Wheeling, W. Va. - Over the first two weeks of non-conference play, the Wheeling University Football team (0-2, 0-0) has been working their way through some early season hiccups. On Saturday, the Cardinals look to put it all together as they wrap up their non-conference schedule with a trip to Lake Erie College with kick-off at 4 PM. It will be the second time in the first three weeks that the Cardinals are set to face a brand-new opponent, as they look for their first win of the 2025 season.
The Cardinals played their only home game during September last week when they welcomed in Walsh University from the Great Midwest Athletic Conference (GMAC). The Cardinal offense was slow to get going and with eight minutes left before halftime, they found themselves trailing 17-0. Wheeling needed a spark and got it on their next drive as they needed just three plays to go 74 yards for their first touchdown of the 2025 season. The Cardinals remained within striking distance heading into the locker room with the 17-7 score holding. Both defenses would hold strong in the third quarter and with 15 minutes to go, 10 points were all that separated the two teams. However, Walsh would score touchdowns on back-to-back drives and, despite the Cardinals connecting on one more touchdown on the day, it wasn't enough as they fell 31-15.
It was a historic day on defense for the Cardinals, led by junior defensive back Leonard Sherrod III. He would set the Cardinal's single-game tackle record, finishing with 18.0 total tackles, four solo and 14 assisted, which was set just this past season by former Cardinal Jack Parry. With the effort, Sherrod propelled himself to the top of the MEC defensive stats, sitting second in the conference with 21.0 total tackles this season. He sits just two tackles behind West Virginia State's Mike Wilson for the conference lead while also sitting second in assisted tackles with 18. Sherrod has played aggressive in both the run game and the pass game this season, and looks to continue to lead the Cardinals as they head closer to MEC play.
When the Cardinals needed a spark on offense, they would get one from quarterback Ade Olanegan. After a slow start, Olanegan was able to start the second quarter with a 34-yard strike to Hilton McClain Jr. It sparked the three-play drive that ended in the team's first touchdown of the season. In his Cardinal debut, Olanegan would finish 8-22, throwing for 151 yards and a touchdown as he guided the Cardinal's offense. He split reps with Landon Lutz, who added 91 passing yards and the other Cardinal touchdown on the day. The top target for the Cardinals was Hilton McClain Jr., who finished with two catches for 69 yards and a touchdown, while the other receiving touchdown came from Alex Godavitarne, who finished with two catches for 39 yards.
In each of their first two non-conference games, the Cardinals were able to grow on each side of the ball. They have excelled in the special teams game, sitting third in the conference in kick return yards (216) while also holding the third highest yards per punt (37.8) in the conference. The Cardinals have been winning the battle of field position throughout the season and look to continue growing their offense in their final non-conference game. As they head to Painesville, Ohio this weekend, the Cardinals will be looking to build momentum before going on the road to face Fairmont State for their MEC opener next weekend.
The Matchup
The Cardinals and Storm will be meeting for the first time in program history on Saturday in Painesville, Ohio. Lake Erie is coming off their season-opening match against the #1 team in NCAA Division II Football in Ferris State, where they fell 63-6. The Storm are coming off a 2024 season that saw them finish 2-8 overall and 1-8 in Great Midwest Athletic Conference (GMAC) play. Lake Erie Head Coach David Price was a member of the Wheeling Football inaugural staff during the 2018 season, and the Cardinals will look to hand him a loss in their first meeting on the gridiron.
The Details
Kick-off for Saturday's game is scheduled for 4 PM inside Britt Memorial Stadium on the campus of Lake Erie College. You can watch the game live by clicking HERE or follow along with Live Stats by clicking HERE.
