Mayor Jim Auxer and Shepherd University President Mary J.C. Hendrix ride in the Shepherd University 2023 Homecoming Parade on Saturday morning. Courtesy photo

SHEPHERDSTOWN — Who could have seen this coming?

When Shepherd blew past West Chester, 59-21, on a breezy afternoon at fun-filled Ram Stadium, there was no precedent for the way the high-octane Rams crushed their PSAC opponent. It’s true that Shepherd has never lost to the Golden Rams since it joined the conference, but no conference team has run off and left West Chester during the regular season in years and years.

West Chester has won nearly 70-percent of its games in coaching era of Bill Zwann. Zwann is in his 21st year at West Chester. The Golden Rams have bullied league opponents for more than a decade. But this game wasn’t even as close as the final score indicated.

The once-beaten Rams (7-1 overall) trailed 7-3 early on, but then posted six consecutive TDs to lead 45-7. The large Homecoming crowd was then busied scrambling for any game program that might have listed the dozens of players who had not played in any games this season.

By midway through the third period the returning graduates could be waxing nostalgic about their college days because the Rams were running loose and running into the West Chester end zone with abandon.

Shepherd used 52 reserves in addition to the 22 starters, who at times overwhelmed the Golden Rams (4-4 overall).

The game’s primary theme was the useful work of all three of its teams — offense, defense and special teams.

With mid-season injuries sidelining usual starters, Shepherd replacements didn’t seem to miss a beat.

The Rams won because they amassed 533 yards of total offense, had two running backs rush for over 100 yards (Malakai Brown 11 carries for 159 yards and two TDs and Jordan Barnett (13 carries for 106 yards and two scores), were penalized only four times, nicely balanced their offense, used the four turnovers West Chester committed and thundered out to a 31-7 lead by halftime.

Three quarterbacks were employed. Two of them (Seth Morgan and Sammy Roberts threw TD passes). More than a handful of players had their first-ever pass receptions, touchdowns, rushing yards, tackles and generous playing time.

It was Shepherd’s first home game in three weeks. The scene became a heady mix of player readiness, enthusiasm and execution that was stirred by the crowd’s appreciation of the on-field scoring.

The Rams still trail Kutztown (5-0 in the East Division of the PSAC to Shepherd’s 4-1) in the race for a berth in the conference’s championship game.

But Shepherd is very much alive for one of the seven spots in the NCAA Division II Super Region One playoffs that begin on November 18.

This week the Rams will be on the road again at Bloomsburg to see the Huskies. The 2023 regular season ends with home games in Ram Stadium against East Stroudsburg (7-1 overall) and Mercyhurst on the first two Saturdays in November.

Homecoming had been the date of Shepherd’s most complete overall excellence of the season.

What do the Rams now have to show the home folks and the rest of the PSAC?