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Football

Yellow Jackets Ride Win Streak into Saturday's Game

    The Yellow Jackets return home for the first time since a thrilling comeback win over Glenville State at Homecoming three weeks ago with a 1:00 pm kick off versus West Liberty on Saturday, October 21, 2017.

    The Yellow Jackets has picked up a pair of impressive road wins at Kentucky State University 35-23 and Concord University 47-29.

    WVSU (4-3 overall, 3-3 in MEC) will be entering the contest against West Liberty (2-5 overall, 2-5 in MEC) on the program's first three-game win streak since 2008.

    It also means they are riding a pretty strong wave of momentum.

     "The winning always helps with your confidence, it solidifies what you are trying to teach," Yellow Jacket Head Coach John Pennington said. "(The players) know the reason they are winning is the way they are working and practicing."

       Even with leading rusher Calil Wilkins sitting out last week due to a minor injury WVSU had a great day running the ball at Concord finishing with 255 yards on the ground.

       Seniors Juawan Etheredge and Dionta Brown picked up the slack with ease as Etheredge carried 17 times for 100 yards and Brown had 19 runs for 88 yards. Each found the endzone twice. Juawan has bested last years rushing touchdown total by 1, with 7 touchdown runs with 4 games remaining.

       Senior quarterback Matt Kinnick added 67 yards on seven scrambles while also throwing for 231. He even caught a 27-yard touchdown pass from backup quarterback Austin Hensley.

       WVSU is currently second in the conference scoring an average of 38.1 points a game and leads the league in pass defense allowing just over 159 yards a contest.

       West Liberty comes into the game headed in the opposite direction after dropping their fourth straight game last week.

         The Hilltoppers led 13-0 in the fourth quarter before visiting Glenville State came back to win 17-13 and spoil West Liberty's Homecoming.

         The Hilltoppers used three quarterbacks in that contest and the trio threw for 253 yards on a combined 26-of-41 effort. They connected for one scoring throw but also tosses a pair of interceptions.

          Junior Brent Colabella has taken the vast majority of the snaps this season but with the team last in the conference averaging just 14 points per game the Hilltoppers are looking for some sort of offensive spark.

          H-back Ian Kelly leads the team with 38 receptions including 12 for 87 yards last week.Jeremiah Ortiz is the squad's leading ball carrier averaging 84 yards a game. 

          Junior linebacker Clifford Clark leads the defense with 55 tackles with sophomore defensive back Logan Deri next with 45.

         West Liberty is allowing 26 points a game along with 369.5 yards.

          Even though the Hilltoppers look to be clear underdogs on paper and have not won a game since beating Charleston 9-6 in week three Pennington is wary..

          "West Liberty is much better personnel-wise than the last two-teams we've played," he said. "They are very solid all the way around and their record is very deceiving.

          Pennington is looking to control the ball much as the Yellow Jackets were able to do at Concord last Saturday.

           "I think that whichever team can establish the run game early on will have the advantage," he said.

            Wilkins is still listed as day-to-day.

            

 
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Players Mentioned

Austin Hensley

#12 Austin Hensley

QB
6' 1"
Junior
Calil Wilkins

#2 Calil Wilkins

RB
5' 9"
Sophomore

Players Mentioned

Austin Hensley

#12 Austin Hensley

6' 1"
Junior
QB
Calil Wilkins

#2 Calil Wilkins

5' 9"
Sophomore
RB