Football ‘Cats host Wheeling for homecoming game on Saturday

Sports Release
September 29, 2022

The Basics
The West Virginia Wesleyan football team will host Wheeling on Saturday (Oct.1) in its homecoming game. Kickoff is set for noon from Cebe Ross Field in Buckhannon, W.Va.

Quick Hits
WVWC has dropped its last two contests by a margin of two points. Last time out, the Bobcats fell to West Liberty on a last-second Hilltopper field goal in the fourth quarter. On Sept. 17, Wesleyan was narrowly defeated by Concord 34-32.
Quarterback Nathan Payne has completed 64 passes for 773 yards in his first four outings. Payne has thrown six touchdowns. Payne holds the highest single-game passing mark in the MEC this season (372 yards versus Concord).
Devin Washington ranks second in the Mountain East Conference with 102.7 receiving yards per game. The Suitland, Md. product has scored the second-most touchdowns (four) in the conference. Washington set a career-high 146 receiving yards versus Concord on Sept. 17.
The Bobcat defense has forced eight turnovers in its last two games.
Donovan Woods continues to be a force for the Bobcat defensive unit. Last week versus West Liberty, Woods made seven tackles and broke up two passes. Woods forced a fumble and picked the ball up for a touchdown in the opening drive of the game versus Concord. The Charlotte, N.C. native also tallied an interception in the fourth quarter to go along with two pass breakups versus the Mountain Lions. The Bobcat defender is one of nine MEC players with multiple interceptions in the 2022 season.
Deontre Logan is the leading tackler for the Bobcats. Logan’s 32 total tackles are the eighth-highest mark in the conference. Logan also recorded his first sack of the season versus the Hilltoppers.
Jalen Fant leads the MEC in fumble recoveries (two).
WVWC Head Coach Dwayne Martin leads the ‘Cats in his second season at the helm.

Scouting Wheeling
Wheeling enters this week with the number one rushing offense in the MEC. The Cardinals average 241 yards on the ground per game. The Wheeling rushing attack features two powerful rushers: Eli Young and Sy Alli. Young has tallied three touchdowns and 311 rushing yards in three MEC contests, while Alli is the only MEC rusher to average over 100 rushing yards per game (103.0). Steubenville, Ohio native Javon Davis has thrown for 752 yards and six touchdowns. Lowell Patron owns the fifth-highest receiving yards per game clip in the MEC (75.3 yards/game).

Defensively, redshirt senior Kelvin Bazemore has snagged three interceptions, which is the third-highest total in the MEC. Linebacker Jason Simon is the leading tackler for the Cardinals. Simon has posted 20 total tackles in three games. Stone Mountain, Georgia native Caleb Grant is the only Cardinals player to record multiple sacks (2.0). Wheeling has surrendered an average of 267.8 passing yards per game, which is the highest mark in the conference.

Mount Union graduate Zac Bruney has been at the helm of Wheeling football since its inception in 2018. Under Bruney’s leadership, Wheeling has posted a record of 8-7 in its last 15 games.