Running back Brent Steinmetz surpassed the 1,000-yard mark in rushing as the West hester University football team defeated PSAC rival Shippensburg University on Saturday, 24-16, to all but guarantee a Division II National Championship Tournament berth for the second consecutive season.Steinmetz’ 231 all-purpose yards lead a struggling Golden Rams offensive unit that posted only 256 total yards, by far the lowest output of the season. Steinmetz’ 1,073 rushing yards this season ranks him 15th alltime at WCU.
Trailing 6-0 in the first quarter, Steinmetz ignited the Golden Rams offense after catching a pass from sophomore quarterback Bill Zwaan Jr. and ran 69 yards for a touchdown. Steinmetz carried the ball 30 times for a game-high 156 yards, and caught two passes for an additional 32 yards.
In the third quarter, the Golden Rams offense tallied 17 points to take a commanding 24-9 lead. Zwaan’s 29-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Mike Washington highlighted the scoring spree. Washington’s touchdown reception gives him 15 on the season, which places him in fifth place on the Golden Rams’ all-time list of most receiving touchdowns in a season.
Zwaan finished the regular season with 15 touchdown passes and 1,081 yards. Matt Burdalski, who started seven games at the position this year, has battled a shoulder injury most of the season.
The Golden Rams defense stood tall in the fourth quarter, despite allowing the Red Raiders to climb within eight points.
Linebacker Lateef Ferguson led the team with six tackles, followed by Jimmy Lewis, who had five tackles including a sack that went for a loss of 13 yards. Defensive backs Angel Santana and James Etheridge each had an interception.
Freshman kicker James Walsh had a 32-yard field goal in the third quarter. Walsh has had a fantastic rookie season, and is 7 for 7 in field goals this season. As a team, WCU is a perfect 8 for 8.
As of Saturday, the Golden Rams were ranked fifth in the Northwest Region. The top six teams make the tournament, The Golden Rams hope to return to the playoffs this year and take that final step towards winning the championship. Last season, the Golden Rams lost to Valdosta State in the title game, 45-21.
The Golden Rams finish the season with an 8-3 overall record. As of press time, no announcement has been made regarding the team’s first opponent in the playoffs.