Wheeling, W. Va. - The Wheeling University Football team (5-5, 5-4) wraps up the 2021 regular season Friday night, under the lights, when they head to Fairmont State at 7 PM. There are a couple of milestone markers for the program on the line as the Cardinals try to finish their season on a high note and get ready to head into the off-season.
If Wheeling can get a win on Friday, it will mark the first winning season in program history for the Cardinals. The other player to watch is running back Sy Alli IV, who needs just 64 yards to become the first 1,000-yard rusher in program history. Both milestones are very achievable, and with Wheeling looking for a bounce-back after a 38-20 loss at the hands of The University of Charleston last week, they are more motivated than ever to end the year on a winning note.
While Alli will be the one with eyes on him this week, it was fellow running back Elijah Young who led the ground game last week with 114 yards rushing. He broke off a season-long 65-yard touchdown at the end of the fourth quarter that brough the game to its final score of 38-20. Alli carried the ball 16 times in the game for 73 yards and scored a touchdown of his own. The final Wheeling touchdown was scored on a trick play when Jake Keenan took the hand-off and found fellow senior Chris Canaday in the endzone for a 10-yard touchdown pass.
On the defensive side of the ball, Dalton Hoover, Rich White III, and Ryan Gorman all finished tied for the team lead with five tackles apiece. Josiah Wright added 1.5 tackles for loss, while Jermichael Isom forced a fumble and finished the day with three tackles and a pass breakup. As the offense was fighting their way back into the game, Wheeling's defense stepped up holding the Golden Eagles to no points in the third quarter. However, it wasn't enough as Charleston had already built up too big of a lead for the Cardinals to overcome.
After being down 24-0 at halftime, Wheeling continued to prove they are a strong second half team, outscoring the Golden Eagles 20-14 in the second half. With the effort, Wheeling has now scored 132 of their 228 points this season in the second half of games. Wheeling has still outscored their opponents 228-210 this season, and hopes to continue that trend this week at Fairmont State. However, they are looking to get off to a fast start this week as they look to secure that winning season for the first time in program history.
The Match-up
The Cardinals and Falcons have faced off once in the team's history, meeting last back on September 12th, 2019 in Fairmont. Wheeling fell behind early in the game, scoring their first touchdown in the first quarter, and went into halftime trailing 45-10. The defense stepped up in the second half, but it was too little too late. Their game last season was canceled due to COVID reasons, and Friday will mark the second time that these two teams will meet in Fairmont.
In that game, Alli finished the day with 64 yards on the ground, the exact number he needs to reach the 1,000-point mark on the season. Quarterbacks Tucker Strachan and Tyler Sprouse combined to pass for 162 yards and a touchdown in the game, while Ryan LaFollette led the receiving corps with eight catches for 62 yards. On defense, Brandon Munoz led the unit with seven tackles and a sack in the game, one of a career-high eight for the defensive lineman on the season.
The Details
Kick-off for Friday's game is scheduled for 7 PM at Fairmont State. You can watch the game live by clicking HERE or follow along with Live Stats by clicking HERE.
