WVWC football to visit UNC Pembroke this Saturday

Sports Release
September 8, 2022

The Basics
The West Virginia Wesleyan football team opens its Mountain East Conference slate at the University of North Carolina Pembroke on Saturday (Sept. 10). The game is set to start at noon from Grace P. Johnson Stadium in Pembroke, N.C.

Quick Hits

Quarterbacks Nathan Payne and Jamir Boyd headline the offense. Payne completed 69 passes for 703 yards and three touchdowns as a true freshman. Boyd logged 461 passing yards and five touchdown passes in five games played.
Javian Tomlinson begins his sophomore campaign at tailback for WVWC. Tomlinson rushed for 332 yards and found the end zone three times in 2021.
Wide receiver Dariuse Cooper hauled in 26 receptions for 251 yards, which was the second-highest mark for all WVWC pass catchers in 2021.
Ely Ghameshlougy led the Bobcats with 12 total tackles versus the Cardinals. Ghameshlougy is a freshman from Woodbridge, Va.
Junior running back Khalil Smith returns to the field for the Bobcats after 24 chemo treatments. Smith, a Penn Hills, Pa., native, is a colon cancer survivor.

Scouting UNC Pembroke
The Braves were picked to finish fourth in the MEC Preseason Coaches Poll. After finishing the 2021 season with an overall record of 6-5, the Braves began their 2022 campaign with a 15-13 loss to Fayetteville State.

In their season debut last Saturday, Senior quarterback Josh Jones threw for 222 yards on 17 of 30 passing and registered a rushing touchdown in the first half. Juniors Trey Dixon and Rodney Smith led the team on the receiving front with five catches each. Dixon recorded 81 receiving yards and Smith had 61.

The defense had a total of seven tackles for loss for a loss and a trio of sacks. Junior Branden Spencer logged three tackles for loss for a loss of 24 total yards including a nine-yard sack.

Coach Shane Richardson is entering his eighth season as Head Coach for the Braves. Richardson has been a member of the Braves coaching staff since 2007.

Up Next
West Virginia Wesleyan will host Concord on Sept. 17 for its home opener. The game will begin at 2 p.m.