WEST LIBERTY, W.Va. – Roger Waialae understands that "Wheeling Week" hits a little different on the WLU campus. In fact, West Liberty's veteran head football coach has been around long enough to appreciate that more than most.
    "For the longest time, I envied those teams with natural rivals," Waialae said. "We didn't have a true rival until Wheeling started football but now it's like any rivalry game where both teams come into the season with one game circled on the calendar. At Ohio State, it's Michigan but at West Liberty it's Wheeling and at Wheeling it's West Liberty. That level of engagement is a great thing for both campuses and the community as a whole. It's one of those calling cards for the college experience."
    Kickoff for Saturday's Ohio County Clash is set for 1 p.m. at Bishop Schmitt Field.
    Having just passed the midway point of the season, the Hilltoppers (4-3, 4-2) and Cardinals (3-4, 3-3) seem to be trending in opposite directions.
    Just a game out of a tie for first place in the Mountain East Conference standings, West Liberty is coming off last week's thrilling 52-31 come-from-behind Homecoming win against Fairmont State – WLU's third win in its last four games – while Wheeling looks to bounce back from its second straight loss, a 41-17 road blowout at Frostburg State.
    That being said, Waialae isn't a big fan of trends.
    "As a coach, I try not to treat any game differently but I'm not going to lie to my guys," Waialae said. "It's a rivalry game so you can throw out the record books. Nothing that happened last week or last month is going to put a single point on the board this week. What we do – and what Wheeling does – on Saturday is all that matters."
    The Hilltoppers showed plenty of resiliency in Saturday's win against Fairmont, a back-and-forth contest that was far closer than the final score indicated. In a game featuring five lead changes, West Liberty didn't go ahead to stay until freshman QB Jamie Diven capped a 96-yard, 6-play TD drive with a 46-yard scoring toss to WR Isaiah Robinson with less than a minute to play.
    Diven was the MEC Offensive Player of the Week after completing 19-of-25 passes for 367 yards and 3 TDs but there were plenty of Hilltoppers to share the spotlight. J'Aire Pritchett and Elijah Hadley each had a "pick-6" interception in the final minute to expand the final margin, Robinson and fellow WR Nate Phillips each had more than 100 receiving yards and DE Trevor Hoosier had 10 tackles, 6 tackles-for-loss, blocked a punt and forced a safety.
    "When you have different guys stepping up and making plays in all three facets of the game, that shows we're getting better as a football team," Waialae said. "Really good football teams don't rely on just one or two outstanding individuals. They have multiple guys contributing every week."
    Despite Wheeling's recent struggles, Waialae came away from his scouting session quite impressed with the talent level on the Cardinal roster. Junior TB Sy Alli leads the MEC with 669 rushing yards while QB Brennon Norris is completing nearly 60 percent of his passes and has thrown for 1,029 yards and 10 TDs in 5 games.
    "They're a good football team," Waialae said. "The six skill guys they put on the field for the majority of their offensive snaps can go the distance at any time. The running back is very good and they aren't afraid to take shots in the passing game. We have to be very solid on defense, stay away from the big play and make them earn everything they get.
    "We were able to bring some physicality to the game last week against Fairmont, especially in the second half, and it's very important for that to continue. We're a much better football team when we can physically impose our will on the opponent."