No. 1 University Earns 4-0 Start With 66-0 Win Over Wheeling Park
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MORGANTOWN – University High School head football coach Eric Snyder surely loved what he saw from his offense during Friday night's dominant victory over Wheeling Park, but he may love what he saw from his defense even more.
The No. 1 Hawks continued their red-hot start to 2026 with a 66-0 shutout of the visiting Patriots, as the hosts clicked on all cylinders.
"Our guys were dialed in this week," UHS head coach Eric Snyder said. "They tried some things on us, but our kids knew to be locked in every single play and not let up."
From the opening kick to the final buzzer, UHS (4-0) completely controlled the game in every phase.
Offensively, UHS did what it's done so far all season: move the ball down the field quickly and score a ton of touchdowns.
Senior quarterback Harrison Helbig completed 19 of his 23 passing attempts for 365 yards and five touchdowns. He completed at least two passes to six different receivers and added 31 yards on three carries.
Senior Kaleil Lewis hauled in four catches for 123 yards and a pair of touchdowns, while his 2027 counterpart, Hayden George, also found the end zone twice on five catches that tallied 116 yards. Each had their own 70-yard touchdown catch in the third quarter.
Junior running back Brody Kehler scored three times on the ground, rushing 10 times for 103 yards and adding 28 yards on three catches.
"Our offense was special again tonight," Snyder said. "Harrison Helbig had a terrific game, and man, our offensive line is just making stuff happen out there for our playmakers on the perimeter. Hayden George is also having a heck of a year so far."
Defensively, UHS denied Wheeling Park (2-2) everything it attempted, especially at the point of attack, stopping the run.
The Patriots gained just 8 yards on 22 rushing attempts on Friday, while completing 7 passes for 49 yards. They were also 1-11 on third down and moved the chains for a first down four times in the contest.
"With the defense after that second week, our kids and coaches were pretty upset with how we performed, giving up 50 points to Parkersburg South," Snyder said. "We knew we had to make it simple for our guys. We have kids who can really play football. Tonight was a great accumulation of all three phases of the game being fundamentally sound."
UHS forced a three-and-out to begin the game and was off and running from then on.
The Hawks scored a touchdown on the opening drive, with Kehler carrying the ball 5 times for 49 yards. His two-yard tote opened the floodgates.
His second touchdown run doubled the lead after another stop by the UHS defense. Helbig followed on the next drive with his first touchdown pass of the night to Evan Toler.
UHS kicker Brady Goodenow nailed a 43-yard field goal to extend the lead in the second quarter before Helbig connected for two more touchdowns through the air to George and Lewis on passes of 24 and 13 yards. The Hawks led 38-0 at the break.
The three UHS touchdowns in the third quarter totaled 170 yards on three plays, with two 70-yard passes and a 30-yard run by Kehler, his third score of the night.
Senior Jaedyn Katchur added a 62-yard scamper to conclude the marathon.
With the victory, University is out to its first 4-0 start since the 2021 season, when it finished the regular season 10-0.
"We are playing with great enthusiasm out there, which is great to see," Snyder said. "Sometimes the grind of the season can weigh on a team, but the way they came out tonight and were ready to play and excited to support each other is fun to watch."