No. 22 East Stroudsburg rolls past Shepherd 31–7 for fifth straight victory

The No. 22 East Stroudsburg University Warriors (7–1) extended their winning streak to five games with a convincing 31–7 victory over the visiting Shepherd University Rams (5–3) Saturday afternoon at Eiler-Martin Stadium in East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, in NCAA Division II Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) action.

The Warriors improved to 4–0 in the PSAC East, setting up a showdown with No. 3 Kutztown next weekend for divisional supremacy.

Warriors take control early

East Stroudsburg established its dominance immediately, forcing three-and-outs on Shepherd’s first two possessions.

Cade Christopher’s 43-yard punt return set up a 21-yard field goal by Ty Quintois before running back Cade Sawyer scored from one yard out to give the Warriors a 10–0 first-quarter lead.

The Rams threatened in the second quarter, but Harold Hill IV forced a fumble after a fourth-down completion, with Ryan Epps recovering to end the drive.

East Stroudsburg capitalized when Ajani Walker scored on a two-yard run.

Moments later, Armonie Torres intercepted Michael Hardyway, setting up quarterback Matt Machalik’s 23-yard touchdown pass to Sawyer.

The Warriors carried a commanding 24–0 advantage into halftime.

Shepherd breaks through after halftime

The Rams finally found the end zone late in the third quarter when Hardyway connected with Carrington Nickens-Yzer for a 56-yard touchdown, cutting the deficit to 24–7.

However, East Stroudsburg answered with a drive kept alive by a perfectly executed fake punt.

Facing fourth-and-seven, Luke Stevenosky took a direct snap and raced 24 yards for a first down.

Machalik eventually capped the possession with a one-yard touchdown run early in the fourth quarter, restoring the 24-point advantage.

The Warriors controlled the remaining minutes to secure their fifth consecutive victory.

Ground game and defense overwhelm Rams

East Stroudsburg finished with 369 yards of total offense, including 244 rushing yards, while limiting Shepherd to just 169 yards.

Machalik, making his first career start, completed 11 of 19 passes for 125 yards, one touchdown and one interception.

Sawyer rushed for 68 yards and a touchdown, while Deante Crawford added 65 yards on 11 carries.

Elijah Ford led the receiving corps with 54 yards, while Sawyer contributed the 23-yard touchdown reception.

The Warriors’ defense was particularly impressive, holding Shepherd to just 29 rushing yards on 19 carries.

Mason Smith led the unit with eight tackles, while Torres recorded an interception and five tackles.

Hardyway leads struggling Shepherd offense

Hardyway completed 12 of 23 passes for 158 yards and a touchdown.

Nickens-Yzer caught three passes for 70 yards and a score, while Jabril Daniels led the Rams on the ground with 21 yards on five carries.

Defensively, D’Myo Hunter and Malachi Barnes each recorded eight tackles, with Barnes also intercepting a pass.

The victory was the 50th career coaching win for East Stroudsburg head coach Jimmy Terwilliger.

Conference showdown awaits

The Warriors host No. 3 Kutztown on Saturday, Oct. 31, at 1:05 p.m. in a matchup of the PSAC East’s remaining unbeaten teams.

Meanwhile, Shepherd, now 2–3 in conference play, travels to Shippensburg on Oct. 31 for a 1 p.m. kickoff.