WEST CHESTER, Pa. – The Shippensburg University football team scored 20 unanswered points in the second half on Saturday to pick up an exciting comeback win over the West Chester Golden Rams, 20-13, in a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Eastern Division matchup at John Farrell Stadium.
 
Shippensburg (3-3, 2-1 PSAC East) got the game-winning score, a 10-yard touchdown catch from redshirt-sophomore tight end Cole Balint, with 5:42 left in the fourth quarter. The win was the Raiders' first at West Chester since 2012 and spoiled what was the Golden Rams' Homecoming Game.
 
West Chester (3-3, 1-2 PSAC East) staked itself to a 13-0 first-half lead and put up 436 yards of total offense, but was held scoreless by the Shippensburg defense after halftime.
 
Shippensburg, who has gotten key scoring contributions from its special teams unit all season, did so once again Saturday and helped to spark its second-half comeback.
 
Terrance Peterson Jr. blocked a West Chester punt that came deep in Shippensburg territory, which was recovered in the endzone by redshirt-sophomore Ray Jones for a Raider touchdown. The extra point clanged off the left upright, but the score made it just a one-possession game with still 7:29 remaining in the third quarter.
 
A Brandon Holt interception and long run back was later wiped away due to penalty, which could have halted the Raiders' momentum. But the offense picked up the slack.
 
Early in the fourth quarter, redshirt-freshman quarterback Sam Johnson III hit sophomore wideout Redd Douglas in stride for a 49-yard Shippensburg touchdown. The extra point, courtesy of sophomore kicker Jaxson Montross, knotted the score at 13-13.
 
On the ensuing drive, pressure from the Shippensburg defense forced the Golden Rams' true freshman quarterback, Ethan Kohler, into a fourth down incompletion and a turnover on downs.
 
The Raiders took over near midfield, and the offense immediately went back to work. Johnson came through with another big play, connecting with sophomore wide receiver Ian Sheehan for a leaping catch along the left sideline. The 44-yard pass play put the Raiders in the redzone, and three plays later, Johnson fired a strike over the middle to Balint in the endzone for what would ultimately be the game-winning touchdown.
 
West Chester made its way down to the Shippensburg 26-yard line with a chance to tie the score in the final seconds. 

On 4th and 2, Kohler went for it all, tossing the ball deep to wide receiver Raheim Bowens in the corner of the endzone, but redshirt-sophomore corner Khi'on Smith had it covered, denying Bowens and sealing SU's comeback win.
 
Johnson stepped up for the Raiders in the second half. Overall, he finished 14-of-25 in pass attempts for 217 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Sheehan caught three passes for 76 yards.
 
Senior running back Khalid Dorsey tallied 70 yards rushing on 14 carries.
 
The Golden Rams, meanwhile, jumped out to the lead with strong drives at the beginning and end of the first half.

A deep ball from Kohler to Rahiem Bowens on their opening possession put the Golden Rams on the doorstep. A pass interference penalty then allowed West Chester running back Ja'Den McKenzie to walk into the end zone from just 1 yard out.

An interception by West Chester defensive back Khalib Slaughter on a third and long pass play led to a 32-yard field goal from Golden Ram kicker Sean Henry with 7:29 left before halftime.
 
A West Chester receiver was then ruled out of bounds on a catch in the endzone with 1:29 remaining in the first half, which forced the Rams to settle for a 30-yard field goal. Henry's second successful field goal attempt gave the hosts a 13-0 edge heading into the locker at the half.
 
Kohler had a big day passing, tallying 330 yards on 18 completions. Bowens caught five of those passes for 100 yards, while McKenzie added 81 yards on the ground.
 
Defensively, Shippensburg was paced by performances from redshirt-junior linebacker Tyler Simon and redshirt-sophomore linebacker Matt Feeney. Both Simon (career-high 14 tackles, interception) and Feeney (13 tackles, 3.0 TFLs) reached double digits in tackles.
 
Up next, the Raiders return to Seth Grove Stadium for their Homecoming Game against the Kutztown Golden Bears. Kick-off is slated for 1 p.m.