BY MATTHEW PEASLEE
MORGANTOWN — The undefeated University football team, newly minted as the No. 1-rated team in Class AAA, faces its toughest test of the season Saturday against Wheeling Park.
According to the WVSSAC Week 3 ratings, UHS checks in with a 13.33 rating and is one of seven teams in AAA that stand at 3-0. The Hawks have scored the most points, 169, of any football program in the state.
“It’s time to find out how good we are,” UHS coach John Kelley said.
Wheeling Park is 1-1 and did not play last week after COVID issues within the program, which is why the game was moved back a day this week from Friday to Saturday. The Patriots were supposed to play Cleveland Villa Angela-St. Joseph. They beat St. Clairsville in the season opener and dropped a tight game to Steubenville in Week 2.
“I told the kids at the beginning of the game no matter what happens — win or lose — we will be better at the end of it,” Wheeling Park coach Chris Daugherty told the Steubenville Herald-Star following the 45-16 defeat at the hands of the Big Red, who rallied for 33 unanswered points in the second half. “I think we are better. We just have to keep going.”
Junior quarterback Brett Phillips is a first-year starter for the Patriots. He has thrown for 442 yards in the first two games with four touchdown passes. Jerrae Hawkins has been his top target, as he has 15 catches for 248 receiving yards and two touchdowns this season. Hawkins has set numerous track records, running a 10.61 in the 100-meter dash and clocking in at 21.5 in the 200. He also has a scholarship offer to play football at Pitt.
Phillips established a strong connection with classmate Will James against Steubenville, as James had five catches for 44 yards and a touchdown catch.
“They have more speed and probably more skill than we do,” Kelley said. “They’re huge up front. They’ve plugged in some new kids in spots and Phillips is a solid quarterback. They have some tremendous speedsters. These kids are flat-out, big-time sprinters. That scares you because every time they touch the ball, no matter how well you play defense, they can run around you.”
University has showcased its playmakers this season, too. The high-powered offense has captured headlines, and victories, with relative ease in the first three games.
Quarterback Chase Edwards was 15-for-22 passing for 337 yards and six touchdowns in last week’s 52-20 win at Brooke. His season totals are now 42-for-68 passing for 793 yards and 12 touchdowns. Nine different players have caught a pass for the Hawks so far.
Sage Clawges has eight catches for 173 yards and four touchdowns; Elija Jackson has 12 catches for 192 yards and four touchdowns, and Noah Braham has nine catches for 263 yards and three touchdowns.
Those weapons, and their versatility, give opposing defenses headaches.
“They can’t take it all away,” Kelley said. “We give teams some options and some things they have to worry about. They might look at Clawges and say they’re going to take him away or Jackson and say they’re going to take him away. Then, they just leave Braham open. Braham had a great game last game so that’s going to open things up.”
Kelley said opposing defenses have attempted to shut down the University running game, which has helped the development of the passing game. Eight players have at least one rushing attempt for the Hawks, with Colin McBee leading the way with 32 rushes for 173 yards and five touchdowns. Corban Cross has 11 rushes for 122 yards and two touchdowns.
The Hawks are averaging 56.3 points per game with wins against John Marshall, Parkersburg South and Brooke — all Class 5A members of the Ohio Valley Athletic Conference — just like Wheeling Park.
“That’s not going to continue happening Saturday night — Wheeling Park is just too good,” Kelley said about his team’s point output. “If we can play with them, keep it close, and win — that’ll be a nice feather in the cap. The next two weeks between Park and Fairmont Senior, we have to win these games if we want to be considered a serious contender.
“This is going to be a little different. The Mountaineer game will be going on so we want to get out of town before the traffic gets too crazy.”
It’s another, 70-mile trip up to the northern panhandle, just like the team did last week.
“I was proud of the kids the other night, they were very business-like,” Kelley said. “They rode up there, strapped it on and went to work. It didn’t seem to bother them at all.”
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