West Liberty University Athletics

West Liberty, W.Va. – The West Liberty University football team ended the season on a high note with a convincing 31-3 victory over Ohio County rival Wheeling. The Hilltopper defense was dominant in the win as they forced a total of six turnovers and returned three interceptions for touchdowns.
 
QUICK DETAILS
Final Score: West Liberty 31, Wheeling 3
Team Records: West Liberty 4-6 (4-5 MEC), Wheeling 5-5 (4-5 MEC)
Attendance: 1,259
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• Neither team gained an advantage in a scoreless first quarter as both teams missed field goal attempts in the opening 15 minutes. Just like they've done all season long, the Hilltopper special teams made an early impact with another blocked field goal with Mason Gates getting a hand on the ball on a 46 yard attempt and Chris Wilson made the recovery in the end zone for a touchback.
• Two possessions later the Black & Gold blocked their second field goal of the game with Cam Rice deflecting the 27 yard attempt and Wilson once again made the recovery, returning the ball 28 yards back to the WLU 31 yard line from their own three.
• On the first play of the second quarter Brennan Secrist boomed a 50 yard punt down field and pinned Wheeling at their own three yard line. On the second play of the Cardinal drive, John Brown got pressure on Wheeling's Landon Lutz to force a bad pass, which was picked off at the line of scrimmage by Rice and he returned it for the first score of the game with 14:15 remaining in the second quarter. Tyler Waddell added the extra point to make it a 7-0 WLU lead.
• Midway through the second quarter the Hilltopper defense held strong as a 38 yard pass set Wheeling up for a 1^st & Goal situation. West Liberty faced a pair of plays inside the two yard line with Bre'Andre Horsley making a solo tackle-for loss on 2^nd & Goal from the one yard line, and he then teamed up with Wilson for another TFL on 3^rd & Goal from the two. The Cardinals scored their lone points of the game as they settled for a 19 yard field goal by Joao Lima with 5:19 left in the half.
• Wheeling then gained control of the ball in plus territory on West Liberty's lone turnover of the game as an interception and 16 yard return set them up at the WLU 15 yard line. However, the short field position was short lived as the Hilltoppers picked off their second pass of the game on the first play of the drive. Delano Marcelus notched his first interception of the season as he snagged Horsley's pass deflection out of the air with 4:22 left in the first half.
• The Hilltopper offense began to get in a rhythm and moved the ball down the field in the final drive of the half, however, came up two yards and one second short. Rudy Garcia found Chris Charles on back-to-back plays to end the quarter, picking up 15 and 21 yards, but was unable to push his way into the end zone as he was tackled on the two yard line with time expiring.
• The Black & Gold continued their offensive rhythm on the first drive of the second half as Garcia found Rashawn Harvey for a 38 yard rection to move the ball into Cardinal territory. Garcia then found Charles for a 15 yard, toe-tap touchdown inside the pylon to make 14-3 following Waddell's extra point with 11:05 left in the third quarter.
• Rice and the Hilltopper defense once again made a big play as the third quarter began to wind down. Marcelus put pressure on Lutz and forced another bad pass, resulting in Rice's second pick-six of the game. Waddell's PAT made it 21-3 with 4:16 left in the third.
• Wheeling started the next possession at their own 49 yard line after a unsportsmanlike conduct penalty and a kickoff out of bounds moved the WLU kickoff back to their own 15 yard line. However, the possession ended the same as their last as Horsley picked off the pass and returned it to the end zone for West Liberty's third pick-six of the game. Waddell once again knocked through the PAT and it was 28-3 in favor of the Hilltoppers with 3:58 left in the third quarter.
• West Liberty notched their final points of the season as Justin Kaplan nailed a 31 yard field goal attempt with 12:52 left in the game to make it 31-3 Hilltoppers.
• The Hilltoppers forced their final turnover of the game as Horsley forced a fumble by Lutz and it was recovered by John Brown with 4:03 remaining in the game.

WEST LIBERTY STATISTICAL LEADERS
Rudy Garcia: 19-of-41 passing, 216 yards, 1 touchdown
Chris Charles: 9 receptions, 112 yards, 1 touchdown
Cam Rice: 8 total tackles, 2.5 tackles-for-loss, 2 interceptions returned for touchdowns, 1 forced fumble, 1 blocked field goal
Bre'Andre Horsley: 3 total tackles, 2.5 tackles-for-loss, 2 pass breakups, 1 interception returned for touchdown, 1 forced fumble, 1 fumble recovery
Taison Fa'Asuamanu: 7 total tackles, 1.0 tackle-for-loss, 1 sack