West Liberty Football Gives No. 3 Shepherd Run For Money
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WEST LIBERTY -- A season filled with almosts continued for the West Liberty football program Saturday on Russek Field at West Family Stadium.
The Hilltoppers led No. 3 Shepherd 19-17 late in the third quarter but the reigning NCAA Division-II runnerup scored the next two touchdowns and went on for a 38-27 victory to remain unbeaten. It was another tough pill to swallow for WLU (3-6 overall, 3-5 Mountain East Conference), whose team has dropped three games this season by a point and has been a play here or there from finding itself in the thick of the conference race.
''I feel for the kids more,'' Waialae said. ''They played their (butts) off against the No. 3 team in the country.
''I don't think our record is in any way indicative of what kind of team we are.''
Following Christian Morris' second field goal, this one from 21 yards, Shepherd (8-0, 8-0) went 57 yards in 10 plays to retake the lead for good. Quarterback Jeff Ziemba threw the ball into a crowd and it was snatched out of the air with one hand by 6-foot-4, 241-pound receiver Billy Brown for a 4-yard score to make it 24-19 with 23 seconds to go in the third.
''He's going to make some great plays (because) he is a little bit different of a matchup for us,'' Waialae said. ''He's smart and gets away with some pushoffs where he stuns people.
''But overall we did a good job.''
West Liberty, which ran 94 offensive plays, went three and out and it didn't take the Rams long to get some separation. C.J. Davis, a former All-American defensive back turned receiver got behind the defense and hauled in a 41-yarder. Two plays later Ryan Feiss caught another while lying on his back, down to the 1. Ziemba, who completed 20 of 31 for 303, took it in from there for a 31-19 lead.
The Hilltoppers responded with a 17-play, 75-yard drive that ate up 4:53 and culminated in Dan Monteroso's 4-yard TD catch -- his second of the day and 11th of the season. He and quarterback Dakota Conwell connected for a 2-point conversion to cut the deficit to 31-27 with 7:53 to go. Included on the march were a pair of fourth-down conversions -- including the score -- and four more on third down.
Shepherd's next drive ended with a punt, setting up WLU at its 20 with 6:24 remaining. Eight plays moved the ball to the Rams 44, but a contested throw to Monteroso near the sideline on fourth-and-5 fell incomplete.
''It kind of hard to catch with your arms being held down,'' Waialae quipped.
Coach Monte Cater's club put it away on its next possession, though the Toppers didn't make it easy. Darnell Vickers sacked Ziemba for a loss of 9 on first down but two plays got the Rams to a third-and-14, which yielded a 7-yard run from Brandon Hlavach. Using Brown as a decoy on fourth down, Ziemba got the matchup he wanted with Friess on a linebacker and the play went for 25 yards. Four plays later, this time on a third-and-8, Hlavach broke through the line, spun off a defender and went in from 19 yards for the clinching score.
''The bottom line is, we didn't win the game,'' Waialae said. ''I've got to think they might feel a little bit lucky getting out of here, because we did control the line of scrimmage.
''We probably play them better than any team in the country.''
Shepherd jumped on top quickly, going three plays in 1:17. Brown -- eight catches, 108 yards, two TDs -- hauled in a 22-yard score to make it 7-0. The Hilltoppers responded with Morris' 35-yard field goal, and then took the lead when Conwell and Monteroso teamed for a 27-yard touchdown.
Conwell finished with 281 yards of total offense, despite playing with a myriad of injuries.
''Unbelievable,'' Waialae said. ''His ability to make plays and put a team on his shoulders when he's playing without a PCL -- completely torn -- and then his ear and a AC sprain in his left shoulder?
''He just keeps coming and coming.''
Ziemba came back with a 3-yard touchdown run before the Hilltoppers' Jeremiah Ortiz bulled in from the 6. But a personal foul after the WLU score allowed Shepherd to go 24 yards in six plays, setting up Zach Wise's 39-yard field goal at the buzzer that gave it a 17-16 halftime lead.
No. 3 SHEPHERD 38, WEST LIBERTY 27
Shepherd 14 3 7 14 -- 38
West Liberty 10 6 3 8 -- 27
SHEP -- Brown 22 pass from Ziemba (Wise kick), 13:43
WLU -- FG Morris 35, 8:29
WLU -- Monteroso 27 pass from Conwell (Morris kick), 7:26
SHEP -- Ziemba 3 run (Wise kick), 3:11
WLU -- Ortiz 6 run (kick failed), :59
SHEP -- FG Wise, 39, :00
WLU -- FG Morris, 21, 5:34
SHEP -- Brown 4 pass from Ziemba (Wise kick), :23
SHEP -- Ziemba 1 run (Wise kick), 12:46
WLU -- Monteroso 4 pass from Conwell (Monteroso pass from Conwell), 7:53
SHEP -- Hlavach 19 run (Wise kick), 3:15
∫∫∫
SHEP WLU
First Downs 20 25
Rushes-yard 31-65 39-119
Passing 331 226
Comp-Att-Int 20-31-0 26-53-0
Return Yards 106 88
Punts-Avg. 5-39.2 4-35.2
Fumbles-Lost 101 1-1
Penalty-Yards 12-152 8-77
Time of Possession 28:30 31:30
∫∫∫
RUSHING -- Shepherd, Hlavach 17-76, Feiss 2-7, Glover 4-6, Davis 2-(-2), TEAM 2-(-4), Ziemba 4-(-18). West Liberty, Conwell 15-55, Gamble 10-31, Ortiz 7-25, Peterson 5-12, Kelly 2-(-4).
PASSING -- Shepherd, Ziemba 20-31-0-303, Feiss 1-1-0-28. West Liberty, Conwell 26-53-0-226, Peterson 0-1-0, Kelly 0-1-0.
RECEIVING: Shepherd, Browm 8-108, Feiss 6-59, Davis 2-96, Glover 2-21, Foreman 2-19, Ziemba 1-28. West Liberty, Monteroso 7-68, Kargbo 5-43, Kelly 4-36, Jones 3-21, Gamble 2-24, Kapron 1-20, Mayo 1-10, Hardesty 1-9, Ortiz 1-1, Conwell 1-(-6).