The West Virginia State University football team and athletic department enjoyed a very successful Saturday afternoon at home.
WVSU celebrated homecoming with a dominating 44-14 victory over Concord at Lakin-Ray Field at Dickerson Stadium in front of a large crowd of 3,421 in the Mountain East Conference.
With the victory, the Yellow Jackets improve to 5-1 and remain unbeaten in conference play at 4-0. WVSU sits atop the MEC standings along with crosstown rival University of ÂÒÂ×ÄÚÉä and Frostburg State.
The Golden Eagles kept pace by knocking off Wheeling 42-23 on Saturday, while the Bobcats took down Glenville State 41-9.
“Today was awesome,†State coach John Pennington said. “The atmosphere and weather were great. We played good football for four quarters and kind of took care of business. It was fun seeing our guys celebrate and all the hard work was worth it.â€
WVSU had a strong second offensive possession, driving 96 yards on 12 plays, capping it off with a touchdown. Joel Felder ran for a 6-yard TD on fourth-and-1 for a 7-0 lead with 2:37 left in the first quarter.
It was all Yellow Jackets in the second quarter, scoring three touchdowns to outscore the Mountain Lions by 21 and earn a commanding 28-0 halftime advantage.
Justin Pessoa scored on a 1-yard touchdown run and threw a 67-yard TD pass to Adrien Mosley for State. Nick Blake also intercepted a Concord pass and returned it 65 yards for another score.
Pessoa surpassed 100 yards rushing in the first half alone, going for 113 yards on 11 carries for WVSU. He finished the game with 169 yards on 19 attempts and the two touchdowns, and as a team, State rushed for 275 yards.
“We knew we had to be able to run the football today,†Pennington said. "[Concord] had been struggling against the run. The majority of the game plan was to pound the rock. Justin ran downhill hard all day and did a great job.â€
In the third quarter, the Yellow Jackets extended their lead to 37-0. They recorded a safety, tackling a Concord rusher in the end zone. Caleb Jantuah added a four-yard touchdown run for State.
The Mountain Lions were finally able to get on the scoreboard to avoid the shutout late in the third quarter. Jaden Judge rushed for a 9-yard touchdown run with nine seconds left until the fourth.
WVSU tacked on a touchdown in the fourth quarter on a 9-yard touchdown run by Travis McAdoo to lead 44-7. Concord concluded the scoring with a 40-yard touchdown pass from Blayne Ferguson to Jordyn Bentley.
Judge led the Mountain Lions in rushing with 53 yards on 13 carries and added 51 yards receiving, providing a bright spot for Concord (0-6, 0-4).
“Jaden is a true freshman,†Concord coach Brian Ferguson said. “We had our starting running back and our second-string running back hurt. We moved Judge from wide receiver to running back, and he’s doing a great job.â€
Ferguson was complimentary of WVSU and thinks it has a chance to contend for a MEC title.
“West Virginia State is a great team,†Ferguson said. “I think the last game of the season between State and ÂÒÂ×ÄÚÉä may be for the conference title.â€
