WEST LIBERTY, W.Va. – History will be in the air on Saturday afternoon as the West Liberty University football team returns to the hilltop for its 100th season home opener, welcoming Seton Hill to West Family Stadium for a 1 p.m. kickoff.

The Hilltoppers (0-1) will be looking to bounce back after dropping their opener at Walsh, 38-10, but there were flashes of optimism in defeat. Quarterback Kohl Meisman nearly hit the 300-yard passing mark, connecting early and often with Trey Singleton, who broke loose for 163 yards on just six catches. Singleton's big-play ability helped set up West Liberty's lone touchdown of the day, a determined five-yard run from Hunter Patterson.

Defensively, Donovan Elliott and Junus McGraw led the charge with seven tackles apiece, while Grant Thompson and Nolan Shimp each recorded sacks. The Hilltoppers surrendered yardage but also forced a turnover and made Walsh fight for nearly every score.

Head coach Roger Waialae stressed that improvement on both sides of the ball will be critical. "We have to stop shooting ourselves in the foot," Waialae said. "We had a number of missed opportunities in the loss to Walsh. We have to be better at overcoming adversity."

On offense, he added, "We will need to be fundamentally sound up front this week. Seton Hill will line up in a number of different fronts—from one defensive lineman to five or six—and we have to know our assignments." Defensively, Waialae emphasized the importance of pressure and tackling. "We have to get up the field, tackle better, get more hats to the ball and eliminate the mental mistakes."

Seton Hill (0-1) presents another stiff test after narrowly falling to Fairmont State in its opener. Running back Keshon Craggette carried the Griffins' offense, rushing 24 times for 112 yards and two touchdowns. Quarterback Boden St. Marie added a passing score, highlighted by a 95-yard day from wideout Isaac Ashley. Defensively, D'Kairi Boone piled up an eye-popping 16 tackles, while Andrew Stribling was a constant presence in the backfield with two sacks.

Saturday also renews a bit of history between the two programs, from their WVIAC days. West Liberty and Seton Hill last met in 2012, when the Hilltoppers came away with a 41-29 victory. Overall, WLU has controlled the series, holding a commanding 7-1 all-time advantage.

With the milestone season underway, Saturday's game offers the Black and Gold an opportunity to steady their footing and celebrate a century of Hilltopper football with their home crowd.