WEST LIBERTY, W.Va. — In front of a packed homecoming crowd energized by crisp fall weather and a stadium filled with alumni and students, the West Liberty University football team came within seconds of completing one of its most dramatic comebacks of the season, only to fall 32-28 to Glenville State in a back-and-forth battle at West Family Stadium.
The Hilltoppers, now 3-6 overall and 2-3 in Mountain East Conference (MEC) play, were fueled by an electric performance from junior running back Hunter Patterson. He turned in one of the best individual efforts of the year with 148 rushing yards on just 17 carries and three total touchdowns — two rushing and one receiving.
Quarterback Antevious Jackson also delivered a strong performance, throwing for 191 yards and two touchdowns, while bulldozing in a crucial two-point conversion that briefly gave West Liberty the lead late in the fourth quarter.
West Liberty immediately lit up the crowd when Patterson ripped off a 68-yard touchdown run midway through the first quarter, slicing through the Pioneers’ defense to give the Hilltoppers a 6-0 lead. But Glenville State quickly stole the momentum, returning the blocked PAT attempt for a rare defensive two-point score and then punching in a touchdown on the following drive to close the opening quarter ahead 9-6.
The Hilltoppers nearly answered before halftime. With under a minute remaining in the second quarter, backup quarterback Kohl Meisman connected with Silas Hinson on a 38-yard strike that set West Liberty up at the Glenville State 1-yard line. But with no timeouts remaining, the final seconds ticked away before a play could be run. The Pioneers would take a 15-6 lead into the locker room.
West Liberty came out of halftime aggressive. The Hilltoppers’ offense began winning its battles, and Patterson made the Pioneers pay, exploding through a crease for a 7-yard touchdown to bring the Hilltoppers within two.
The defense immediately followed with a momentum-changing interception by Junus McGraw, halting a Glenville State scoring drive and bringing life back into the stadium. Despite the stop, Glenville State managed to tack on a 32-yard field goal near the end of the third quarter, taking an 18-13 lead into the final 15 minutes.
That’s when things got wild. West Liberty flipped the script early in the fourth when Jackson swung a pass to Patterson, who slipped out of a tackle and raced 29 yards down the sideline for his third touchdown of the afternoon.
Later in the quarter, Jackson marched the offense down the field again and found Rashad Murray for a 3-yard touchdown. Then, he kept the ball himself to convert the two-point try, giving the Hilltoppers a 28-25 lead with just minutes remaining.
The stadium was roaring, but Glenville State didn’t blink. With just over a minute left, Pioneer quarterback Anthony Garrett connected with Koraun Perdue on a late touchdown to reclaim the lead at 32-28. West Liberty had one last possession to answer, but the drive stalled as time expired, sealing the heartbreaking homecoming loss.
Despite the result, the Hilltopper defense made critical stops throughout the game. Bre’Andre Horsley racked up an impressive 14 total tackles, while McGraw’s interception and a red-zone stand in the third quarter kept West Liberty close.
The Hilltoppers return to action this Saturday with another MEC matchup, as they host Fairmont State. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m.
