Wheeling, W. Va. – Offense was running wild in West Liberty, West Virginia, as the Wheeling University Football team (6-5, 5-3) took on West Liberty University in the annual "The Battle for Wheeling" match-up. The two teams would combine to score 135 points on the night while amassing a total of 1,294 Total yards on offense. It would come down to the final seconds, but the Hilltoppers would Outlast the Cardinals, with Wheeling falling 68-67 to end their season at 6-5 overall and 5-3 in conference play.
The action would start from the opening kickoff as Wheeling's Solo Love receive the ball on his own goal line. He would take it 100 yd the other way for a touchdown and just 15 seconds into the game. The Cardinals were staked to a 7-0 lead. While, West Liberty did not respond on the next kickoff, they would need just two plays to drive 73 yards, with a Kohl Meisman 12-yard pass to Levi Gullion getting the Hilltoppers on the board. They would miss the ensuing extra point, so Wheeling held on to their 7-6 lead heading into their heading into their first offensive Drive of the day. The Cardinals were forced to punt, and West Liberty would be right back at it on their second Drive to take a 13-7 advantage. Two teams would trade punts on the next two possessions before Wheeling got the scoring started once again. They drove 16 yards to the Hilltoppers 30-yard line, before Ade Olanegan would find Jordan Kaiser in the endzone. Conor Fitzpatrick would add the extra point and Wheeling was back out in front. 14-13 with 6:33 to play in the quarter.
As the quarter came to an end, Wheeling was stopped deep in their own territory and the ensuing punt set West Liberty up at the Cardinal 25 yard line. The Hilltoppers we t to the ground on the first play, and Hunter Patterson would break a 25-yard run that would go as the final score of the half. West Liberty would hold a 20-14 Lead heading into the second quarter. The Cardinals would be stopped on their next two possessions, with a fumble at the Wheeling 12-yard line setting the Hilltoppers up in great field position. They would take advantage getting down to the one-yard live before Jaedon Alston rushed in from one yard out to extend the West Liberty lead to 27-14. Wheeling would get the ball back with 8:44 to go in the half, and Wheeling would go on a nine-play, 67 yard drive, with Steven Mitchell breaking through for a 21-yard touchdown run and the Cardinals were back to within one score of the Hilltoppers at 27-21.
The next two drives would each result in scores, with Hunter Patterson rushing in from 21-yards on the ensuing drive, and Wheeling responding with a seven yard touchdown pass from Landon Lutz to Jordan Kaiser to bring the score to 34-29 with 41 seconds to play. West Liberty would take one more shot at the endzone before halftime, but Wheeling would stop them in their tracks at the 29-yard line to send the game into halftime at 34-29. As they came back out from the halftime break, Wheeling would be stopped on their first drive, while West Liberty took the ball back at their own 48-yard line. They took the ball down to the Wheeling 12-yard line, where Patterson ran in from 12 yards out for the touchdown. The ensuing PAT was blocked, and Wheeling's Keenan Johnson would scoop the ball up and take it the distance of the field for a defensive PAT that brought the score to 40-31.
Wheeling would get the ball back for the next possession and continued to move the ball, with Lutz leading them on a five-play 75 yard drive that ended in a Lutz eight yard touchdown run as Wheeling once again cut into the lead at 40-38. The scoring bananza would continue, with each of the next three drives resulting in scores, with the Hilltoppers adding two scored while Wheeling got in the endzone once. The Cardinal score came courtesy of a 20-yard pass from Lutz to Hores and as the teams headed into the final stretch, it was a 55-45 Hilltopper advantage. Wheeling was driving to end the third quarter and would start the fourth from the Hilltopper 13-yard line. They would battle their way down to the one-yard line, and Mitchell would get in for his second score of the day to make it a 55-52 game. It started a big quarter for the Cardinals, who put up a game-high 22 points, scoring on three of their four drives in the quarter.
The Cardinal defense would turn the ball over on downs on the next possession, and Wheeling would grab their first lead since the fourth quarter on the next drive. They would take the ball 55 yards to the Hilltopper four-yard line, and Dawaun Green would push the ball in to put Wheeling out in front 59-55. West Liberty came back on the next drive, with Meisman finding Alston for a 13-yard pass, and the ensuing extra point made it a 61-59 game. With three minutes to play, the Cardinals needed a response, and kicked things off with a 26-yard pass that got them in Hilltopper territory. They would get to the West Liberty 36-yard line and Lutz found Kaiser for a 35-yard pass to make it a 67-61 game. However, it would be the Hilltoppers who had the last laugh, needing just a minute and a half to drive 75 yards for the game winning score. Wheeling would get the ball back with eight seconds to play, but couldn't get the final score as they fell 68-67.
Landon Lutz had a big day leading the offense, finishing 19-29 while throwing for 339 yards and two touchdowns on the day. The Cardinal ground game would combine for 119 yards, with Steven Mitchell rushing for 92 yards and three touchdowns, while Dawaun Green added one score. Jordan Kaiser was the Cardinal's top threat in the passing game, pulling in six catches for 112 yards and two touchdowns, while Landon Lutz added the other receiving touchdown. On the defensive side, Kameron Reynolds would lead the defensive effort, finishing with 14 total tackles, four solo and 10 assisted, while Leonard Sherrod III and Jefferson Bretanys-Desca each finishing with 11 tackles.
The Wheeling University Football team now heads into the offseason as they prepare for the 2026 football season.
