Wheeling, W. Va. – Since joining the Mountain East Conference (MEC) back in 2019, the Wheeling University Football team (6-5, 5-3) has been climbing each season. The 2025 season was no exception, with the Cardinals battling for a MEC Championship down to the final day. They finished the year one win shy of the single-season win record and picked up their best conference finish in program history.

They began their season as road warriors, with three of their first four games coming away from Bishop Schmitt Field. After dropping their first two games of the season, the Cardinals would get win #1 in week three of the season when they beat Lake Erie College 35-31. The next week would see the Cardinals go on the road for their MEC opener, and they would make it back-to-back wins with a 35-28 win over Fairmont State. After taking their bye week in week four, Wheeling would earn a homecoming win over West Virginia Wesleyan 40-14. It started a homestand that saw the Cardinals home for four of the next five weeks, going 3-2 during the stretch. They sat at 4-2 heading into the final two weeks of the season and, after a win against Glenville State, the Cardinals had a chance to earn a co-conference championship. However, it would come to an end with Wheeling falling to West Liberty 68-67 to round out the season.

The Cardinal success was fueled by a strong defensive effort, with Jefferson Bretanys-Desca leading the way. He would end up setting the single-season tackle record, finishing with 114.0 tackles, 42 solo and 72 assisted, while adding 5.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks on the season. He broke the previous tackle record by 21 tackles and was a force in the middle of the field throughout the season. Included in his strong season were six double-digit tackle efforts, including a season-best 14 Tackles against Frostburg State on October 25^th. While leading the Cardinal's defensive effort, he also proved himself as one of the top defenders in the entire conference. He would lead the MEC in both total tackles and assisted tackles, while sitting top five in solo tackles. For his efforts, he was awarded First Team All-MEC honors, and was one of three Cardinal defenders to earn at least First or Second Team Honors on the season.

The other defender to earn First Team All-MEC honors was Leonard Sherrod III, who had a career year of his own in the Cardinal secondary. He set a career-high with 97.0 tackles on the season, including setting the single-game tackle record when he finished with 18 against Walsh on September 6^th against Walsh. However, his biggest impact would come in the passing game, where he finished with 11 pass break-ups on the season. He would set the team's single season interception record, finishing with five on the year. He would set the record against Glenville State, and finished with one pick six. The other defender to earn top MEC honors was Nikale Martin, who earned Second Team All-MEC honors. He would set a career-high, finishing with 25.0 total tackles. He would lead the team with 10.5 tackles for loss and a finished third on the team with 3.0 sacks to round out a strong season on defense.

On the offensive side, the Cardinals were led by the quarterback combo of Ade Olanegan and Landon Lutz. The two would split reps throughout the season, and each had their moments to shine. The two would both reach the 1,000-yard passing mark, with Olanegan throwing for 1,373 yards while Lutz threw for 1,072 yards, while both completed right around 50% of their passes. Olanegan would have the advantage with 14 touchdowns to just four interceptions, while completing 50% of his passes. For Lutz, he finished with six touchdowns to two interceptions, while completing just over 47% of his passes on the season. Both led the team to big wins throughout the season, with Lutz helping set the Cardinals up in position for a possible conference championship late, while Olanegan had the Cardinals out to a hot start. Both were able to energize the offense throughout the year and helped the Cardinals offense stay balanced throughout the season.

In the running game, the Cardinals had a three-headed monster, with the group being led by Steven Mitchell. The graduate student earned his second straight All-MEC honor, taking home Honorable Mention honors. Mitchell would be the Cardinal's leader on the ground, carrying the ball 152 times for 639 yards and eight touchdowns. He set a career high in rushing touchdowns and paced the Cardinals throughout the season. In the passing game, Alex Godavitarne served as a big threat for the Cardinals in the redzone, and earned Honorable Mention All-MEC honors. He finished the year with 19 catches for 255 yards while adding five touchdowns. Of those five touchdowns, three came in the final four weeks of the season as he was able to end the year strong. The Cardinal's top target on the season was Jordan Kaiser, who finished with 32 catches for 585 yards and five touchdowns. With a young receiving core, it was a break-out year for the redshirt freshman, as he looks to continue to grow on the field.

On the special teams unit, the Cardinals received one All-MEC honoree in the form of Conor Fitzpatrick. The sophomore kicker earned Honorable Mention All-MEC honors, finishing 9-16 on field goals during the year. Of those nine field goals five of them came in the final three weeks of the season. He would set the single-game field goals made record against Concord, when he made four field goals in the game and went 4-5. He was most efficient between the 20-29 yard range, where he finished 4-5 on the season, with his longest being a 48-yard field goal. In the punting game, it was Brett Jackson leading the way, taking over in week three due to injury. He would finish with 40 punts, averaging 34.70 yards per punt. He would play a bit roll in helping the Cardinals win the battle of field position, putting 12 of those punts inside the 20-yard line. He would win Special Teams Player of the Week once during the season for his efforts, and helped the Cardinal defense by giving the opposition a long field to work with.

The Wheeling University Football team heads into the off-season as they look to continue their progression across the conference.