UC in logjam atop WVC football standings
By Matt McCartney
The Charleston Gazette
The late-season stretch that determines who will win the West Virginia Conference football title is about to get interesting as five different teams sit atop the standings with one conference loss each.
Shepherd, University of Charleston, West Virginia State, West Liberty and Glenville are all in that mix. In addition, each of the five teams in the title hunt has at least two games scheduled against teams in that group during the last part of the season.
In the latest NCAA Division II Northeast Region football rankings, Shepherd holds the No. 6 spot, while Charleston is seventh and Glenville 12th. The top six teams in each region qualify for the playoffs. It is highly possible that if Shepherd and Charleston each run the table and finish with nine wins each, the WVC could have two teams qualify.
UC (6-2 overall, 4-1 WVC) will finish off a three-game road stretch Saturday, traveling to face Seton Hill (2-4, 2-2) in Greensburg (Pa.). The Golden Eagles are coming off a convincing win over Fairmont State. The Griffins are fresh off an eight-point loss to West Virginia State.
Seton Hill is 2-0 against WVC foes at home this season. Continuing that streak will not be easy as UC boasts the top rushing attack in the conference, averaging 255 yards per game. The second-best rushing team is nearly 30 yards below that figure.
The Golden Eagles’ DeRante Hunter averages 6.4 yards per carry and 101 yards per game. He also completes 57 percent of his pass attempts and averages 102 yards in the air. Hunter rushed for 160 yards and threw for 141 last weekend. The Griffins rank sixth in the WVC in rushing defense and dead last in pass defense.
Seton Hill features one of the best running backs in the conference in Antwarn Jones but has, at times, been vulnerable to the pass. The key to the game may be controlling the ball and keeping the opposing offense off the field.
West Virginia State (5-1, 3-1) travels to West Liberty (5-2, 3-1) in what will be a super game for fans who enjoy passing. The Hilltoppers have the top-ranked passing offense in the conference and the Yellow Jackets rank third.
To date, West Liberty has faced just one conference team with a winning record (Glenville), which resulted in a 44-33 loss for the Hilltoppers. State has also faced just one WVC team with a winning record (Charleston), which resulted in a 49-32 loss for the Jackets. The winner of this game will position itself as a true contender in the conference.
Quarterback Kevin O’Brien leads the Yellow Jacket attack, averaging 212 passing yards, second in the WVC behind WL’s Zach Amedro (251). The Hilltoppers, however, have the top pass defense in the conference.
In other WVC games this weekend:
Winless Concord (0-7, 0-5) travels to Glenville (4-3, 3-1). The Pioneers will be favored, with the Mountain Lions ranked next to last in the WVC in scoring offense and total offense and last in scoring defense. The Pioneers are led offensively by Jerry Seymour, who has rushed for 1,034 yards in just seven games.
Shepherd (6-1, 4-1) takes to the road to battle Wesleyan (3-4, 1-3). The Rams will no doubt run the ball in this one as they boast the conference’s second-best rushing attack and lead the league in time of possession. The Bobcats, meanwhile, rank dead last in the WVC in rushing defense.
Fairmont holds the only non-conference game of the weekend and the only evening contest as it welcomes Clarion (Pa.). The Golden Eagles are currently 0-7 and have won a combined total of just 10 games over the past four seasons — allowing an average of 500 yards per contest. This will be the first meeting between the teams since 1995.
The Charleston Gazette
The late-season stretch that determines who will win the West Virginia Conference football title is about to get interesting as five different teams sit atop the standings with one conference loss each.
Shepherd, University of Charleston, West Virginia State, West Liberty and Glenville are all in that mix. In addition, each of the five teams in the title hunt has at least two games scheduled against teams in that group during the last part of the season.
In the latest NCAA Division II Northeast Region football rankings, Shepherd holds the No. 6 spot, while Charleston is seventh and Glenville 12th. The top six teams in each region qualify for the playoffs. It is highly possible that if Shepherd and Charleston each run the table and finish with nine wins each, the WVC could have two teams qualify.
UC (6-2 overall, 4-1 WVC) will finish off a three-game road stretch Saturday, traveling to face Seton Hill (2-4, 2-2) in Greensburg (Pa.). The Golden Eagles are coming off a convincing win over Fairmont State. The Griffins are fresh off an eight-point loss to West Virginia State.
Seton Hill is 2-0 against WVC foes at home this season. Continuing that streak will not be easy as UC boasts the top rushing attack in the conference, averaging 255 yards per game. The second-best rushing team is nearly 30 yards below that figure.
The Golden Eagles’ DeRante Hunter averages 6.4 yards per carry and 101 yards per game. He also completes 57 percent of his pass attempts and averages 102 yards in the air. Hunter rushed for 160 yards and threw for 141 last weekend. The Griffins rank sixth in the WVC in rushing defense and dead last in pass defense.
Seton Hill features one of the best running backs in the conference in Antwarn Jones but has, at times, been vulnerable to the pass. The key to the game may be controlling the ball and keeping the opposing offense off the field.
West Virginia State (5-1, 3-1) travels to West Liberty (5-2, 3-1) in what will be a super game for fans who enjoy passing. The Hilltoppers have the top-ranked passing offense in the conference and the Yellow Jackets rank third.
To date, West Liberty has faced just one conference team with a winning record (Glenville), which resulted in a 44-33 loss for the Hilltoppers. State has also faced just one WVC team with a winning record (Charleston), which resulted in a 49-32 loss for the Jackets. The winner of this game will position itself as a true contender in the conference.
Quarterback Kevin O’Brien leads the Yellow Jacket attack, averaging 212 passing yards, second in the WVC behind WL’s Zach Amedro (251). The Hilltoppers, however, have the top pass defense in the conference.
In other WVC games this weekend:
Winless Concord (0-7, 0-5) travels to Glenville (4-3, 3-1). The Pioneers will be favored, with the Mountain Lions ranked next to last in the WVC in scoring offense and total offense and last in scoring defense. The Pioneers are led offensively by Jerry Seymour, who has rushed for 1,034 yards in just seven games.
Shepherd (6-1, 4-1) takes to the road to battle Wesleyan (3-4, 1-3). The Rams will no doubt run the ball in this one as they boast the conference’s second-best rushing attack and lead the league in time of possession. The Bobcats, meanwhile, rank dead last in the WVC in rushing defense.
Fairmont holds the only non-conference game of the weekend and the only evening contest as it welcomes Clarion (Pa.). The Golden Eagles are currently 0-7 and have won a combined total of just 10 games over the past four seasons — allowing an average of 500 yards per contest. This will be the first meeting between the teams since 1995.