Wheeling, W. Va. – Every Thursday throughout the summer months, we take you back through the history of our Athletics programs with our "Throwback Thursdays." We start our series with the newest program to grace the Wheeling University campus, the Wheeling University Football team. The program began play in an exhibition schedule during the 2018 season and began their first season of Mountain East Conference (MEC) play the following year in 2019.
In the summer of 2017, with newly painted football lines on Bishop Schmitt Field, the University announced that they were establishing the first football program in school history. The search was on for the man to lead the Cardinals in this new football venture and, after three days of intensive interviews and candidates from across the country, the Cardinals didn't have to look far for their leader. They hired Martins Ferry native Zac Bruney, who had served as an Assistant Coach for four years prior at Ohio Dominican University. He was tasked with building an entirely new program from the ground up and got started right away. They worked tirelessly throughout the fall of 2017 recruiting and preparing for their inaugural season in 2018, and announced their first recruiting class on February 7th, 2018.
That first recruiting class featured 39 total signed on National Signing Day 2018, with the full roster hitting 67 players by the Fall of 2018. Being that they weren't yet a full member of the MEC, the Cardinals played a full exhibition schedule during the 2018 season. They picked up the first win in program history when they beat Hocking College 38-14 and it was the start of a strong year of exhibition play. They took on eight different JV teams during the season and were off and running, winning all eight games. With the exhibition season out of the way, the Cardinals were now ready to put their full talents on display as they entered as a full-time member of the MEC for the 2019 season. Many of the stars from the 2018 season returned as the roster continued to grow to 70 players for the season.
They kicked off MEC play with a dousy, in the first ever "Battle for Wheeling" on the gridiron. It was an instant classic with the Cardinals leading the Hilltoppers 30-26 with just over four minutes to play. However, the Hilltoppers would score with 13 seconds remaining and the Cardinals dropped their conference opener 33-30. The Cardinals went through an adjustment in their transition to conference play but were contending with some of the top teams in the MEC. In their final game of the regular season, the Cardinals picked up their first MEC win in program history when they beat Concord 27-20 to end the year 1-10 overall and 1-9 in conference play. The Cardinals had three All-MEC honorees that season, with Ryan LaFollette earning Second Team honors and James Reese III and Brandon Munoz each being named Honorable Mention.
As they were preparing to head into their second year of MEC play, the COVID-19 pandemic struck forcing the cancellation of sports for the Fall season. When sports resumed in the spring of 2021, Wheeling built off their momentum from the end of 2019, putting together the first .500 season in program history as they went 2-2 in their four games. They picked up wins against Alderson Broaddus and West Liberty and set themselves up for a battle with Notre Dame College in the Spring 2021 MEC Championship game. They ended the year as runners-up in the conference and had a program best 15 players named to the All-MEC teams, a record that still stands to this day. With things returning to normal, the Cardinals headed into 2021, their second full season in the MEC, looking to make another run towards the top of the conference.
After dropping their first two games of the season, the Cardinals came back with the longest win streak in program history, rattling off three wins in a row against Alderson Broaddus, Glenville State, and West Virginia Wesleyan. They split the next four contests to move to 5-3 in conference play, which included a Homecoming win in overtime against West Liberty that helped grow the young football rivalry. However, losses in the final two weeks to the University of Charleston and Fairmont State ended the season with the Cardinals at 5-6 overall and 5-5 in conference play. The five wins were a program record for the team, so nine players earned All-MEC honors. The Cardinals had their first two First Team All-MEC award winners in program history when Sy Alli IV and Josiah Wright each earned the honor.
Along with records on the field, it was a year full of individual accolades as well, with Lowell Patron setting the single-game receiving yard record and Alli becoming the first rusher in program history to reach the 1,000-yard rushing mark for a season. 2022 would see the team go over the 100-man mark, with the program's biggest roster featuring just over 120 athletes. Along with the growth of the roster, the team also featured more of a veteran presence as many of the guys in that first recruiting class were entering their fifth season of play. The Cardinals won their season opener for the first time in program history, with a 25-11 win over Seton Hill and set themselves up for conference play.
After dropping their MEC opener against Notre Dame College, Wheeling went on an identical run to their 2021 start, going 3-1 in their first four conference games. They then fell on Homecoming to UNC Pembroke but bounced back with wins over West Liberty and Frostburg State that put them in the playoff picture in the NCAA DII field. They needed a win over Concord to crack the top 10, but they would drop an offensive battle to fall to 5-3 on the year. They would fall to Charleston before clinching the first winning season in program history by taking down Fairmont State with an overtime field goal by Matt Greenwood that sealed the 7-4 season, once again setting the new win record for the program.
With a new win record set, several other Cardinals wrote their names in the program history book, with the biggest honor coming once again from Alli. He became the first rusher in program history to reach the 3,000-yard mark as he wrapped up a terrific five-year career. Brandon Munoz also set the career sack record while Patron broke the single season receiving yard record during the season. The Cardinals had eight All-MEC honorees, with seven of those eight being named to either the First or Second team and having a program-best three First Team selections. Alli, Cade Raudebaugh, and Jason Simon each made the First Team All-MEC list, and, after the season, the success continued for the team with Cardinals participating in three different bowl games.
As the program heads into 2023, they look to continue their upward trajectory and add another single season win record to their list. All the foundational pieces from the 2018 team will have graduated and moved on to the next stages of life, but this year's team still has a strong veteran presence. Led by senior quarterback Javon Davis and senior running back Elijah Young, the Cardinals offense looks to lead the way as they climb back into the upper echelon of the MEC.
