ATHENS, W.Va. – West Liberty (0-4, 0-1 MEC) travels to Callaghan Stadium in Athens, W.Va., on Saturday for a key Mountain East Conference matchup against Concord (1-2, 0-1). Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m.
The Hilltoppers are coming off a 21-7 loss at Frostburg State, their conference opener. Despite the setback, head coach Roger Waialae sees signs of progress in his team.
"We put ourselves in the position to control the outcome and we didn't make the plays needed to win the game," Waialae said. "The effort was there, and we're improving every week up front offensively and defensively. Now we need to get over the hump and start making winning plays."
This weekend's matchup carries a long history. West Liberty leads the all-time series against the Mountain Lions 41-38-3. The last five meetings have been competitive: WLU won 31-10 in 2024, 23-21 in 2023, while Concord took the 2022 and 2021 matchups 45-28 and 20-16, respectively. WLU also defeated Concord 47-6 in 2019. Concord ranks as West Liberty's third-longest opponent all-time with 82 meetings, behind only Fairmont State (90) and Glenville State (85).
The Hilltopper defense has been a strong point early in the season, leading the MEC in pass defense (158.3 yards per game) and fumble recoveries (5), while ranking second in sacks (8). Standout linebacker Grant Thompson leads the league in tackles for loss (7) and sacks (4), with Junus McGraw leading the team with 27 tackles and Nolan Shimp right behind with 26.
Waialae knows Concord poses a different challenge than WLU has faced so far.
"Offensively, they throw the ball. They're averaging 351 yards a game and making big plays down the field. The quarterback is accurate and has had success doing it. We have to make him feel uncomfortable in the pocket, and if we can't get pressure with just our front four, we'll have to add guys into the blitz," Waialae said.
The Hilltoppers have faced primarily run-first teams through the first four games, making Concord's pass-heavy attack a new test.
"Who we've played has predominantly been run-first teams. Now we're facing a different monster — a team that wants to throw over 30 times a game. They still run, but their big-play potential in the passing game is the scariest thing we have to prepare for," Waialae added.
WLU's offensive leaders will again be critical in trying to slow Concord. Quarterback Kohl Meisman has passed for 820 yards on the season, while Trey Singleton leads the MEC in receptions (19) and is third in receiving yards (382).
"For us, we're more concerned with what we do than what other teams are doing to us. We have to make the simple plays that are built in," Waialae said. "There were at least four occasions last week where we missed the hot guy wide open. We can't do that, and we have to improve on our strengths while hiding our deficiencies."
Kickoff from Callaghan Stadium is set for 1 p.m., with the Hilltoppers looking to get back on the winning track in conference play and continue their competitive history against the Mountain Lions.
