Painesville, OH. - After having their struggles early in the season, the Wheeling University Football team's (1-2, 0-0) offense came to life as they wrapped up non-conference play on Saturday. The Cardinals picked up their first win of the 2025 season as they took down Lake Erie College 35-31. The Cardinals set a new season high with 389 yards of total offense, and scored 21 second half points to seal the win heading into Mountain East Conference (MEC) play next week.
Heading into the fourth quarter, Wheeling trailed 28-21, but on the first play, Steven Mitchell would complete a six-play, 55-yard, drive with an eight yard touchdown that tied the game at 28-28. The special teams unit once again set the Cardinals up in good position as Solo Love returned the punt 11 yards to set Wheeling up at their own 40-yard line. Wheeling was in danger of facing a three-and-out, sitting at 3rd and six, and that's when Ade Olanegan kept things alive with a 49-yard strike to Bud Walker. It set the Cardinals up with first-and-goal at the Lake Erie three-yard line and Steven Mitchell would do the rest, getting the final three yards in two plays for the Cardinal touchdown. Connor Fitzpatrick would put up the extra point and Wheeling was out to a 35-28 lead with 10:36 to play. Lake Erie would get the ball back and ate time off the clock needing six minutes and 13 plays to get down to the Cardinal 10-yard line. However, the Cardinal defense bent but didn't break as they held Lake Erie to a Field Goal to keep it a 35-31 game.
The Cardinals would go three-and-out on the ensuing drive, and Lake Erie would get the ball back with 5:45 to play. Wheeling needed one big play to seal the deal. It would come on a 2nd and 19 play as Keenan Johnson intercepted a pass from Lake Erie's Brady Clark and the Cardinals set up at the Storm 19-yard line. The Cardinals would eat the remaining 5:45 off the clock, giving Lake Erie the ball back with 38 seconds, but the game had been sealed as the Cardinals picked up the 35-31 win. It was the Cardinal's second defensive turnover of the day that would seal the deal as the Cardinals moved to 1-2 as they prepare for their MEC schedule next week.
Early on, it was Lake Erie who would get things going after forcing the Cardinals to punt on their opening drive. Lake Erie would need just three plays to get into the endzone as Nick Mosley took off for 75 yards and a Storm touchdown as they took a 7-0 lead. That would be the lone score of the first half, but an interception by Jefferson Bretanys-Desca had the Cardinals driving at the Lake Erie seven-yard line to start the second quarter. On the first play of the quarter, Wheeling would hand the ball to O'Marion Taylor and he took them the final seven yards for his first Cardinal touchdown. The Cardinals defense would come up with a stop on the next possession and Wheeling's special teams unit made their first splash. Lake Erie Punter William Allen Batton sent the ball to the Wheeling 27-yard line and Kameron Reynolds would take it back 32 yards to the Lake Erie 41-yard line.
The Cardinals would tack on an extra 15-yards thanks to a Storm Personal Foul, and the Cardinals would have the ball at the Storm 26-yard line with 10:50 left before the half. On the second play of the drive, Ade Olanegan dropped back and connected with Landyn Hores on a 26-yard touchdown strike. Fitzpatrick followed up with the extra point, and the Cardinals had a 14-7 advantage. Both teams would trade punts on their next possession, but Lake Erie would get the final tally of the half. They went on a 12-play, 97-yard, rive that ended in a Brady Clark touchdown pass to Devin Morgan that tied the score at 14-14. That would be the score as the teams broke for the locker room, and both teams would be looking to build upon their first half offensive success.
Lake Erie would get the ball to start the new half, and immediately took the lead on their first possession, driving 91-yards. Jordan Smith would carry the ball in from one-yard out and Lake Erie would take a 21-14 lead. On the ensuing possession, Wheeling would be forced to punt and pinned the Storm back at their own eight-yard line. However, two plays later, a 93-yard touchdown pass from Clark to Curtis Thomas made it a 28-14 Lake Erie lead with 6:42 to go in the quarter. The Cardinals would need a big play and they got it on the second play of their ensuing drive. Olanegan dropped back to past and connected with Jordan Kaiser on a 93-yard touchdown strike. The completion set the new record for the longest offensive touchdown in program history, and brought the Cardinals back to within one score. That would be the score come the end of the quarter, but the Cardinal's comeback would be complete in the final quarter.
Leading the Cardinal offense was quarterback Ade Olanegan, who finished 7-9 throwing for 205 yards and two touchdowns. Olanegan threw the longest offensive scoring play in program history and helped spark the Cardinal's late comeback effort in the win. His top target was Jordan Kaiser, who pulled in three catches for 120 yards, including the 93-yard touchdown strike. The Cardinals would have their biggest rushing game of the season, with Steven Mitchell leading the effort with 28 carries for 117 yards and a touchdown. O'Maron Taylor added a rushing touchdown while Landyn Hores pulled in the final receiving touchdown of the night. Leonard Sherrod III would lead the defensive effort with 10 tackles, six solo and four assisted, while Keenan Jonhnson and Jefferson Bretanys-Desca each pulled in an interception.
The Wheeling University Football team returns to action on Saturday, September 20th, when they begin MEC play at Fairmont State with kick-off at 1 PM.
