Box Score

Patriot-News Recap
(Jeff DeWees)

SHIPPENSBURG, Pa. - The Shippensburg University football team held a 17-0 lead at halftime and produced one final defensive stand in the last minute of play on a rain-soaked Saturday Homecoming afternoon from Seth Grove Stadium to fight off another staunch opponent and earn a crucial 24-19 victory over PSAC rival West Chester that keeps the Red Raiders in sole possession of second place in the Eastern Division.

Shippensburg (6-2, 4-1 PSAC East) received strong performances from a wealth of athletes in the contest to record its first victory over the Golden Rams since the final game of the 2004 regular season, ending a five-game losing streak to West Chester. SU also extended its season-long streak of scoring at least 23 points to eight consecutive games.

The Red Raiders now head into next weekend's matchup with No. 4 Bloomsburg in position to battle for supremacy in the PSAC Eastern Division. Shippensburg is one game behind the Huskies with two divisional games remaining for both teams. The Eastern Division champion will host the PSAC State Game on November 7.

Shippensburg produced a stellar defensive effort in the first half that provided a lot of momentum amidst the chilling rain that by halftime had transformed the field into choppy sod. The Red Raiders allowed the Golden Rams to complete just seven pass completions over the first two quarters and for the contest limited West Chester to complete just 40 percent of its throws.

Working with a short field in the first quarter, redshirt senior quarterback Chad DiFebbo led the Red Raiders on a 6-play, 40-yard drive that he concluded with a 22-yard play-action pass to redshirt senior split end Mike Harris that gave SU a 7-0 lead.

A stingy Red Raider defense that held the Golden Rams to just four yards rushing on 21 total attempts pinned West Chester at the start of the second quarter. A third-down quarterback hurry resulted in an interception for redshirt junior defensive back Travis Proctor that he returned 30 yards for a touchdown to give Shippensburg extended momentum and a 14-0 lead.

Holding a 17-6 lead late in the third quarter, the Red Raiders added what proved to be the game-winning score when redshirt junior Chase DiFebbo caught a pass along the sideline and gained ground against his fall defender, eventually outracing the pursuit to a 75-yard touchdown that gave SU a 24-6 lead with just over 16 minutes to play.

West Chester (4-4, 3-2 PSAC East) trailed by 12 points with less than three minutes to play but made a late charge by forcing some turnovers. With 2:23 to play, Brad Herr scooped up a punt blocked by Jay Nelson and returned it 42 yards for a touchdown to bring the score within five points.

After Harris recovered an onside kick, SU was attempting to run out the clock but WCU linebacker Mike Dell blew up an attempted handoff and forced a fumble. The Golden Rams recovered at the Shippensburg 45-yard line and completed a pass to the SU 26-yard line on the ensuing play.

West Chester reached the 18-yard line and faced a 3rd-and-2 situation with less than a minute to play but junior linebacker Riley Bowen stepped up with a huge 10-yard sack. On the next play, the Golden Rams completed a seven-yard pass on fourth down that resulted in a turnover on downs.

Following the game, the Shippensburg VFW awarded trophies to Chase DiFebbo as the Offensive Player of the Game and Travis Proctor as the Defensive Player of the Game. Saturday's Homecoming marks the 18th consecutive season that the VFW has honored Red Raider football players.

Through the air, Chad DiFebbo completed 10 passes for 200 yards and two touchdowns, while Chase DiFebbo caught four of those passes for 137 yards. Mike Harris finished with two receptions for 27 yards and is now three touchdowns and six receptions short of the Shippensburg University records in both categories.

Proctor finished with the interception, two pass breakups, and four total tackles. Redshirt senior linebacker Josh Simmons returned to the lineup and recorded six tackles (including 2.5 for loss) while redshirt freshman Cody Fleming also tied for the team high with six tackles (including 2.0 for loss).

Overall, the Red Raider defense totaled forced four turnovers, including three interceptions. Sophomore Marcellus Sammons forced a key fumble in the waning moments of the first half with a jarring hit that quelled a potential score for the Golden Rams while Bowen and redshirt junior Jeff Fertig also came up with key interceptions.

Next Saturday's road contest at Bloomsburg will be held at 2:30 p.m. and be broadcast throughout the state on the PA SportsFEVER Network.