saturday's game at Delaware.