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West Liberty Comes Back To Defeat West Virginia Wesleyan

West Liberty overcomes 17-0 halftime deficit

Photo by Alex Kozlowski West Liberty running back Braxton Gamble (29) carries the ball during the Hilltoppers come-from-behind victory over West Virginia Wesleyan Thursday night.

WEST LIBERTY — There’s a difference between starting the season 2-3 as opposed to 1-4. In the case of the West Liberty football program, that margin is four points.

The Hilltoppers (2-3 overall, 2-2 Mountain East Conference) overcame a 27-minute lightning delay, the first-half suspension of defensive lineman Darnell Vickers and a 17-0 halftime deficit Thursday night at West Family Stadium. Dakota Conwell hit Anton McCallum for a bullet of a 13-yard touchdown pass with 29.7 seconds remaining to set off what once appeared to be the unlikeliest of celebrations. When Logan Deri intercepted one final pass seconds later, WLU had escaped with a 28-24 victory against West Virginia Wesleyan.

Four of WLU’s five games have been decided by seven points or less.

”Finally,” Toppers coach Roger Waialae said. ”We played about as badly as we could offensively in the first half.

”We had a good talking to at halftime. Normally I am not very emotional with them, but I felt I needed to be just to get them going a little bit.

”Because I know what type of players we have and we have the ability to do better than what we did in the first half.”

The Hilltoppers responded.

After the teams traded punts out of halftime, Vickers stripped Bobcats (1-4, 1-4) star tailback Michael Anderson and Mohammed Sankoh recovered at the 21. Four plays later Conwell found Ty Peterson all alone on a middle screen for a 6-yard touchdown that cut the deficit to 17-7.

After another Wesleyan punt, an adjustment by the coaching staff at halftime paid dividends.

”We found something that we could get to,” Waialae said. ”They were stunting so we ran a lot of outside zone, which we’re normally not an outside-zone team.

”When I knew I was going to stretch, I knew who I was putting in … .”

That would be Tyrik Dorsett, who took a handoff and ran into some resistance before popping out of the pile and racing 57 yards for a score that trimmed the margin to 17-14 with 4:41 left in the third quarter.

”He is our best stretch back. I’ve got four backs and they all do something different,” Waialae said. ”Now when I run ISOs and powers and counters, he sometimes struggles.

”I hate rotating running backs, it’s not in my DNA, but until one of them steps up and shows they can do everything, I will have to do it. That’s being fair to the kids because they’re all even.”

That’s the way the score remained until the 12:14 mark of the fourth quarter. Playing in a driving rain, Conwell escaped the pocket and fired deep to Dan Monteroso who was being held on the play. Monteroso outmuscled the defender and dragged him into the end zone for a 55-yard touchdown that gave the Hilltoppers their first lead, 21-17.

After all it had already overcome, it didn’t seem likely that West Liberty could take another punch. But it was forced to respond one more time after Anderson — the MEC’s leading rusher who finished with 141 yards — broke to the outside and beat everyone to the pylon for a 70-yard score.

”He caught us on the long run when we were in a call where we were guessing,” Waialae said. ”We thought they were going to throw and we took our deep safety and backed him up.

”I knew Anderson would get his yards … he’s that good of a player. But we made him cough it up too.”

When Christian Morris came on to attempt a 19-yard field goal it appeared West Liberty was going back on top. But the long snapper dribbled the ball back to holder and backup quarterback Brenton Colabella, who was sacked for a big loss.

But the Toppers forced a three-and-out and took over from their 45 with 2:55 left and all three timeouts remaining.

Conwell picked up a pair of first downs with his legs and runs of 6 and 12 yards, and Monteroso earned another with a 7-yard reception that rested the ball on the W.Va. Wesleyan 13 with less than a minute remaining. A first-down pass in the end zone went through Monteroso’s hands and Conwell threw incomplete on the next play, setting up the late drama.

Conwell struggled to a 10-for-34, 116-yard performance. But he threw three second-half touchdowns, including the winner to McCallum through two defenders.

”The only ball he threw on time in the whole game, was the last pass,” Waialae said with a laugh. ”It was something that I knew they were going to double Dan so we called our swap route.

”We know we’re 1-on-1 on that side and we run three verticals with guys switching.

”He threw it on time to the right hole and Anton was there.”

Despite his disappointment with Vickers, Waialae acknowledged he changed the game.

”He made a big difference in the second half. He made tackles for loss and he played with an edge,” Waialae said of his senior defensive tackle who forced a pair of fumbles. ”Our young men need to learn from some of the things they do and I am not the type who is going to make disciplinary things secondary to winning a football game.

”I am just glad he understood and grew up. I think he was a major factor for us up front in being able to do some things and get some tackles for loss and being disruptive.”

After playing three games in 15 days, the Hilltoppers are back to a regular schedule the next couple of weeks.

”I’ve got to commend my kids,” Waialae said. ”It wasn’t like we had short bus rides.

”I am proud of the way they responded.”

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