Football | 10/16/2010 4:58:37 PM

GAME STATS   GAME PHOTOS

INSTITUTE, W.Va. – West Liberty senior quarterback Zach Amedro set two West Virginia Conference records and tied an all-time NCAA Division II mark here Saturday as the Hilltoppers spoiled West Virginia State's Homecoming festivities with a 48-26 blowout win at Lakin Field.

West Liberty (4-2, 3-1) had rolled up a 48-12 lead when head coach Roger Waialae pulled his starters in the opening minute of the fourth quarter and the scrappy Yellowjackets tacked on a pair of late touchdowns to make the final margin a bit more respectable.

Already the WVIAC's all-time leading passer, Amedro vaulted to the top of the league's career charts in total offense and touchdown passes by completing 24-of-38 throws for 400 yards and 6 touchdowns.

The former John Marshall High School all-stater's second consecutive 400-yard passing game was also the 26th 300-yard passing game of his career, tying the NCAA Division II career record set by Jimmy Terwilliger of East Stroudsburg (Pa.) from 2003-06.

Amedro also moved several steps closer to Terwilliger's NCAA Division II career record of 14,350 career passing yards. The WLU senior upped his career total to 12,936 with Saturday's performance, leaving him 1,414 yards away with four regular season games remaining.

The veteran signalcaller wasn't the only Hilltopper adding his name to the record books on Saturday.

Not only did Ryan Travis pad his NCAA Division II receiving lead with 13 catches for 138 yards and 3 TDs, the senior tight end passed West Liberty Hall of Famer Greg Dailer to become the school's career leader in receiving yards.

Travis – who has caught 76 passes for 844 yards in six games this season – now ranks No. 1 all-time with the Hilltoppers in receiving yards (2,760) and receptions (234). With 26 career TD grabs, he's only two behind Dailer's career mark of 28 touchdown catches.

Despite the absence due to injury of preseason All-Americans TB Kevon Calhoun and LB Clay Beeler, West Liberty wasted no time jumping on the Yellowjackets and had things well in hand by halftime.

Amedro came out firing, hitting Brandon Carver with a 62-yard touchdown strike – the Hilltoppers' longest pass play of the season – on the game's very first snap and the rout was on.

Amedro added TD tosses of 3 yards to Travis and 35 yards to David Carter while mixing in a 3-yard DeVaughn Gordon scoring burst before intermission. State managed just a field goal and safety to trail 28-5 at the half.

A muffed punt gave the hosts a short field on the first possession of the second half and Robert Jackson hit Landon Johnson with a 7-yard touchdown pass that cut the lead to 28-12 but that was as close as the Yellowjackets could get.

Amedro answered by wrapping a pair of touchdown passes to Travis around a 16-yard TD toss to Willie Walker and the Hilltopper starters went to the sidelines for the last time with 14:19 on the fourth quarter clock.

Pauly Ferguson backed Travis with 4 catches for 100 receiving yards while Gordon led the West Liberty rushing attack with 63 yards on 9 carries. Andre “Moon” Robinson had a 65-yard interception return to set up an early Hilltopper score while Josh Beadnell led the WLU defense with 11 tackles, 4 tackles-for-loss and 3 quarterback sacks.

Senior WR Jermain King was State's main weapon with 10 catches for 138 yards.

The Hilltoppers return home Saturday to host unbeaten and No. 18-ranked Shepherd (7-0, 5-0) in a battle for first place in the West Virginia Conference. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. at Russek Field.

West Liberty 48, W.Va. State 26
West Liberty    14  14  13     7 – 48
W.Va. State      0     5    7  14 – 26
First Quarter
    WL-Carver 62 pass from Amedro (Blewett kick), 14:41
    WL-Gordon 3 run (Blewett kick), 5:48
Second Quarter
    WL-Travis 3 pass from Amedro (Blewett kick), 14:09
    WVS-Safety, ball snapped out of end zone, 10:09
    WL-Carter 35 pass from Amedro (Blewett kick), 3:03
    WVS-FG C.Wissler 21, :03
Third Quarter
    WVS-L.Johnson 7 pass from Jackson (C.Wissler kick), 11:23
    WL-Travis 6 pass from Amedro (kick failed), 9:07
    WL-Walker 16 pass from Amedro (Blewett kick), 4:30
Fourth Quarter
    WL-Travis 10 pass from Amedro (Blewett kick), 14:19
    WVS-Phillips 12 run (C.Wissler kick), 9:08
    WVS-Upshaw 3 pass from Phillips (C.Wissler kick), 3:54
Game Statistics
    RUSHING: West Liberty 21-134; Gordon 9-63; Bell 5-38; Brewton 2-16; George 1-13; Travis 1-7; Amedro 2-(-1); Team 1-(-2). W.Va. State 41-144; Payne 14-67; Jackson 9-44; Reeves 9-21; Maura 4-13; Phillips 5-(-1).
    PASSING: West Liberty 25-40-401-6td-0x; Amedro 24-38-400-6td-0x; Tucci 1-2-1-0-0. W.Va. State 28-47-317-2td-1x; Jackson 14-23-160-1td-0x; Phillips 14-23-157-1td-1x; King 0-1-0-0-0.
    RECEIVING: West Liberty 25-401; Travis 13-138; Ferguson 4-100; Carver 2-79; Carter 2-47; Gordon 2-20; Walker 2-17. W.Va. State 28-317; King 10-138; J.Johnson 8-82; L.Johnson 5-60; Kearse 3-30; Maura 1-4; Upshaw 1-3.
    First downs: West Liberty 24, W.Va. State 29
    Fumbles: West Liberty 4-2, W.Va. State 2-1
    Penalties: West Liberty 6-74, W.Va. State 7-68
    Time of Possession: West Liberty 22:36, W.Va. State 37:24