BUCKHANNON, W.Va. — The West Virginia Wesleyan College football team fought through a physical Mountain East Conference battle on Saturday afternoon, falling 23-14 to Wheeling University at Cebe Ross Field.
The visiting Cardinals opened the scoring midway through the first quarter when Dawaun Green punched in an 11-yard touchdown run, though Bobcat defensive lineman Dovonte Courtney broke through to block the extra-point attempt. After Wheeling added a 23-yard field goal to push its lead to 9-0, West Virginia Wesleyan responded immediately. Quarterback Liam McGuire orchestrated a swift three-play, 45-yard scoring drive, connecting with wide out Tariq Meredith for a 20-yard touchdown strike. Kicker Caleb Nelson split the uprights on the point-after attempt, bringing the Bobcats within two points at 9-7 before both defenses locked down for a scoreless second quarter heading into the locker room.
Wheeling widened its advantage early in the second half when Landon Lutz threw a 37-yard touchdown pass to Ayden McKinstry. The Bobcats refused to back down, as defensive back Jaziah Berberena intercepted a Lutz pass and executed a 38-yard return into Cardinal territory to flip momentum. Four plays later, McGuire capped off a 52-yard drive by finding Amari Colon-Brown in the end zone for a 6-yard touchdown catch, bringing Wesleyan back within two points at 16-14. However, Wheeling answered late in the third quarter on a 39-yard touchdown run by McKinstry to push the margin to 23-14.
West Virginia Wesleyan mounted several scoring threats in the final period to stay within striking distance. McGuire unleashed a game-long 51-yard pass to wide receiver Reece Thimote down to the Wheeling 19-yard line, but the Cardinals halted the momentum with an end-zone interception on the first play of the fourth quarter. Later in the frame, running back Jeremiah King broke free for an 18-yard run to propel the Bobcat offense inside the 10-yard line, though the drive ultimately stalled on a missed field goal attempt. Wheeling was subsequently able to run out the remaining time on the clock to seal the decision.
McGuire directed the Bobcat passing attack by completing 14-of-24 passes for 226 yards and two touchdowns. Colon-Brown led all receivers with six catches for 75 yards and a touchdown, while Thimote provided explosive yardage with 89 yards on three receptions. Meredith added four receptions for 59 yards and a score, and King anchored the ground attack with 70 rushing yards on 15 carries. On defense, linebacker Jermaine Montgomery Jr. delivered a game-high 16 total tackles, while Alex Gutierrez recorded nine tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, and a sack to lead the front seven.
The Bobcats are back in action on October 10th for Homecoming against Fairmont State. Come out and support your cats!
