West Liberty quarterback Zach Amedro has thrown for nearly 500 yards and 4 touchdowns in beating Charleston each of the past two seasons.

 Saturday’s game between unbeaten Charleston and streaking West Liberty shapes up as one of the biggest games in West Virginia Conference history but big games are nothing new for this year’s Hilltopper team.

      Thanks to a 7-game winning streak – the school’s longest in three decades – every game has now become a “big” game for West Liberty as the Hilltoppers head to Laidley Field for Saturday’s 2 p.m. kickoff. Admission is free to all fans thanks to a corporate sponsor.

      “Sure, it’s a big game,” Coach Roger Waialae said. “Our kids aren’t dumb. They read the papers and watch TV. They know what’s at stake.”

      Nothing will be set in stone this weekend as both teams have two conference games remaining after this one. Even so, this week’s winner will definitely be on the fast track to a conference title and NCAA Division II playoff bid.

      Neither team had ever appeared in the NCAA Division II Top 25 before this season but both now boast the highest rankings in school history. No. 10 Charleston (8-0, 5-0) is No. 2 in regional rankings while No. 18 West Liberty (7-1, 5-0) checked in at No. 5 this week. Only six teams from each region qualify for post-season play

      “I’m not sure we can afford another loss and still reach the goals we’ve set for ourselves,” Waialae said. “As long as we keep winning, the games just keep getting bigger every week.”

      It’s a classic matchup between a pair of prolific offenses led by two of the premier junior quarterbacks in the nation who go about their tasks in very different ways. West Liberty leads the nation in total offense and is No. 2 in passing offense. Charleston leads the nation in passing efficiency and is No. 3 in rushing offense.

      The Hilltoppers’ Zach Amedro is the only NCAA Division II quarterback to have thrown for 300 or more yards in every one of his team’s games this season. The three-year starter already owns most of West Liberty’s career passing records and holds down several spots among the national leaders this season. Amedro – who has completed 46 passes of 20 yards or more over the first eight games – leads the nation with 29 TD passes, ranks No. 2 in passing yards (370.5 ypg.) and No. 3 in total offense (368.1 ypg.)

      The veteran signalcaller has plenty of help. Wide receiver Kashif Walls has caught a touchdown pass of at least 25 yards in every game he’s played. Fellow WRs Ryan Travis (59-736-10TDs) and Eddie Hills (56-610-3TDs) are in the Top 10 nationally in catches per game. On the ground, tailback Kevon Calhoun is averaging more than 7 yards a carry and ranks among the top 10 rushers in the nation. He needs just 11 yards Saturday to hit 1,000 for the season.

      “We have to have both (rushing and passing), “Waialae said. “Charleston’s made great strides in their passing defense and they’re still great against the run. We have to keep them guessing.”

      The Golden Eagles DaRante Hunter is equally dangerous through the air or on the ground in Coach Tony DeMeo’s “triple-gun” option attack. Hunter has thrown for 1,317 yards and 14 TDs but he’s also run for 692 yards and a WVIAC-best 16 rushing TDs. His quarterback efficiency rating of 213.6 is No. 1 nationally. The big play is a big part of his arsenal, as well. The diminutive QB (5-9, 175) is averaging almost 20 yards per completion and has hooked up with 9 different receivers on plays of 20 yards or longer.

      “Coach DeMeo has done a tremendous job with that program,” Waialae said. “He and his players have certainly earned our respect. Hunter is a really special player who’s a great fit for that offense. He makes great decisions and is an outstanding runner but I don’t think he gets nearly enough credit for how well he throws the ball.”

      The West Liberty defense has been making strides every week since being torched for 42 points in a season-opening loss at No. 23 Edinboro but will be facing their toughest test of the season this week against a Charleston team that averages more than 40 points and nearly 300 rushing yards a game.

      “This is the fifth time Coach DeMeo and I have played each other,” Waialae said, “and we both know what we’re going to see. Like any other game, it all comes down to execution and taking care of the football.”

West Liberty defensive tackle Joey McGee (70) drops Shepherd tailback Tommy Addison (23) for a 2-yard loss during Saturday’s game in Shepherdstown. McGee’s 9 solo tackles against the Rams was the highest total for a Hilltopper defensive lineman in this decade.

Waialae’s Hilltoppers (7-1, 5-0) rose to No. 18 in the nation this week after rallying from a 13-point fourth quarter deficit on Saturday to edge Shepherd, 31-30 in a battle of regionally-ranked foes.

West Liberty trailed by two touchdowns on three separate occasions on a miserably cold and wet Saturday at Ram Stadium but even though the Hilltoppers were on the road, Waialae said his team was on familiar turf.

“A lot of our kids played significant roles for us a year ago when we came on strong down the stretch,” Waialae said. “It all started when we were down 28-7 against Shepherd in the first half at our place. We got the ship righted at halftime and came back to win and then followed that up by beating Charleston and Seton Hill.

“The thing I was most proud about on Saturday was the character and heart we showed. We didn’t play our best offensive game and we made some mistakes on defense. Shepherd had a lot to do with that but nobody panicked and we were able to make the plays we needed to make in the fourth quarter to beat a very good football team.”

It was another big day for quarterback Zach Amedro and the West Liberty offense. The Hilltoppers rolled up 505 yards of total offense with Amedro completing 30-of-52 passes for a season-high 427 yards and 2 TDs. Wide receiver Kashif Walls had 9 catches for 204 yards and a touchdown while tailback Kevon Calhoun kept the Rams honest by breaking off touchdown runs of 23 and 25 yards.

West Liberty continues to lead the nation in total offense (538.8 ypg.) and passing touchdowns (31), ranks No. 2 in passing offense (381.1 ypg.) and No. 3 in scoring (42.0 ppg.). Individually, Amedro leads the nation with 29 TD passes while ranking No. 2 in passing (370.5 ypg.) and No. 3 in total offense (368.1 ypg.). Walls is No. 2 nationally in receiving yards (121.6 ypg.) and touchdown catches (13). Calhoun is 6th in rushing TDs (12) and 8th in rushing yards (123.6 ypg.). Ryan Travis (59 catches) and Eddie Hills (56 catches) are Nos. 9 and 10, respectively, in pass receptions.

But Waialae says the defense has played just as big a role as the offense in the Hilltoppers’ emergence as a factor on the regional and national stage.

“I think our defense has been overlooked for the past 5 years,”  Waialae said. “It’s a total team philosophy. Our offense believes in our defense and vice versa. We put our defense in a hole with some special-teams breakdowns Saturday but they were able to overcome that.

“We had a lot of kids play well but Joey McGee had one of the best games I’ve ever seen a defensive lineman have since I came to West Liberty. He did a great job of working off his blocks and making big play after big play. If you’re going to be successful over the long haul at this level, you need different guys to step up for you week in and week out and we’ve been getting that from a lot of people.”

McGee’s numbers were certainly impressive. The 6-4, 265-pound senior defensive tackle from Columbus, Ohio was charted with 9 solo tackles and an assist to go along with 2 tackles-for-loss and a quarterback sack. His 9 solo tackles are the most by a Hilltopper defensive lineman in this decade.

West Liberty had little time to bask in the glow of the Shepherd victory as the Hilltoppers go back on the road this weekend to square off against No. 10 Charleston (8-0, 5-0) in a battle for first place in the WVIAC. Kickoff is set for 2 p.m. Saturday at Laidley Field with free admission to all fans.

“I’d probably be a little more worried about going right from Shepherd to Charleston if I didn’t have an experienced team,” Waialae said. “After losing our opener, we knew the only way to give ourselves the opportunity to play in a big game like this was to take care of business every week and we’ve done that. This is a big game but we won’t approach it any differently. When you set your goals as high as we set them here, every game is a big game.”

West Liberty wide receiver Willie Walker (5) turns upfield after making a catch as Shepherd All-American Deante Steele (28) closes in during Saturday’s game at Shepherdstown. Walker had 8 catches for 89 yards as the No. 18 Hilltoppers rallied past Shepherd, 31-30, for their seventh straight win.

Fresh off a thrilling 31-30 victory at regionally-ranked Shepherd on Saturday, Coach Roger Waialae’s Hilltoppers moved up to No. 18 in this week’s NCAA Division II Top 25.

The come-from-behind win also helped West Liberty (7-1, 5-0) continue its rise in the NCAA Division II Region One (Northeast) rankings.

The Hilltoppers are No. 5 in this week’s Region One ratings, up two spots from last week’s No. 7 ranking.

Shepherd, which had been receiving votes in the Top 25 poll and was ranked No. 9 in the region coming into last week’s showdown, dropped out of the regional rankings.

The regional rankings are used to determine the six NCAA Division II playoff participants from the Northeast Region at the end of the regular season.

“That was a very good win for our football team against a quality program,”  Waialae said. “We said after we lost our opener to (No. 23) Edinboro that we needed to approach each week as a playoff game and if we kept winning, the rankings would take care of themselves.

“We’re starting to see that play out now so there’s no reason to change anything. We have another tremendous challenge this weekend and that’s the only game we’re focusing on.”

There was a change at the top of the national poll for the second straight week as North Alabama (8-0), coached by Terry Bowden, is the new No. 1 team after receiving all 25 first-place votes. Last week’s No. 1 team, Abilene Christian, tumbled all the way to No. 9 after being shocked, 32-21, by unranked West Texas A&M.

As Waialae noted, West Liberty travels to No. 10 Charleston (8-0, 5-0) on Saturday for what shapes up as the game of the year in the West Virginia Conference.

The Hilltoppers and Golden Eagles are the only two WVIAC teams without a conference loss and Charleston is ranked No. 2 in the region. That means Saturday’s winner will have the inside track to a league championship and NCAA Division II playoff berth.

Kickoff is set for 2 p.m. at Laidley Field in Charleston.

American Football Coaches Association

NCAA Division II Poll

(Oct. 19, 2009)

School W-L Pts LW

1. North Alabama (25) 8-0 625 2

2. Central Washington 8-0 592 3

3. Bloomsburg (Pa.) 8-0 567 4

4. NW Missouri State 7-1 544 5

5. Minnesota St.-Mankato 8-0 525 6

6. Grand Valley State, Mich.  7-1 492 9

7. Minnesota-Duluth 7-1 475 9

8. Albany State (Ga.) 7-0 427 10

9. Abilene Christian  7-1 425 1

10. CHARLESTON 8-0 411 11

11. Tarleton State, Texas 7-1 368 13

12. Missouri Western 7-1 348 15

13. Nebraska-Kearney 7-1 315 16

14. Texas A&M-Kingsville 7-1 274 7

15. UNC-Pembroke 6-1 240 17

16. Washburn, Kan. 6-2 207 20

17. Midwestern State, Texas 6-2 193 22

18. WEST LIBERTY 7-1 151 21

19. Tuskegee, Ala. 5-2 143 19

20. Carson-Newman, Tenn. 6-2 118 25

21. Central Missouri 6-2 117 14

22. Wayne State, Neb. 6-2 109 24

23. Edinboro (Pa.) 6-2 99 12

24. California (Pa.) 6-2 97 NR

25. Hillsdale, Mich. 6-2 72 NR

Also receiving votes: Findlay, Ohio 43; Saginaw Valley State, Mich. 36; Angelo State, Texas 33; Bentley, Mass. 28; Wayne State, Mich. 20; Colorado School of Mines 9; Shippensburg, Pa. 8; Northern Michigan 6; Bowie State, Md. 3; Shaw, N.C. 2; Wingate, N.C. 2; Valdosta State, Ga. 1

NCAA Division II

Super Region One Rankings

(October 19, 2009)

All Reg.

Team W-L W-L

1. Bloomsburg, Pa. 8-0 8-0

2. Charleston 8-0 8-0

3. California, Pa. 6-2 6-2

4. Bentley, Mass. 7-1 6-1

5. WEST LIBERTY 7-1 6-1

6. Shippensburg, Pa. 6-2 6-2

7. Edinboro, Pa. 6-2 6-2

8. East Stroudsburg, Pa. 6-2 6-2

9. Bowie State, Md. 6-2 6-2

10. Shaw, N.C. 6-2 6-2

Quarterback Zach Amedro torched the Shepherd secondary for a season-high 427 yards through the air while wide receiver Kashif Walls surpassed the 200-yard receiving mark and the Hilltoppers (7-1, 5-0) came up with several clutch defensive stands down the stretch to post their seventh straight win.

West Liberty tailback Kevon Calhoun (34) outraces Shepherd defensive back Deante Steele (28) to the end zone on a 25-yard scoring run during the third quarter of Saturday's West Virginia Conference game at Ram Stadium in Shepherdstown, W.Va.

West Liberty battled poor field position and trailed for much of the game against a Shepherd (5-3, 4-2) team that had won 11 of the last 13 meetings between the two schools.

Ram All-American return specialist Deante Steele had restored the hosts’ 13-point lead with less than 3 minutes remaining in the third quarter when he answered Kevon Calhoun’s 25-yard TD run by returning the kickoff 86 yards to paydirt to put the Hilltoppers in a 30-17 hole.

But Amedro found Walls behind the Shepherd secondary for a 32-yard scoring toss in the opening minute of the fourth quarter and the West Liberty defense dug in its heels.

Derek Evans short-circuited the ensuing Ram possession with his WVIAC-leading 6th interception of the season.

Amedro marched the visitors back down the field only to see Shepherd’s Layton Hersh come up with his second interception of the day to snuff the Hilltopper drive inside the Ram 5.

With time becoming a factor, the West Liberty defense delivered a 3-and-out and a short punt gave the Hilltoppers the ball at the Shepherd 29.

Six plays later, Amedro rolled to his left and threaded the needle to Ryan Travis for a 6-yard scoring play. Mike Blewett’s PAT gave West Liberty a 31-30 lead with 5:13 remaining.

After the Hilltopper defense delivered another 3-and-out, Amedro and Walls just missed connections on a 33-yard pass into the end zone and Blewett came on to punt the ball out of bounds at the hosts’ 15 with 2:48 remaining.

Clancy drove the Rams across midfield but just as Shepherd was drawing into field goal range, All-America linebacker Clay Beeler came up with a game-saving interception at the West Liberty 36 with just 1:40 to go and the Hilltoppers ran out the clock.

Amedro’s big day – he completed 30-of-55 passes for 427 yards and 2 TDs – moved him into fourth place all-time in the WVIAC in passing yards (8,694) and touchdown passes (68) while boosting him into fifth place in total offense (8,526).

Walls has caught at least one TD pass of 25 yards or longer in every game he’s played this season. Saturday’s 9-catch, 204-yard performance gives him 851 yards and 13 TDs on the year.

Calhoun was held under the 100-yard mark for only the second time all season but still ran for 87 yards and 2 TDs on 16 carries, leaving him just 11 yards shy of the 1,000-yard mark for the season.

Clancy completed 12-of-28 passes for 181 yards with 2 TDs and 2 interceptions for Shepherd. Tommy Addison ran for 111 yards on 24 carries in a losing cause while Neal Hardie had 4 catches for 118 yards.

West Liberty came into Saturday’s game ranked No. 7 in the Northeast Region. Beating the Rams, who were ranked No. 9 regionally, set up what will likely be billed as the WVIAC game of the year next weekend.

The Hilltoppers will go back on the road to battle No. 11-ranked Charleston (8-0, 6-0) with first place in the WVIAC standings and the inside track to a playoff berth on the line. Kickoff is set for 2 p.m. at Laidley Field.

West Liberty 31, Shepherd 30

West Liberty 3   7   7 14 – 31

Shepherd 0 16 14   0 – 30

First Quarter

WLU: FG Blewett 23, 10:43

Second Quarter

SU: Muhammad 26 pass from Clancy (Dobratz kick), 13:23

SU: Hardie 33 pass from Clancy (Dobratz kick), 7:25

SU: Safety, punt snap out of end zone, 5:19

WLU: Calhoun 23 run (Blewett kick), 1:10

Third Quarter

SU: Addison 4 run (Dobratz kick), 8:58

WLU: Calhoun 25 run (Blewett kick), 3:04

SU: Steele 86 kickoff return (Dobratz kick), 2:46

Fourth Quarter

WLU: Walls 32 pass from Amedro (Blewett kick), 14:41

WLU: Travis 6 pass from Amedro (Blewett kick), 5:14

A: 1,864

Game Statistics

RUSHING: West Liberty 27-78, Calhoun 16-87, Hills 2-6, Travis 1-0, Amedro 4-(-3), Team 4-(-12). Shepherd 38-148, Addison 24-111, Hoyte 10-47, Muhammad 1-1, Clancy 3-(-11).

PASSING: West Liberty 30-55-427-2td-2x (all by Amedro). Shepherd 12-29-181-2td-2x (all by Clancy)

RECEIVING: West Liberty 30-427, Walls 9-204, Walker 8-87, Travis 6-59, Calhoun 4-37, Hills 3-40. Shepherd 12-181, Hardie 4-118, Muhammad 4-47, Lowe 2-23, Addison 1-(-3), Fry 1-(-4).

First downs: West Liberty 23, Shepherd 14

Fumbles: West Liberty 0-0, Shepherd 0-0

Penalties: West Liberty 7-54, Shepherd 5-41

Time of Possession: West Liberty 31:39, Shepherd 28:21

                Coach Roger Waialae’s high-powered offense was clicking on all cylinders Saturday as West Liberty rode its longest winning streak in three decades all the way to the Hilltoppers’ first national Top 25 ranking of the NCAA Division II era.

                The 52-30 romp past West Virginia State before a raucous crowd of alumni, friends and family was the sixth straight win for West Liberty (6-1, 4-0).

                That’s the Hilltoppers’ longest winning streak since the 1979 squad reeled off seven straight wins en route to a WVIAC championship.

West Liberty wide receiver Ryan Travis pulls in his third touchdown catch of the day during Saturday’s 52-30 victory against West Virginia State. Travis had 8 catches for 100 yards and 3 scores on the afternoon.

                Saturday’s victory also vaulted West Liberty into the No. 21 spot in this week’s NCAA Division II coaches’ poll. It’s the first time the Hilltoppers have been nationally ranked since making the transition from NAIA to NCAA Division II affiliation in the mid-1990s.

                West Liberty also moved up to the No. 7 spot in the weekly NCAA Division II Super Region I rankings. That’s the highest regional ranking in school history, which is fairly significant. The regional rankings determine the region’s six playoff entries at the end of the season.

                “The rankings bring a lot of good publicity to the university and the program,” Waialae said, “but they don’t affect anything we do on or off the field. We only worry about the things we control. We can control the way we prepare for every game and we can control the way we play each Saturday.

                “If we keep winning, the rankings will take care of themselves when it’s all said and done.”

                The West Virginia State defense came into the game ranked among the top 10 nationally against the pass but the Yellow Jackets were no match for Hilltopper QB Zach Amedro and his talented corps of wide receivers. The hosts piled up 52 points and 547 yards of total offense to take over the No. 1 spot nationally in both categories.

                Amedro completed 26-of-33 passes for 337 yards and 5 TDs. It was the seventh straight 300-yard passing performance for the junior standout, who broke his own school single-season record – and took over the national lead – with his 27^th touchdown pass of the year. He also ranks No. 2 nationally in passing yards (362.4) and No. 3 in total offense (360.1).

                Ryan Travis had 8 catches for 100 yards and 3 TDs while Eddie Hills also caught 8 passes for 85 yards. Kashif Walls had 3 catches for 68 yards, including his 11^th and 12^th TD grabs of the year.

                Kevon Calhoun kept the West Liberty rushing game in high gear. The junior tailback ran for 157 yards and 2 TDs on just 14 carries while adding 35 more yards on 3 pass receptions. He now ranks No. 6 nationally in rushing (128.9) and is No. 2 in the nation in yards per carry (7.27).

                “When I see numbers like that, it tells me our offense is doing a lot of things well,” Waialae said. “Some players wind up receiving individual accolades but that just shows everybody is doing their part. The only thing we’re focusing on in practice is getting everyone as healthy as possible and doing what we do best every time we take the field.”

                The Hilltoppers take their six-game win streak on the road Saturday for a crucial WVIAC showdown against Shepherd (5-2, 4-1), which is ranked No. 9 in the region and is also receiving votes in the national Top 25. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. at Ram Stadium in Shepherdstown.

                “At this point of the season, any loss will knock you out of the top 10 in the region,” Waialae said, “so the most important game on the schedule is always your next game. Shepherd really seems to be hitting their stride now and they’re always tough at home so we’ll have our work cut out for us.”

      Amedro, a 6-0, 190-pound junior from Moundsville, W.Va., completed 26-of-33 passes for 337 yards and 5 touchdowns as West Liberty (6-1, 4-0) rolled to its sixth consecutive victory. That’s the longest winning streak for the Hilltoppers since the 1979 team won seven straight en route to a WVIAC title.

      It’s the fifth straight week that a West Liberty player has won or shared the league’s Offensive Player of the Week Award. Wide receivers Kashif Walls and Willie Walker have each been honored once to go along with Amedro’s three selections.

      “We have a lot of weapons,” West Liberty coach Roger Waialae said, “and they all work together to make each other better. Zach does a great job of recognizing what the defense is giving us and getting the ball where it needs to go.”

      Amedro, who went over the 8,000-yard career mark and broke his own school single-season record with his 27^th TD pass on Saturday, is the fourth West Liberty player to win three WVIAC awards in the same season since 1975. Quarterback Tim Hicks (2000) and running back Derrick Stickles (2005) were three-time Offensive Player of the Week honorees while kicker Billy Hager was a three-time Special Teams Player of the Week in 2006.

      The league single-season record is held by former Shepherd running back Dervon Wallace, who was a five-time Offensive Player of the Week in 2007.

      Amedro shared this week’s Offensive Player of the Week Award with Seton Hill quarterback D.J. Lenehan. Glenville State linebacker Kaleb Lawrence was the WVIAC Defensive Player of the Week while Glenville kick returner Xavier Glenn was the Special Teams honoree.

      West Liberty takes its six-game win streak to perennial WVIAC power Shepherd (5-2, 3-1) on Saturday. The game is set for a 1 p.m. kickoff at Ram Stadium.

      Coming off a 52-30 thrashing of West Virginia State on Saturday, West Liberty checked in at No. 21 when the national rankings were released this afternoon by the American Football Coaches Association.

West Liberty tailback Kevon Calhoun (34) weaves his way through traffic for a first down during Saturday’s 52-30 victory against West Virginia State. Calhoun rushed for 157 yards and 2 touchdowns on just 14 carries as the Hilltoppers took over the national scoring lead.

      It’s the first time Coach Roger Waialae’s Hilltoppers have been ranked nationally since the West Virginia Conference achieved NCAA Division II status during the mid-1990s.

      “It’s always good to make it into the national rankings because of the positive recognition it brings to the university and our program,” Waialae said. “It doesn’t carry any weight as far as postseason play but I think it does show we’re starting to get some recognition in and out of the region and that’s a good thing.”

      West Liberty (6-1, 4-0) had just missed the Top 25 a week ago when the Hilltoppers received 23 votes in the weekly balloting.

      But West Liberty jumped up to 93 votes this week after taking over the national scoring lead (43.6 ppg.) with Saturday’s 52-point outburst against the Yellow Jackets and made the Top 25 with ease.

      The University of Charleston (7-0, 5-0) is the only other WVIAC team in the rankings. The Golden Eagles remained at No. 11 this week after outlasting Seton Hill, 59-43.

      Shepherd (5-2, 4-1) made its first appearance of the season among teams also receiving votes. The Rams, who hammered West Virginia Wesleyan by a 45-6 score on Saturday night, earned 2 votes in this week’s balloting.

      There was a change at the top of the poll as Grand Valley State (Mich.), which had been ranked No. 1 since the preseason, fell all the way to No. 8 after being upset, 27-24, by unranked Hillsdale (Mich.) on Saturday. Abilene Christian (7-0) received 23 of the 25 first-place votes to take over the No. 1 spot.

      West Liberty takes its national ranking and a 6-game winning streak on the road this weekend when the Hilltoppers visit Shepherd for a game which now carries significant implications on the conference, regional and national levels. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. at Ram Stadium. 

American Football Coaches Association

NCAA Division II Poll

(Oct. 12, 2009)

School W-L Pts LW

  1. Abilene Christian (23) 7-0 621 2

  2. North Alabama (2) 7-0 600 3

  3. Central Washington 7-0 570 4

  4. Bloomsburg (Pa.) 7-0 546 5

  5. NW Missouri State 6-1 521 6

  6. Minnesota St.-Mankato 7-0 492 7

  7. Texas A&M-Kingsville 7-0 450 9

  8. Grand Valley State  6-1 446 1

  9. Minnesota-Duluth 6-1 445 8

10. Albany State (Ga.) 6-0 401 10

11. CHARLESTON 7-0 362 11

12. Edinboro (Pa.) 6-1 334 13

13. Tarleton State, Texas 6-1 320 15

14. Central Missouri 6-1 303 16

15. Missouri Western 6-1 274 16

16. Nebraska-Kearney 6-1 249 21

17. UNC-Pembroke 6-1 157 25

18. Findlay 6-1 149 NR

19. Tuskegee, Ala. 5-2 127 24

20. Washburn, Kan. 5-2 113 12

21. WEST LIBERTY 6-1 93 NR

22. Midwestern State, Texas 5-2 91 18

23. Northern Michigan 5-1 76 NR

24. Wayne State, Neb. 5-2 68 14

25. Carson-Newman, Tenn. 5-2 57 NR

      Also receiving votes: Wingate, N.C. 54; California, Pa. 45; Angelo State, Texas 39; Hillsdale, Mich. 22; Bentley, Mass. 18; Saginaw Valley State (Mich.) 18; Nebraska-Omaha 15; Winona State, Minn. 12; Wayne State (Mich.) 10; Colorado School of Mines 8; Ouachita Baptist, Ark. 5; Bemidji State, Minn. 4; Delta State, Miss. 3; Shippensburg, Pa. 3; SHEPHERD 2; Ashland, Mich. 2.

      Score this one for the offense.

West Liberty QB Zach Amedro broke the school’s single-season record with his 27th TD pass of the year on Saturday as the junior signalcaller led the Hilltoppers to a 52-30 Homecoming victory against West Virginia State at Russek Field.

 Junior quarterback Zach Amedro shredded the Yellow Jacket secondary for 337 passing yards and broke the school’s single-season record for touchdown passes with 5 more scoring strikes as the Hilltoppers rolled to a 52-30 victory before a large and appreciative Homecoming crowd at Russek Field.

      West Liberty (6-1, 4-0) never trailed in upping its winning streak to 6 games, the longest in 30 years for the Hilltopper football program.

      Along with breaking his own school record from two years ago with his 27^th TD toss of the season, Amedro also became only the fifth quarterback in West Virginia Conference history to surpass the 8,000-yard career passing mark.

      But head coach Roger Waialae said his quarterback’s head is just as important as his arm.

      “This was probably Zach’s best day in terms of checking into the right play at the line of scrimmage,” Waialae said. “Our offense is designed to take what the defense gives us and when your quarterback can see those things and get you into the right play, it’s almost like stealing.”

      After being held to a season-low 29 points in a 29-17 win at Glenville last week, the Hilltoppers had every weapon in their arsenal on full display against West Virginia State (2-4, 1-3).

      Junior wide receiver Ryan Travis led the receiving corps with 8 catches for 100 yards and 3 TDs while senior wideout Eddie Hills had 8 grabs for 85 yards. It was Hills’ 15^th consecutive game with 5 or more catches, the longest active streak in NCAA Division II football.

      Tailback Kevon Calhoun provided the rushing balance with 157 yards and 2 TDs on just 14 carries. The leading rusher in the WVIAC, Calhoun has six 100-yard rushing games already this season.

      “Our ability to run the ball as well as throw it is what makes our offense work,” Waialae said. “As long as we can stay two-dimensional, we’re hard to stop.”

      The Yellow Jackets couldn’t even slow the Hilltoppers down for most of the afternoon.

      West Liberty built a 38-17 halftime lead on the strength of three Amedro touchdown passes, a pair of nifty TD runs by Calhoun and a Mike Blewett field goal that capped a 50-yard scoring drive in the final 22 seconds of the second quarter.

      The Hilltoppers had racked up 369 yards of total offense by halftime and were averaging 11.5 yards per snap.

      The hosts picked up where they’d left off when play resumed in the third quarter.

      Amedro pushed the lead to 52-23 with second-half touchdown passes of 27 and 6 yards to Travis before Waialae gave his starters the rest of the afternoon off with 11 minutes left in the fourth quarter.

      West Virginia State quarterback Patrick Ryan had a solid afternoon, completing 23-of-31 passes for 289 yards and 3 TDs.

      Wide receiver Jermain King was equally impressive, leading all receivers with 10 catches for 146 yards and a pair of touchdowns but the Yellow Jacket rushing game never got off the ground, managing just 35 rushing yards on 28 attempts.

      Stephanie Pell of Kingwood, W.Va. and Jeff Holbrook of Weirton, W.Va. were crowned as Homecoming Queen and King, respectively, at halftime.

      The Hilltoppers hit the road next week when they travel to Shepherdstown to take on perennial WVIAC powerhouse Shepherd. Kickoff is set for Saturday at 1 p.m. at Ram Stadium. 

West Liberty 52, W.Va. State 30

W.Va. State 10    7  6  7 – 30

West Liberty 14  24  7  7 – 52

First Quarter

      WLU: Travis 7 pass from Amedro (Blewett kick), 13:21

      WVS: Payne 9 run (C.Wissler kick), 10:49

      WLU: Walls 19 pass from Amedro (Blewett kick), 9:15

      WVS: FG C.Wissler 35, :42

Second Quarter

      WLU: Calhoun 9 run (Blewett kick), 8:08

      WLU: Calhoun 25 run (Blewett kick), 3:01

      WVS: King 12 pass from Ryan (C.Wissler kick), :27

      WLU: FG Blewett 21, :00

Third Quarter

      WLU: Travis 27 pass from Amedro (Blewett kick), 5:36

      WVS: King 22 pass from Ryan (kick failed), 1:13

Fourth Quarter

      WLU: Travis 6 pass from Amedro (Blewett kick), 10:52

      WVS: Johnson 35 pass from Ryan (C.Wissler kick), 5:57

Game Statistics

      RUSHING: W.Va. State 28-35, Payne 10-44, Phillip 9-12, Bines 3-10, Ryan 6-(-31). West Liberty 30-210, Calhoun 14-157, Burress 7-22, Gordon 2-16, Walls 1-7, Bell 2-6, Hills 2-3, Amedro 2-(-1).

      PASSING: W.Va. State 23-31-289-3td-0x (all by Ryan). West Liberty 26-34-337-5td-0x (Amedro 26-33-337-5td-0x, Kiedaisch 0-1-0-0-0).

      RECEIVING: W.Va. State 23-289, King 10-146, Johnson 5-68, Payne 3-15, Kennedy 2-35, Phillip 2-20, Landis 1-5. West Liberty 26-337, Travis 8-100, Hills 8-85, Walls 3-68, Calhoun 3-35, Walker 2-34, McDaniel 1-8, Hill 1-7.

      First downs: W.Va. State 17, West Liberty 29

      Fumbles: W.Va. State 1-1, West Liberty 1-1

      Penalties: W.Va. State 6-60, West Liberty 4-46

      Time of Possession: W.Va. State 31:30, West Liberty 28:30

West Liberty senior wide receiver Eddie Hills (9) has caught 5 or more passes in 14 consecutive games dating back to the 2008 season. That’s the longest active streak in the nation for NCAA Division II receivers.

WEST LIBERTY, W.Va. – There’s little danger of the West Liberty University football team taking West Virginia State too lightly in Saturday’s annual Homecoming Game at Russek Field.

      Kickoff is set for 1 p.m.

      The Yellow Jackets (2-3, 1-2) were the last West Virginia Conference team to beat the Hilltoppers (5-1, 3-0), mounting a fourth-quarter comeback to pull out a 34-24 victory last year at Institute.

      West Liberty bounced back to close out the 2008 season with impressive wins against Shepherd, Charleston and Seton Hill but had to settle for a second-place tie in the WVIAC standings, one game behind Glenville State.

      Hilltopper head coach Roger Waialae says Saturday’s game is more a matter of taking care of business than a quest for revenge.

      “After we lost to Edinboro in the opener,” Waialae said, “our guys took the approach that the playoffs were starting in Week 2. This is just another playoff game for us.”

      With the season now past the midway point, Saturday’s game does carry playoff implications.

      Riding a 5-game win streak, the Hilltoppers are knocking on the door of the national Top 25 poll and opened at No. 8 when the first set of NCAA Division II Super Region One rankings came out earlier this week. West Liberty has never been ranked in the Top 25 since joining the NCAA in the mid-1990s.

      “The Top 25 would be great because of the positive recognition for our program and the university but it doesn’t mean much in the big picture,”  Waialae said. “What really matters is where we stand in the conference and the region and the only way for us to keep moving up is to keep winning.”

      The Hilltoppers are coming off a “taking care of business” type of win after pulling away to a 29-17 victory at Glenville State a week ago.

      Despite battling injuries on both sides of the football, West Liberty got another 300-yard passing performance from record-setting QB Zach Amedro – his sixth of the season – and a career-high 8-catch, 150-yard receiving day from junior WR Willie Walker while the defense forced four Pioneer turnovers.

      The Hilltoppers still have some injury concerns. Walker may miss Saturday’s game but Waialae is hoping WR Kashif Walls – who leads the WVIAC with 10 TD catches but sat out last week with a sore hamstring – will return. There are similar stories at nearly every position on the field.

      “It’s that time of year,” Waialae said. “Six or seven weeks into the season, nobody is at 100 percent. We’ve been a little inconsistent in practice this week because we’re holding so many starters out but every team’s in the same boat. Our depth has come through for us the last couple of weeks and this just gives those kids more opportunities.”

      The injury bug has taken a bite out of West Virginia State, as well. Quarterback Kevin O’Brien – a four-year starter – hasn’t played for a month since suffering a broken thumb during an early-season loss to Charleston. His backup, Patrick Ryan, doesn’t have huge numbers but is no stranger to Waialae and the Hilltoppers.

      Ryan relieved an injured O’Brien with State trailing West Liberty, 24-21, in the fourth quarter of last year’s game. He completed 5-of-7 passes to lead two Yellow Jacket TD drives in the final 7 ½ minutes to pull out the win.

      Fabian Payne is State’s leading rusher. He rushed for a career-high 91 yards and 2 TDs against WLU a year ago.

      “Ryan’s a little different quarterback (than O’Brien),” Waialae said. “He can get out of the pocket and run the ball so you have to be disciplined on the pass rush. Payne’s a quality back and they have some really good wide receivers.

      “The thing you notice about their defense is the speed of their back 7. They have two excellent linebackers (Valentine Bon and Andrew Eggleton) but their whole defense runs to the ball. We’ll have to play well to come away with a win.”

      In the picture at right, defensive line coach Brad Forshey celebrates with defensive end Isaac Omaits after the second of Omaits’ two fumble recoveries.

      The West Liberty defense forced the Pioneers into four turnovers and slammed the door in the fourth quarter after Glenville had cut the lead to 20-17.

      Quarterback Zach Amedro led the offense with his sixth 300-yard passing games in as many outings this season.

      Wide receiver Willie Walker took up the slack for an injured Kashif Walls. Walker had 8 catches for 150 yards, including an 88-yard bomb in the fourth quarter that tied a 58-year-old school record for the longest pass play in Hilltopper history.

      Tailback Kevon Calhoun had his streak of consecutive 100-yard rushing games ended at 5 but played a key role in helping West Liberty control the ball for more than 39 minutes. Calhoun rushed for 97 yards on a career-high 29 carries and caught 2 passes for 46 yards and a touchdown.

      Wide receivers Eddie Hills and Ryan Travis helped the Hilltoppers play keep-away for most of the afternoon. The two inside receivers each caught 9 passes to remain tied for the WVIAC lead with 45 catches each.

      West Liberty Sports Information Director Matt Watson made the trip to the wilds of central West Virginia to put together this week’s collection of game action shots.  To access Matt’s photo album from the game, click on the following link: Glenville State Game Photos