Wheeling, W. Va. – At the end of last Thursday's Mountain East Conference (MEC) opener, the Wheeling University Football team (0-2, 0-1) had some momentum on their side. They outscored Notre Dame 15-14 over the final two-quarters of the game, but it wasn't enough as they ended up falling 31-15 for their second loss of the season. Wheeling is trying to use some of that late-game momentum this time out as they take on Alderson Broaddus on Saturday at 1 PM.  
Leading the way for the Cardinals last week was a stout defense that did not allow a touchdown in the first quarter and allowed just one touchdown the entire first half. They forced last season's MEC champions to punt the ball on two of their first three drives of the game and forced an interception on the other drive. The unit was led by a strong effort from linebacker Dalton Hoover (Mingo Junction, OH./Martins Ferry), who had a team-high 12 tackles and 10 solo tackles on the day. They forced one turnover on the day and held the Falcons to under 50 points for the first time in team history.  
The only Notre Dame score in the first quarter was on a pick-six as the offense struggled to get going in the first half. However, after some halftime adjustments, things started to turn around, and the offense found their groove in the second half. After finding themselves down 24-0, quarterback Trent Jackson (Stevensville, MD./Kent Island HS) led his team on a seven-play, 65-yard drive, on which he threw for 61 yards, touchdown drive that ended with a touchdown grab by tight end Tristan Ballard (Boardman, OH./Sharon) to make it 24-7.  
The second break out for the offense came on their second drive of the fourth quarter as they got the ground game working. Elijah Young (Worthington, OH./Worthington Kilbourne) subbed into the game and put the team on his back during the drive. He helped the Cardinals drive 76 yards, picking up 51 of those yards on the ground himself and ending the drive with a seven-yard touchdown run. A two-point conversion from Jackson to wide receiver Ryan LaFollette (Woodsfield, OH./Munroe Central) made it 31-15, and that is where the score stayed for the rest of the night.  
Despite what the scoreboard said, Wheeling put together a strong effort for the second week in a row. They battled against one of the top teams in the MEC and now look to use that momentum to their advantage as they play their second straight home game. Hopefully, that momentum will stay fresh with them, and they can use it to carry into the game against Alderson Broaddus this weekend.  
The Match-up  
In the first and only meeting between these two teams in March of 2021, Wheeling had their way with the Battlers winning the game 34-6. They scored 20 first-half points in the game and rode the early outburst to victory. Saturday will mark the first-ever matchup between the two teams at Bishop Schmitt Field as Wheeling hopes to stay undefeated against the Battlers and earn their first MEC win of the season.  
In that game, Wheeling went for the big play more often than not and succeeded. Of their three first-quarter touchdowns, two went for 65-yard plays or more. The first came on a 65-yard touchdown pass from former Cardinal Jordan Lea to Jake Keenan (Toronto, OH./Toronto), and the second was on a 75-yard interception return by Josiah Wright (Loganville, GA./Loganville) that brought the score to 20-0. Wheeling will be looking for the big play again this time around as they try and excite their home crowd.  
The Details  
Kick-off for Saturday's game between Wheeling and Alderson Broaddus is scheduled for 1 PM at Bishop Schmitt Field. You can watch the game live by clicking HERE or follow along with the live stats by clicking HERE.