Wheeling, W.Va- The Wheeling University Football team (5-5), (4-4) have had their upcoming contest circled since the beginning of the season. At long last, the wait is finally over. The Cardinals will tango on the gridiron with their northeast rival, the West Liberty Hilltoppers.
Wheeling turned up the heat against Concord last week with a 50-30 offensive showcase. Quarterback Landon Lutz started off strong and found Tre Holloway to complete a 36-yard drive down the field. Then, on the next possession, he put together an 80-yard drive to find #80 Dasyn Hores in the endzone to cap off the first quarter. To start the second quarter, Lutz linked up with Chris Charles for his first touchdown of two on the day. The Mountain Lions showed some life with just over four minutes to play, but the Cards did not let up. Lutz passed the rock to Dawaun Green for a touchdown to go up 29-7. However, a safety and a score by Concord within 24 seconds of each other closed the half, allowing them to inch closer to trailing 29-16.
Wheeling stopped the Concord offense again to open the new half. Lutz assembled another 80-yard march down the field and connected to Charles for his second six-point grab. Justin Mcilwain made the Concord offense pay up as he picked up the loose ball for a scoop-and-score to make it 43-16. Jojo Holmes ensured the Mountain Lions coughed up the ball again with a sack, and Jack Parry landed on top of it to get the offense back onto the field. Lutz managed his sixth and final touchdown of the day with a dump-off to Holloway for his second of the game. The Mountain Lions used the fourth quarter to play catch up, but the lead built up by the Cardinals stayed intact, and Wheeling walked away with a 50-30 victory.
Each time Lutz stepped onto the field, he made the most of every opportunity. His career-high 247 yards, six touchdowns, and a 76.9% completion percentage highlighted the dynamic Cardinal offense. The redshirt sophomore remained composed in the pocket, giving up zero turnovers. With his performance, he was chosen as the MEC Offensive Player of the Week. Dasyn Hores recorded a career-high 110 yards and led all Cardinal receivers. Steven Mitchell had a quiet day with no touchdowns, but he was still essential to the win as he rushed for 133 yards. Wheeling's defense forced two turnovers, and Jack Parry led with 10 tackles and two for a loss.
The Other Side of Route 88
The West Liberty Hilltoppers (2-8), (2-6) are coming off a heartbreaking 36-35 loss to Fairmont State on the road. WLU's leading rusher, Hunter Patterson, amassed 210 yards on the ground and found the endzone four times. Redshirt freshman quarterback Trevor Lagrade completed 14 of his 28 passes for 116 yards through the air.
Tomorrow's meeting will mark the sixth time these two programs have clashed helmets. The Hilltoppers got the upper hand on the Cardinals last year, 31-3. Former Hilltopper Chris Charles recorded nine receptions for 112 yards and a touchdown. Now, in a different uniform, Charles will look to surpass those totals playing for the Cardinals.
The Details
The Wheeling University Football team will host the West Liberty Hilltoppers under the lights of Bishop Schmitt Field on Saturday, November 16th at 6 p.m. The game will be streamed live on MEC.TV HERE and LiveStats are available for viewing HERE.
Additionally, the Wheeling Athletics Department is hosting a "Stuff the Trunk" event. All fans in attendance are encouraged to bring canned goods and other non-perishable food items as we collect donations for Catholic Charities to help families in need here in Wheeling. A box truck will be parked outside the Alma Grace McDonough Center. Donations will open at 2 p.m. and will close at the conclusion of the game.
