WEST LIBERTY, W.Va. – The West Liberty University football team wraps up a productive series of spring drills on Saturday with the annual Black and Gold scrimmage. Action gets under way at 1 p.m. at West Family Stadium.
Several key performers return from last year's squad which got off to a 3-1 start only to falter down the stretch behind a series of injuries and turnover issues and they've been joined this spring by a handful of mid-year transfers. Several players missed spring drills due to injury rehab and/or surgeries but all are expected back at full strength in the fall.
"Even with the low numbers, this was a really good spring," veteran head coach Roger Waialae said. "Spring ball is all about development and that's enhanced when you're dealing with a smaller group because that's just more reps for the players who are there practicing. We had several guys really take advantage of the opportunity and make some major strides."
While there is a solid nucleus in place, Waialae noted that more help is on the way in the fall with an outstanding recruiting class being bolstered by continuing efforts through the transfer portal. In fact, Saturday could be one of the more important recruiting days of the year.
"This weekend probably is more important to us from a recruiting standpoint than anything that happens on the field," Waialae said. "With the transfer portal and the way it hits on the calendar, we've held onto a pretty good amount of scholarship money and are bringing close to 40 potential recruits in for the game and to experience the campus. A lot of the guys we're targeting are players we think can step in as impact performers in the fall."
Waialae may tweak the format for Saturday's scrimmage in order to better incorporate the timing changes recently proposed by the NCAA Football Rules Committee, giving his coaching staff a sneak peek at the potential impact those changes would have under actual game conditions.
In the end, however, Saturday is a day for the players.
"My Number One goal for Saturday, and I say this every year, is for nobody to get hurt," Waialae said. "Every one of these guys came here because they love to play football. We had 13 really good spring practices so Saturday is really just a day for the kids to have fun doing what they love to do."
West Liberty opens the 2023 season with a non-conference road game on Aug. 31 when the Hilltoppers travel to North Canton, Ohio to take on Walsh under the Thursday Night Lights. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. at Larry Staudt Field.
