Wheeling, W. Va. – Saturday marked the end of the home schedule for the Wheeling University Football team (5-4, 4-2) as they honored their class of 2025 seniors. The Cardinals had a big day on special teams, hitting four field goals in the game, and it was that clutch kicking that led to a 26-21 win. The Cardinals bounced back after a tough loss last week as they look to keep their playoff hopes alive.
Leading the way for the Cardinals was Conor Fitzpatrick, who wrote his name in the record books while putting up 16 of his team's 26 points in the effort. He set the single-game record for field goals in a game, going 4-5 and accounting for the first six Cardinal points in the effort. His first attempt would come on the Cardinal's first offensive possession as Fitzpatrick lined up at the 10-yard line. He would sail the 20-yard attempt through the field goal post as the Cardinals took a 3-0 advantage. After the Cardinal defense created the first turnover of the day, Fitzpatrick would get his second opportunity, this time from 25 yards out, and he went 2-2 to make it a 6-0 affair. His final two kicks of the day came in the second half, with his biggest coming with 2:05 left on the third quarter clock. He gave the Cardinals the go ahead score with a 22-yard field goal that made it 16-14, and a 34-yard field goal late in the fourth would ice the game.
Wheeling held a 6-0 advantage heading into the second quarter and the defense was able to stop Concord on a turnover on downs at the Wheeling 16-yard line. The Cardinals would get possession and methodically drove downfield, going 84 yards in 11 plays with the last of those being run from the Mountain Lion 7-yard line. They would put the ball in the hands of Steven Mitchell and he did the rest taking it into the end zone for the Cardinal touchdown. Fitzpatrick added the extra point and Wheeling increase their lead to 13-0. It would be the Concord defense that got their teams scoring started when Wheeling set up 3rd and 10 at the Concord 32-yard line. Landon Lutz would be intercepted by Concord's Nehemiah Scott, And he took it back 80 yards for the pick six. It would be the final scoring play before the half, And the teams would go in the locker room with the score sitting at 13-7 in favor of the Cardinals.
The third quarter would start with a long Cardinal drive that spanned 13 plays and 58 yards, but ended coming up short at the two-yard line. Both teams would trade punts on their next possessions. Before Concord took their first lead of the day. It came on a First and go play from the Wheeling four yard line when Concord's Tyler Mizzell connected with Israel Rhodes for the touchdown. The Cardinals were put together a similarly strong Drive on the next position, making their way to the 5-yard line of the Mountain Lions. Fitzpatrick sailed the kick through to give Wheeling the lead at 16-14 late in the quarter. It turned out to be the kick that had Wheeling out in front for good and they headed into the final 15 minutes leading 16-14 and looking for a key score to seal the deal. Both Teams were stopped on their opening possessions of the fourth quarter, it would be Fitzpatrick that added a key insurance kick.
It would come with 4:50 to play as he set up for his longest kick of the day. It would be from 34 yards out and he would sail it through the uprights to move Wheeling's lead to 19-14 and give Fitzpatrick the single-game field goal record. Wheeling's defense has been their strength throughout the season and they once again came through when their team needed them the most. After picking up a big first down, the Mountain Lions were set with first and 10 at their own 30-yard line, and tried to slip a screen pass fo the outside. James Walker IV would deliver a big hit to knock the ball loss and Tazion McQueen would scoop the ball up and run down the sidelines. He would go 41 yards to the end zone for the score and a Fitzpatrick extra point would seal the deal. Concord scored one more time before Time expired but it wasn't enough as Wheeling held on for the 26-21 Victory.
It was a big day for Conor Fitzpatrick, who finished 4-5 on field goal attempts and added two PAT's to finish with 16 points. Three of those kicks were from inside 20 yards, moving his season average to 4-5, while is longest was a 34-yard boot. Landon Lutz would lead the offense, finishing 18-42 while throwing for 218 yards. Steven Mitchell would lead the rushing game, finishing with 14 carries for 72 yards and a touchdown. The defensive effort was led by Jefferson Bretanys-Desca, who set the single season tackle record with 8.0 tackles in the game, one solo and seven assisted, to bring him to 91.0 total tackles on the season.
The Wheeling University Football team returns to action on Saturday, November 8th, when they travel to Glenville State.
