WEST LIBERTY, W.Va. — Chad Salisbury's first career victory came in dramatic fashion Saturday afternoon as West Liberty rallied in the fourth quarter to defeat Seton Hill, 28-24, at West Family Stadium.
Originally scheduled to be played at Seton Hill, the game was moved to West Liberty less than 24 hours before kickoff after recent weather left the Griffins' home field unavailable. The unexpected change turned West Family Stadium into the setting for Salisbury's first win as a collegiate head coach.
"It is really, really special that it happened at home for me," Salisbury said. "I'm really happy about that. But I thought Seton Hill's administration and then our people, Brad Forshey and
Rex Lancaster, did an amazing job throwing this game together in 24 hours."
The Hilltoppers improved to 1-1 on the season by overcoming a 24-21 deficit entering the fourth quarter. West Liberty rushed for 238 yards and three touchdowns, converted all three of its fourth-down attempts and forced two turnovers, including
Luca Neal's game-sealing interception with 1:24 remaining.
Hunter Patterson led the charge offensively, rushing 30 times for 219 yards and two touchdowns while adding two receptions for 46 yards and another score. The performance pushed Patterson over the 2,000-yard mark for his career, leaving him with 2,147 career rushing yards.
"This is a really unique defense to play against. They make it hard to run," Salisbury said. "I thought our O-line took that challenge, and then our running backs did too. We have more than one that's special, but we have three or four really good running backs."
West Liberty opened the scoring on its first possession, marching 81 yards in 12 plays. The Hilltoppers converted a fourth-and-21 at the Seton Hill 33-yard line when
Kohl Meisman connected with Patterson for a 33-yard touchdown with 2:46 remaining in the opening quarter.
Aidan Grella's extra point made it 7-0.
The defense had already made an early stand, stopping Seton Hill in the red zone on its opening possession.
DeMontay Johnson and
Josiah Collins combined to drop Damari Styles for a 4-yard loss before consecutive incompletions gave the Hilltoppers possession.
Seton Hill answered with a 3-yard touchdown pass early in the second quarter to tie the game at 7-7, but West Liberty responded with a 41-yard scoring drive capped by Patterson's 3-yard touchdown run with 5:43 left in the half.
The Griffins added a 43-yard field goal later in the quarter, but the Hilltoppers answered immediately.
Patterson broke loose for a 63-yard touchdown run on West Liberty's next possession, pushing the Hilltoppers to a 21-10 halftime lead.
West Liberty controlled much of the third quarter, but Seton Hill turned the momentum with two touchdowns.
DeMario Manning returned a Hilltopper fumble 73 yards for a touchdown with 9:45 remaining in the quarter. West Liberty answered the turnover with a Patterson rushing first down, but the Hilltoppers were forced to punt.
Seton Hill then took the lead when D. Williams broke free for a 76-yard touchdown run with 6:23 left in the quarter, putting the Griffins ahead 24-21.
Salisbury acknowledged that the turnover changed the momentum.
"We had a little fumble and then I don't think we reacted real well to it," Salisbury said. "Once we finally calmed down, I thought we reacted better in the fourth quarter. We just need to, when those things happen, overcome them a little bit faster and just play a full game."
That response came in the fourth quarter.
Seton Hill appeared poised to extend its lead after a Meisman interception, but the Hilltopper defense came up with a critical fourth-down stop at the West Liberty 39-yard line. Dominic Maultsby recorded a sack, while
Kamar Perlote and
Samuel Hobbs added tackles for loss during the defensive stand.
West Liberty then drove 39 yards in eight plays to reclaim the lead.
Patterson carried four times for 30 yards on the decisive drive, including gains of 11, 3, 9 and 7 yards. Meisman also connected with
Khalon Simmons for a 7-yard first-down completion before scoring on a 1-yard touchdown run with 3:40 remaining.
Grella's extra point put the Hilltoppers ahead, 28-24.
The defense finished the job. West Liberty forced a three-and-out on Seton Hill's next possession, with Hayden Pack's punt pinning the Griffins at their own 17-yard line. The Hilltoppers then appeared to have the game in hand, and Neal put the finishing touch on the victory when he intercepted Boden St Marie at the Seton Hill 38-yard line with 1:24 remaining. West Liberty held the ball from there to secure the 28-24 victory.
"You can see them growing," Salisbury said of his young defense. "We have a lot more growing to do, but you can see them growing. They're making adjustments after maybe a bad first drive and stuff like that. We're just so darn young on defense, but they're making adjustments and some good things are happening for them."
Neal finished with four tackles and the interception, while Maultsby led the Hilltoppers with eight tackles.
Meisman completed 8-of-16 passes for 96 yards and a touchdown while adding a rushing touchdown. Patterson's 265 total yards accounted for nearly half of West Liberty's total offensive yardage.
For Salisbury, however, the most memorable part of his first victory came after the final whistle. "The emotional thing for me was their reaction to me, quite frankly," Salisbury said. "I was happy, but just the hugs. They tried to get me, but they missed me. It was emotional. We've been hard on these kids, and it was really cool."
Salisbury said the feeling is mutual between himself and his players. "I got theirs," Salisbury said. "I hope they know that, and I can see that they have mine for sure."
The Hilltoppers now turn their attention to their next road matchup at Post University in Connecticut.
West Liberty University blends a small-town environment with a comprehensive college experience, fostering students' aspirations through hands-on learning, personalized support, and unique academic programs at both undergraduate and graduate levels. Learn more at
westliberty.edu.
