Wheeling Park Not Satisfied With Week One Performance Heading Into Home Opener
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WHEELING -- Wheeling Park head coach Chris Daugherty wasn't expecting his Patriots to be perfect in their season opener against Parkersburg South.
"We have a young football team, so we knew we’d make some mistakes, and we did," Daugherty said. "We were hoping to make mistakes, but win, and we did that. A lot of that has to do with our quarterback and his play. I thought Jay played great football, maybe his best. We know we can rely on Jay a little bit."
While there are plenty of new faces along the Park roster, senior quarterback Jay Bordas is hardly among them. A three-year starter, Bordas tossed the ball all around the yard in Park's 28-21 road win over Parkersburg South, completing 21 of 28 passes for 325 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions. He also picked up 15 rushing yards.
"We were able to get a win and grow," Daugherty said. "But we’ll have to get better this week. We’re not going to win this Friday if we don’t get a little bit better."
Daugherty said before the season that his Patriots will not have a 'week off' on their schedule all year, and certainly not in week two against Spring Mills (1-0), who is coming off a 49-19 win over Jefferson.
Spring Mills has gone 28-10 across the last three seasons.
"They’ve got some speed and they used it well," Daugherty said of the Cardinals. "They’re very aggressive defensively. They blitz, they keep coming. They have some athletes that can defend in the secondary in man-to-man, which allows them to blitz a ton. It’s going to be a cat-mouse game all night long, trying to figure out play calls again against the blitzing which is going to come from everywhere and it’s going to come all night."
"Offensively they’re going to spread you out and they’re going to throw the ball a little bit, they’re going to run the ball a little bit. They have some athletes that can make plays."
Hedgesville transfer quarterback Chaz Milburn led Spring Mills last week with 193 passing yards and two touchdowns. DJ Mayer was his top target, totalling 98 yards and a TD. Chris Williams and Noah Reed each rushed for 75 yards.
With Bordas dealing, Park's own pass-catcher were busy in week one.
Preston Heatherington caught eight passes for 97 yards, Liam Wetzel caught six for 71 yards, Tatum Justice finished with four catches, 84 yards and a touchdown, and Michael Neider caught three passes for 90 yards and two touchdowns.
"That was something that we were really excited about," Daugherty said of his team's weapons. "I’ve always felt like when you’re able to spread the ball around, it makes it a lot harder for a defense. We have four capable targets. ASometimes the ball lands on somebody a little bit more than another, and then the next game it changes.
"That was a night where everybody got a handful of catches. I think it’s the first time in school history that we had four receivers over 70 yards receiving, and three of them went over 80. That’s a testament to Jay. Those guys are doing a great job of making plays, catching the ball, being where they need to be. Jay’s done a great job of making decisions and taking what the defense gives him."
Despite the banner day through the air, Park still had a 100-yard rusher in senior Hunter Miller, who racked up 108 rushing yards including a two-yard touchdown.
Miller also blocked a punt.
"I think it was more than even what we expected out of him," Daugherty said of Miller. "He’s continued to get better throughout August. I think he’s going to continue to get better in the second half of the season. That was a great night for him. I thought he did exactly what we needed him to do, which was take the seams that are there, be physical. He’s got the ability with some speed too, to run away from some people.
"He was able to show a little bit of that. I think every week he’s going to get a little bit better and a little bit smarter."
Friday will be Wheeling Park's home opener, and the third-ever meeting between Patriots and Cardinals. Spring Mills won 27-0 in 2024, while Park won 33-28 in 2025. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. inside Wheeling Island Stadium.