WEST CHESTER, Pa. -- In a battle of the top two rushing offenses in the PSAC, it was West Chester that would come out on top with 326 yards rushing and held ESU to 88, defeating the Warriors, 42-24, on a warm fall Saturday afternoon at John A. Farrell Stadium.

The Warriors fall to 4-3, 2-2 in PSAC East play, while West Chester improves to 5-2, 3-2 in league action.

ESU's offense came alive just a little too late, posting a pair of 60-yard plus touchdown receptions in the fourth quarter.

Wide receiver Rece Bender highlighted the offense, recording a career-high 157 yards of receiving, He pulled in two 50-plus yard receptions, including a 64-yard touchdown. He now has four 50-plus yard receptions this season, including three over the past two weeks.

Elie Lavarin added an impressive 85-yard touchdown late in the fourth quarter for ESU's final touchdown of the afternoon. He posted his first career 100 yard receiving game with 103 yards.

Quarterback Jake Cirillo completed 12 of his 31 passes, for 273 yards and the two late touchdowns. Cirillo averaged 22.8 yards per completion with the three explosive plays. He added a one-yard rushing touchdown.

PSAC leading rusher Gunner Anglovich was injured during the first half and would not return. He finished with 21 rushing yards on nine carries. Tyriq Lewis, a native of nearby Downingtown, led the Warriors with 57 yards of rushing.

Linebackers Jacob Keane (10) and Paul Carreras (7) led ESU with a combined 17 tackles.

Tyler Watson prevented a late first half touchdown by recording his second interception of the season, returning it from the end zone to WCU territory on a 54-yard return. He added six tackles.

Aidan Hayward would tally the lone sack of the afternoon for the Warriors.

ESU would receive the opening kickoff but would be forced to punt with 3-and-outs on its first two drives. A low punt would set the Golden Rams with good field position on its own 36-yard line. The Golden Rams would connect on a four-yard touchdown pass from Shane Dooley to Seth Degree to give WCU the lead.
 
After ESU's second punt, the Warriors defense would force a pair of Golden Rams punts. A 72-yard rush from WCU's Ja'Den McKenzie would lead to a one-yard rush for Dooley, to lift the Golden Rams to a 14-0 advantage.

A personal foul call on WCU would setup the Warriors with possession near midfield on its next possession. The 53-yard connection from Cirillo to Bender would give ESU possession on WCU's one-yard line. Cirillo would punch it in himself to cut the deficit to 14-7. Bender eclipsed 1,000 career receiving yards on his third 50-plus yard reception of the season.

ESU looked to halt WCU on its next drive, but a 4th-and-9 conversion would setup the Golden Rams with the ball on ESU's 11-yard line. McKenzie would find space on the following play, finding the end zone to give WCU a 21-7 lead.

A game-changing play would happen next, as the wind would aid West Chester in recovering the ensuing kickoff, with the high-kick bouncing just ahead of a diving Warrior and into the hands of a Golden Ram. With WCU holding possession at ESU's 36-yard line midway through the second quarter, the Golden Rams would score its fourth touchdown of the day with four consecutive rushes, with Phil Poquie scoring from 11-yards out.

On its next drive, ESU looked to cut into the deficit prior to halftime. The Warriors converted a third down and a fourth down conversion on the 13-play drive. Devin Bartholomew would blast a 50-yard field goal through the up rights to trim the deficit to 28-10. The field goal was the ninth 50-plus yard field goal in program history and first since Jordan Walters' school-record setting 56-yard kick at Farrell Stadium in 2019.      

On the following kickoff, ESU attempted a surprise onside kick that just barely went out-of-bounds prior to the Warriors from recovering it. Holding possession with a minute left in the first half with the ball near midfield, the Golden Rams would quickly move the ball to inside the ESU two-yard line.

Watson would snag his sixth interception of his career and second of the season in the end zone, which prevented WCU to extending its lead prior to halftime. The Warrington native would advance the ball to midfield after the 54-yard return. Bartholomew would attempt a 55-yard field goal with just seconds remaining in the half. The kick had the distance, but would just miss wide-left. As a result, the Warriors entered the locker room with a 28-10 deficit.

The teams traded punts to begin the second half.

On the Golden Rams' second possession, ESU nearly sacked WCU's Dooley on a 4th and 8, but Dooley would scramble for 22 yards and a first down to extend the drive. On the following play, Jacob Keane was able to force a fumble prior to Poquie reaching the endzone, as the Warriors nearly recovered the fumble in the end zone. Unfortunately for ESU, Poquie was able to recover his own fumble, extending WCU's advantage to 35-10.

ESU looked to respond on its next drive. After picking up a first down on a completion to Dawson Stuart, Cirillo nearly completed a pass to an open Elie Lavarin on 4th and 2, but the ball was just overthrown, as the Warriors turned the ball over on downs.

West Chester secured the game on the next play from scrimmage with 50-yard touchdown pass from Dooley to Rasheem James to take a 42-10 advantage in the third quarter.

ESU never gave up, with the Warriors adding a pair of long passing touchdowns from Cirillo - a 64-yard reception for Bender and a 85-yard strike to Lavarin to cut the deficit to 18 points at 42-24 with 5:26 remaining.

West Chester would run out the clock on its next possession to earn the 42-24 victory.

In total, West Chester outgained ESU 507 to 361.

ESU returns to Eiler-Martin Stadium for the next pair of contests, hosting Bloomsburg next Saturday. Kickoff at Eiler-Martin Stadium is slated for 1:05 p.m. in the Poconos.