WHEELING — Wheeling Park’s offense dominates the headlines, led by Kennedy Award candidate Alex Dunlevy.

Facing a similar style of quarterback in Parkersburg South’s Brandon Penn, Park’s defense was going to be challenged and expected to make big plays.

And after a shaky first quarter, that is exactly what it did.

The defense stood tall on two late fourth quarter stops as Wheeling Park handed Parkersburg South its first loss, 35-27, on Friday night at Wheeling Island Stadium.

“We figured it would be like this, making plays and going back and forth,” Wheeling Park coach Chris Daugherty said. “Lots of offense, but we also left some offense on the field, opportunities we missed on.

“Overall, I thought our defense played very well, especially after that first quarter. They settled in and really made some adjustments, played some really good football. Our kids stepped up in the special teams area. I am proud of our coaches, proud of our kids.”

Wheeling Park (7-2) entered the contest No. 6 in the latest WVSSAC rankings, while undefeated Parkersburg South was third with its perfect record.

With both teams scoring touchdowns on their first two possessions, it was looking like whoever could make a stop or had the ball last was going to leave as the winner.

For South (8-1), it was a few miscues that really hurt it.

First was a bobbled punt deep it is area. Penn fall on the ball before Park could recover it, but it was placed at the 1.

Rapheal Bradley bulled in on the next play to give Park its first lead and one it would never relinquish.

South thought it had caught a huge break late in the first half as a blocked punt put it in great field position at the Park 19 with 20 seconds to go.

Penn completed a pass to Jake Hogsett at the 9 for a first down, but instead of spiking it stop the clock, the quarterback tried to catch Park off guard. He rolled to his left looking for a receiver before pulling it down and running for it. He was pushed out at the 1 as time expired.

“We talked and maybe got a little conservative, even though I don’t think that was the wrong thing to do,” Daugherty said about trying to run out the first half clock. “We were getting the ball back in the second half and not do anything crazy here. It is a Catch-22 and they made a play.

“But the defense stepped up and gave us the momentum back. Our defense made plays when it had to. (Penn) is one of the better players we are going to play against.”

And that momentum came with them out of the locker room as Sincere Sinclair took the second-half kickoff 90 yards for a touchdown, doubling Park’s lead.

“It was a hard-fought game and I think we shot ourselves in the foot too much, dug ourselves in a hole we couldn’t get out of,” South coach Nathan Tanner said. “Right there after we gave up that kick return, that was not how we wanted to start that second half. Kudos to our kids for playing hard and fighting back, but we just came up short.

“We have high character kids, extremely hard worked. I think this could be potentially be a setback that is a setup for a comeback. Our kids will be fine moving into next week.”

South didn’t go away quietly, scoring on its next possession, a Penn scramble where broke tackles, juked out more defenders and went in from 34 yards out. South missed the extra point and trailed 28-20.

As Park continues to do, they answer the bell with its electric offense, led by Dunlevy. Park followed the South possession with an 11-play, 67-yard drive. The Patriots converted a third down and a fourth-and-4, a Dunlevy pass to Shaheed Jackson that they 5-foot-7 wideout outjumped a South defender to haul in the conversion.

Two plays later, Dunlevy did what he does best — create plays.

South defenders broke through the line, chasing the senior quarterback to his left. He lofted a pass toward the side of the end zone, finding leading receiver Carson Namack all alone for a 24-yard touchdown.

“Just to get out of Dodge, buy time, roll to his left and throw a dime to Carson. Carson keeps his feet in. Wow,” Daugherty said. “Carson doesn’t have very many drops. He played great. Alex always does. He is a competitor. We have a bunch of guys that can make plays. We don’t have to force feed anything because of that. We can take what the defense gives us and the offense did a good job of that.”

After South’s Devin Gaines scored on a 3-yard run midway through the fourth made it a one-score game, it was up to the Park defense.

They stopped them on a fourth-and-14 as Andrew Shelek broke up a pass to give Park the ball back. A three-and-out gave South on final chance with 1:38 left from its 9.

South got to the 28 before Penn was sacked on the final play by Hunter Nixon to end the game and almost assure Wheeling Park will open the playoffs at Wheeling Island Stadium, regardless of what happens next week at John Marshall.

“It is something we talk about at the beginning of the year,” Daugherty said. “This is the 10th year in a row we have made the playoffs. Now we start talking about wanting to host. As the program grows, you set the ball higher. We expect to make the playoffs and now host. This put us in a good position to host one, maybe two.”

Dunlevy finished 18 of 35 with 225 yards and three touchdowns to three different receivers.

Penn threw for 225 yards and a score, while also rushing for 122 and a touchdowns. Gaines carried 26 times for 120 yards and two scores.

“Our game plan with (Dunlevy) and any time you face a great quarterback like that, you want to put pressure on him and make him make tough, difficult throws,” Tanner said. “We played a lot of man in the secondary. He is a good athlete, good player. He was able to make plays with his feet.

“Our kids did well and it was a nice chess match. But Dunlevy, he is a good football player.”