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Record-Setting Bell Has His Eyes on the Next Level

BUBBA KAPRAL EXECUTIVE SPORTS EDITOR

WHEELING — Going out in style.

Elijah Bell has done just that, capping a tremendous college football career with one final virtuoso performance.

The former Wheeling Park receiving star sparked North Carolina A&T to a resounding 64-44 rout of Alcorn State in the Celebration Bowl on Dec. 21. In that game, the 6-foot-2, 221-pound wideout hauled in two TD passes, adding to his already school-record total.

The Aggies ended the season with a 9-3 mark.

Bell concludes his A&T playing days owning the Aggies’ receiving record book.

“The Celebration Bowl is a blessing and a thing you dream about, especially for a kid from West Virginia where you don’t get to see cities like Atlanta or the Mercedes-Benz Dome. It’s been amazing to be able to go through that process three years in a row,” Bell said. “I hope I gave the kids in West Virginia hope that you can do anything you set your mind to. I wasn’t supposed to be here. I was counted out by many.”

The Celebration Bowl win capped his senior year in grand fashion, a campaign Bell said was quite enjoyable. He landed 55 passes for 858 yards and 8 TDs this fall.

“This past season was probably the one in which I had the most fun. I was coming off a broken ankle my junior year when I was at an all-time high, so it set me back to reality and made me humble myself a bit,” he said. “I was dealing with a lot of things mentally, as it was my first injury ever from sports. It helped me realize who was really there for me.

“It also made me respect the game more, so this season was full of blessings and I lived every second of it. I was able to win another HBCU (Historically Black Colleges and Universities) national championship and break some conference and school records.”

Bell now has time to reflect on his collegiate time while preparing for the next stage in his grid career.

“My career has been nothing short of amazing, and not just because of my successful football career. I am so blessed to be able to attend the best HBCU school in the country and learn so much about my culture these last four years,” Bell said. “I’ve met some of the best people in my life — my teammates, my coaches and Aggie Nation is literally like my family to me. I don’t think I could have gotten that bond anywhere else in the country.

“From the football perspective, I am just a kid from Wheeling with a chip on his shoulder. That chip took me a lot of places. I was able to accomplish some things I didn’t imagine happening. I am just blessed to be in a situation that my main goal was to give my city and state hope. We are so undervalued here. I wanted to show why we shouldn’t be.”

Now, having closed the door on an illustrious collegiate receiving career, the question is what is next for Bell?

I have said on more than one occasion that he will be on an NFL roster next season. I maintain that belief.

“I don’t know how my future plays out. What I do know is that whatever happens, my family is proud of me. I’ve brought some joy to my mother and dad. I couldn’t have asked for much more,” Bell said. “I am going to work harder than I ever have to make it to the next level, and I have a good shot. I just need one chance from one team and I’ll make sure they don’t regret it just like college. All I need is one opportunity, just one, and I will make it happen.

“I am determined to take care of my family for the rest of their life. The process is finally here. I am so excited and blessed. It feels like a dream. I am ready to give it my all and make it a reality.”

To help make the NFL come to fruition, Bell flew to Los Angeles this past week to begin training with Exos. It was established in 1999 and is a leader in proactive health and performance, utilized by countless elite athletes.

Bell was an instant impact performer at A&T. He caught 35 passes for eight TDs as a freshman. He was subsequently named Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Rookie of the Year and second-team All-MEAC.

Bell followed up that season with a monster sophomore campaign, one in which he caught 64 passes, 11 going for TDs. He was named first-team All-MEAC. An ankle injury severely impacted his effectiveness in his junior season. Bell landed 48 grabs to go with six TDs.

He has rewritten the A&T record book, establishing new standards in 100-yard career games (8), career TDs (33), career receptions (200) and career yards (2,903).

He also set regular-season standards in those same categories.

Bell helped lead Wheeling Park to the Class AAA West Virginia state football crown in 2015, marking the only such title in Patriots’ history. He topped the state that season with 1,214 receiving yards and 17 TDs.

In addition to receiving the Randy Moss Award that season, given annually to the top wide receiver in the state, he was also named the USA Today Offensive Player of the Year for West Virginia.

BUBBA’S BITS

∫ Tom Rataiczak is the gold standard when it comes to basketball bookkeeping. Friday marked the 2,000th consecutive game the former OVAC executive secretary has performed those duties for the Bellaire boys’ hoop program. That is a remarkable achievement.

∫ My guess is that New England offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels will be the next head coach of the Cleveland Browns. Mike McCarthy would be a better fit.

∫ Ohio State fans, me being one of them, can whine all they want about the officiating in the Buckeyes’ playoff loss to Clemson, but I have issues with only one ruling — the fumble return for an apparent OSU TD that was overruled and called an incompletion. What cost the Buckeyes was two dropped potential TD passes by J.K.

Dobbins, a senseless roughing the kicker penalty, Dobbins being caught from behind on a long run inside the Clemson 10 and allowing Trevor Lawrence to run 70 yards for a TD.

∫ Kudos go out to Chase Harler for his excellent performance in helping WVU defeat Ohio State a week ago in the Cleveland Classic.

The former Wheeling Central great delivered 10 points and boundless hustle in helping the Mountaineers spring the upset. One of the main promoters of the Cleveland Classic doubleheader was former Martins Ferry and NYU hoopster Bob Patton. He now lives in Ona (near Huntington) and is retired from military.

∫ Sisters Alli and Claire Boehm have been named to The Washington Post All-Met Team for the 2019 cross country season. Alli was a second-team selection while Claire was tabbed honorable mention. They are students at The Episcopal School in Alexandria, Va. It marked the first time the seniors have ever competed in cross country. Their dad, Scott, was the St. John Central valedictorian in 1982. He graduated from Notre Dame and is employed by the U.S. Department of Defense.

∫ We wish the best of luck to Josh Sills who has opted to cast his lot with Oklahoma State after a fine career on the WVU offensive line.

∫ Eastern Gateway Community College will add wrestling this coming fall, becoming the third varsity sport at the school. EGCC already features baseball and volleyball programs. Former Youngstown State and Ohio University grappling standout Dom Mancini will be the head coach. He previously was head coach at Boardman High School.

∫ It was great to see that Mike Coyne was honored at the Cancer Research Classic. Mike has been one of the premier basketball officials in Ohio and West Virginia for decades. The Bellaire resident and St. John Central grad is deserving of every officiating award that comes his way.

Bubba Kapral can be reached at bkapral@timesleaderonline.com

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