Wheeling Park, Zanesville Set For Balanced Battle
Blue Devils to invade Wheeling Island Stadium
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WHEELING -- When Wheeling Park coach Chris Daugherty looks at the unbeaten Zanesville football team, he feels like he is looking at a team that is very similar to the one he sees every day -- his Patriots.
Friday night Coach Chad Grandstaff and his Blue Devils will invade Wheeling Island Stadium, putting their 4-0 record on the line against 3-1 Wheeling Park in what could be one of the best games of the weekend.
"They look a little big like us," Daugherty said. "They are very similar to us in how they are built and how they play."
Daugherty's Patriots have rolled to a pair of comfortable victories since a Week 2 loss at St. Clairsville and are coming off a 42-6 stomping of University last Friday at Wheeling Island Stadium.
Zanesville was also impressive, defeating River View by a 49-13 margin.
Both teams have looked very good on offense with Wheeling Park scoring 173 points (44 a game) and the Blue Devils 147 (37 a contest). Meanwhile, the Patriots have allowed 80 and their guests have given up 56.
"We have been very balanced on offense, but that is by design," Daugherty said. "Our goal is to make people have to defend the pass and the run and have no idea where the ball might be going or who it is going to.
"There are enough athletes on the field for us at any given time that teams have to defend everyone and so far that has been working for us and we are scoring points. If we are able to get some stops on defense we will be fine."
Leading the Park's multi-faceted offense is senior quarterback Alex Dunlevy, who threw for 219 yards and three touchdowns a week ago. Dunlevy has been true on 51 of 77 pass attempts for 885 yards, 11 touchdowns and one interception. He has also rushed for 230 yards and three scores giving him 1,115 yards total yards on the campaign.
In distributing the football, and going back to Daugherty's plan, the Patriots have three very good receivers in Carson Namack (13-274-2), Stevie Mitchell and Shaheed Jackson (11-217-3), all three of whom scored touchdowns last week. Mitchell's score came on a 65-yard strike.
Senior Rapheal Bradley ran for more than 100 yards against University and has piled up 270 and four scores for the season. All told, Wheeling Park's offense racked up 235 yards through the air last week while adding 225 on the ground.
"Without Alex (Dunlevy) I don't know that we could get things done the way that we do," Daugherty said. "He is the orchestrator of the whole thing. He is doing a good job getting the ball out of his hand and if you look at our backs and receivers you are going to find four or five guys with similar stars.
"He has the ability to both run and throw the football and has over 1,000 total yards already. Alex is definitely a playmaker and the main reason we are as well rounded as we are."
Zanesville is led by quarterback Ben Everson who was 9 of 13 for 175 yards and five touchdowns through the air last week, including four touchdown passes in the first half.
Jamal Wiggins had scoring grabs of 23 and 13 yards while Colin McBrayer, Jeremiah Norman and Julius Murphy also caught touchdown passes. Running back Greg Gibson added an 18-yard scoring run.
"They are a good football team that is undefeated for a reason," Daugherty said. "Just like us they can both run and throw the football and they can get it to many different weapons."
Wheeling Park and Zanesville met on the field seven times between 2004 and 2010, but Friday night's contest will be the first time since 2010. The Patriots won four of those seven meetings, however, the Blue Devils were 3-1 in games played at Wheeling Island Stadium.
And while Park won the first three meetings of those seven, Zanesville won the final two by convincing scores of 35-7 and 28-0.
"It's been awhile since we played them, but it has been difficult for both of us to find games so we came back together for this one," Daugherty said. "We played them for awhile when they were in the Ohio Valley Athletic Conference and touched base with them for a one-year contract this year.
"I can tell you one thing, if people really want to see a very good football game between two spread offenses Wheeling Island Stadium is going to be the place to be Friday night."