ATHENS — West Virginia Wesleyan put together a balanced offensive performance and staged a strong second-half rally, but Concord held off the Bobcats for a 31–21 victory Saturday afternoon at Callaghan Stadium.
Concord jumped out to a quick 7–0 lead when quarterback Tyler Mizzell sprinted 37 yards to the end zone just over seven minutes into the opening quarter. Wesleyan answered on the ensuing possession, needing just three plays to cover 65 yards, capped by Logan Landers’ 16-yard strike to Joseph Triplett to even the score at 7–7.
Momentum swung back immediately as Concord’s Curtis Clark returned the next kickoff 92 yards for a touchdown, giving the Mountain Lions a 14–7 lead. Mizzell added a 12-yard scoring run early in the second quarter, and Kenyon Bowyer’s 24-yard field goal extended the advantage to 24–7 at halftime.
The Bobcats’ defense stiffened after the break, holding Concord scoreless in the fourth quarter while forcing an interception and limiting big plays. The hosts’ only second-half points came on a 3-yard touchdown run by Rashad Luckey Dowdy midway through the third, pushing the margin to 31–7.
From there, Landers and Triplett took control through the air. Early in the fourth, Landers found Triplett on a 6-yard touchdown completion to cap a 12-play, 55-yard drive. With just over six minutes left, the duo connected again — this time on a 24-yard strike — followed by a successful two-point conversion pass from Tristian Boone, trimming the deficit to 31–21.
Wesleyan’s defense forced consecutive punts to give the offense more opportunities, but the late rally ran out of time as the final drive stalled deep in Concord territory.
Landers finished 22-of-40 passing for 246 yards and three touchdowns, while Triplett had a career day with eight receptions for 109 yards and all three scores. Jayden Williams led the ground attack with 61 rushing yards on 17 carries, and freshman Mason White provided a spark with a 52-yard burst in the first quarter.
Wesleyan outgained Concord in total offense 355–317 and picked up 25 first downs to the Lions’ 16, but seven sacks and field position swings hampered the comeback effort.
Defensively, Keymon Jefferson recorded six tackles, including 2.5 tackles for loss and a sack, while Victor Georges and Riley Slaughter each added five total stops. Anthony Battle came up with Wesleyan’s lone interception early in the first quarter, setting up the Bobcats’ first scoring opportunity.
Concord was paced by Mizzell, who accounted for 201 total yards (125 passing, 76 rushing) and two touchdowns, and Luckey Dowdy, who ran for 100 yards and a score.
The Bobcats travel next Saturday, Nov. 1 to the University of Charleston where they will face the Golden Eagles at 1 p.m.
