West Liberty’s Caleb Ratcliffe, pictured, caught a 34-yard touchdown during the Hilltoppers’ Spring Game on Wednesday.

WEST LIBERTY – The West Liberty University football team wrapped up spring practice on a competitive note with the annual Black and Gold Spring Game at West Family Stadium.

Using a modified scoring system, the defense emerged with a 22-12 win over the offense in a fast-paced two-quarter contest.

Four different quarterbacks took snaps for the Hilltoppers, including transfer Kohl Meisman, who opened the game under center. Meisman led an impressive 10-play, 75-yard drive that ended with his own one-yard touchdown run, giving the offense an early 6-0 lead. The defense responded immediately–Junus McGraw blocked the extra point and returned it for a defensive two-point conversion, making it 6-2.

The next two series went in favor of the defense, with a forced punt and a three-and-out tying the score at six.

Trevor Lagarde reignited the offense on the fourth drive, connecting with Caleb Ratcliffe for a 34-yard touchdown strike, putting the offense back in front, 12-6.

But the defense took control from there. A three-and-out and a missed field goal on the next two drives trimmed the offensive lead to 12-10 by the end of the first quarter. Then, another turnover on downs opened the second quarter and tied the score once again at 12.

From there, the defense closed strong–forcing three straight punts to go up 18-12, then sealing the game with two additional stops on downs.

Head coach Roger Waialae was pleased with what he saw from both sides of the ball.

“This was a great way to wrap up our spring,” Waialae said. “I thought both the offense and defense competed well and executed at a high level.”

He also praised the depth and play of his quarterback group.

“We had four quarterbacks play today, and I was impressed with how each of them handled the offense,” Waialae added. “They made good decisions, and that’s exactly what we want to see from that position.”

The Hilltoppers will now shift their focus toward summer workouts and preparation for fall camp, with plenty of positives to build on from their spring finale.