FROSTBURG, Md. — Frostburg State defeated West Liberty, 21-7, on Saturday afternoon at Bobcat Stadium in the Mountain East Conference opener for both teams. The Bobcats secured the win with a dominant fourth quarter, scoring two rushing touchdowns to break a 7-7 tie. The Hilltoppers' defense held strong in the first half, highlighted by an interception return of 24 yards, but Frostburg's 236 rushing yards proved decisive.
The first quarter of the game between West Liberty and Frostburg State was marked by strong defensive efforts and penalties impacting progression. The Hilltoppers' initial drive was extended by a Frostburg roughing the passer penalty, moving the ball to their own 39-yard line. Hunter Patterson effectively advanced West Liberty's position with multiple rushes, aided again by a personal foul against the Bobcats, pushing the visitors to the Frostburg 38-yard line. However, the drive stalled after a delay of game penalty and an incomplete pass, resulting in a punt.
The Bobcats' possession saw KJ Smothers burst through with consecutive rushes totaling 26 yards, yet the drive faltered as Grant Thompson recorded a crucial sack, forcing Frostburg to punt. West Liberty's ensuing drive was interrupted by an interception by Frostburg's Will Burns at the 8:05 mark, but Frostburg failed to capitalize, turning the ball over on downs. The first quarter ended with neither team able to score, despite Patterson's consistent rushing efforts for West Liberty, totaling 36 yards on 12 attempts.
In the second quarter, West Liberty took the lead when Patterson completed a 2-yard touchdown run at 13:18, with Morgan Williamson's extra point extending the score to 7-0. Frostburg responded swiftly, tying the game at 7-7 after Owen Doyle's 9-yard touchdown rush at 8:59, followed by a successful PAT by Harrison Fritz. West Liberty, driving late in the quarter, saw a potential scoring opportunity halted by a turnover on downs at the Frostburg 20. As the clock wound down, Frostburg's Jordan Brooks threw an interception to Sawyer VanMatre, who returned it 24 yards to set West Liberty up in Frostburg territory, but the visitors were unable to capitalize as the half concluded with the score tied.
The third quarter saw Frostburg initiate a drive at 14:52, with Smothers contributing a solid 13-yard rush to advance the home team into West Liberty territory. However, the drive stalled as Doyle lost 3 yards on a subsequent rush, and West Liberty's Grant Thompson pressured the quarterback, leading to an incomplete pass. West Liberty took over at their own 25-yard line at 12:04, and Rashid Sesay's steady rushing, including a critical 2-yard gain on 4th-and-1, kept their drive alive. Despite Kohl Meisman's 10-yard pass to Trey Singleton, the drive ended with a punt at 7:39 after a series of incomplete passes. Frostburg regained possession, but penalties, including a 15-yard chop block, hampered their progress, leading to another punt with 3:58 remaining in the quarter.
In the fourth quarter, Frostburg extended their lead against West Liberty early with Doyle's 1-yard touchdown run at 12:04, followed by Fritz's successful extra point to make it 14-7. Following a stalled West Liberty drive, Frostburg capitalized on their possession with a crucial 34-yard touchdown pass from Brooks to Cruiz Paul-Umstead, increasing the lead to 21-7 with 4:57 remaining. Despite West Liberty's efforts to respond, including a notable 20-yard completion from Meisman to Singleton, the drive ultimately ended in a turnover on downs. Frostburg managed the clock effectively, with Doyle contributing key rushing gains, before the game concluded at 21-7.
Patterson led the offense with 89 rushing yards on 18 carries and scored one touchdown. Meisman completed 17 of 40 passes for 123 yards in the air. On defense, Nasir Lawrence collected seven tackles, while Jamison Holliday also recorded seven tackles. VanMatre made his presence felt with six tackles and one interception returned for 24 yards.
The next challenge for the Hilltoppers is a matchup against Concord next Saturday in Athens, W.Va., with kickoff set for 1 p.m.
