The Basics
The West Virginia Wesleyan football team will play its home opener versus Concord on Saturday (Sept. 17) at 2 p.m. from Cebe Ross Field in Buckhannon, W.Va.
 
Quick Hits

• WVWC quarterback Nathan Payne completed 16 passes for 231 yards and two touchdowns in his last outing versus UNC Pembroke.
• Devin Washington and Xander Castillo both caught touchdown passes from Payne versus UNCP. Washington accumulated 102 receiving yards, while Castillo logged 51 yards.
• Javian Tomlinson rumbled for 61 rushing yards at UNCP.
• Freshman Ely Ghameshlougy leads the Bobcats with 20.0 total tackles. Ghameshlougy is tied fourth in the Mountain East Conference in tackles.
• Deontre Logan has made 17.0 total tackles and has tallied one quarterback hurry.
• Donovan Woods recorded an interception and a pass breakup versus UNCP. Woods also blocked a kick on special teams.
• Hunter Williams has the lone sack for the Bobcat defense.
• Jerome Colbert, a freshman from Columbia, Md., returned an interception for six points last time out versus the Braves.
• The WVWC projected starting offensive line features a pair of seniors (David Robertson and Jake Folland), one junior (Trey Milam) and two sophomores (Nathan Baker & Victor Cameron III). The Bobcats have rushed for over 200 yards this season and have only allowed one sack.
• Junior running back Khalil Smith returns to the field for the Bobcats after 24 chemo treatments. Smith, a Penn Hills, Pa., native, is a colon cancer survivor.
• Dwayne Martin is in his second season leading West Virginia Wesleyan football.

 
Scouting Concord
The Mountain Lions are looking to start the season 3-0 for the first time since 2014. Concord's offensive attack starts with its ground game. CU rushed for 169 yards in its last game versus Glenville State. Thurlow Wilkins, a tailback from Avon Park, Fla., totaled 102 rushing yards and two scores versus GSU.
 
Concord's offensive line features three fifth-year seniors (Josh Ramos, Davis Roberson, Saul Robles) and a pair of juniors (Kelechi Okoro and Bo Rowland). The Mountain Lions are the only team in the Mountain East Conference to not concede a sack.
 
Quarterback Jack Mangel returns to the field for Concord. Mangel has had an impressive start to the 2022 campaign, completing 57% of his passes for 389 yards and three touchdowns. Mangel, a senior from Athens, Ga., has totaled 3,531 passing yards and 26 scores in one full season with the Mountain Lions and was a 2021 All-MEC Second Team honoree.
 
On the defensive side, former Bobcats Mike Sawyer and John Merica return to Buckhannon and will start for the Concord defense. Sawyer has made nine tackles and two pass breakups while Merica has totaled two tackles in CU's first two games. Ty Maust leads the Mountain Lions with 18 stops. Dajor Davenport ranks second in the MEC in tackles for a loss (4.5) and third in sacks (2.5).
 
Up Next
West Virginia Wesleyan football returns to the road on Sept. 24 at West Liberty for a 1 p.m. kickoff.