WEST CHESTER’S MIKE CLASS RAN FOR THREE TOUCHDOWNS.

The West Chester Golden Rams tuned up for their appearance in the PSCAC Championship Game next Saturday at Slippery Rock by rolling over Lock Haven 48-14 on Senior Day at John Farrell Stadium. The Golden Rams (9-0, 6-0 PSAC East) scored on every possession with the exception of their last one when they took a knee deep in Bald Eagles (1-9, 1-5 PSAC East) territory.

Running back Mike Class, from Pennridge High School, made the most of his final regular season game at Farrell Stadium rushing for a career-high three touchdowns. He scored West Chester’s first touchdown on a six-yard run which put them up 10-0. Early in the second quarter, he dove in from two yards out and late in the third quarter, he added a 21-yard score.

“It’s always great when you come out here and get a win,” Class said after rushing for 71 yards and the three scores on 10 carries, “that’s the most important thing. It’s just another step in our ultimate team goal which is taking the PSAC Championship.”

The Bald Eagles tried to make things difficult for the Golden Rams, their first series ended when West Chester’s Jarey Elder intercepted a pass by Cameron Tobias in the end zone on a fourth-and-seven play that started on the West Chester 31.

Late in the first quarter, Ralph Hyland scored on a 25-yard run to cut the Golden Rams lead to 10-7.

“We know we can’t let a team like this hang around,” Class said, “they’ll make a game out of this.”

The Bald Eagles didn’t make a game out of it. After Hyland’s score, West Chester responded with a touchdown that came on the first play of the second quarter. Second quarterback Paul Dooley, who usually gets snaps during the game, connected with Gabe Schappell on a 50-yard touchdown pass.

The Golden Rams defense forced a three-and-out on the ensuing series and with the ball right back the offense made quick work of a short field, going 54 yards in just over two minutes with Class scoring his second touchdown.

The next Golden Rams possession was more methodical, with Andrew Chegia booting a 24-yard field goal shortly before halftime to end a drive that totaled 85 yards.

After receiving the second half kickoff, the Golden Rams used almost half of the third quarter matriculating the ball down the field with quarterback A.J. Long scoring from the one-yard line.

After the Golden Rams added 10 more points and Lock Haven seven, West Chester ran out the clock on the game with a nearly eight-minute drive.

“Our kids are fired up about it, they really, really want to get that championship,” Golden Rams head coach Bill Zwaan, who will be coaching in his fourth PSAC title game. “This game was the one that worried me, only because it’s in between two huge games. So, you knew there was going to be a little bit of us coming out flat and I think we did defensively, especially, but we got the job done. Now, we can just concentrate on what’s ahead of us.”

Email Rock Hoffman at Rock@footballstories.com