Trending
FAIRMONT -- West Liberty quarterback Kohl Meisman has been named the Mountain East Conference Offensive Player of the Week following his record-setting performance in the Hilltoppers' 43-42 comeback victory over Concord on Sept. 26.
Meisman, a senior from Rapid City, South Dakota, completed 22 of 27 passes for 305 yards and five touchdowns, completing 82 percent of his attempts while leading West Liberty to its fourth consecutive victory.
Meisman saved his biggest plays for the final seconds.
With West Liberty trailing 42-35, the Hilltoppers drove 64 yards in the final 31 seconds. Meisman threw a 23-yard touchdown pass to Dominic Diaz-Ellis with 29 seconds remaining before catching the ensuing two-point conversion to give West Liberty its first lead of the afternoon, 43-42.
Meisman threw touchdown passes to five different Hilltoppers during the victory, connecting with Hunter Patterson for an 18-yard score in the second quarter before finding Jaylin Harcum for a 53-yard touchdown later in the period.
He added an 11-yard touchdown pass to Trey Singleton in the third quarter before finding Levi Gullion for a 25-yard score early in the fourth. His final touchdown pass to Diaz-Ellis completed the comeback.
The five-touchdown performance came without an interception as Meisman directed a Hilltopper offense that produced 442 total yards, including 305 through the air.
Meisman becomes the second West Liberty player to earn MEC Offensive Player of the Week honors this season. Hunter Patterson received the award on Sept. 14.
The Hilltoppers improved to 4-1 overall and 2-0 in MEC play with the victory and return to action Saturday at West Virginia State.
Maultsby Named MEC Defensive Player of the Week
West Liberty linebacker Dominic Maultsby has been named the MEC Defensive Player of the Week following a standout performance in the Hilltoppers' comeback victory over Concord.
Maultsby, a redshirt freshman from Orlando, Fla., recorded 14 total tackles to lead the West Liberty defense in its come-from-behind victory over the Mountain Lions.
Maultsby finished with 10 solo tackles and added three tackles for loss, a solo sack and a forced fumble as the Hilltopper defense helped West Liberty overcome a 14-point deficit in the fourth quarter.
Concord entered the fourth quarter with a 42-28 advantage, but West Liberty’s defense held the Mountain Lions scoreless over the final 15 minutes. The Hilltoppers then scored 15 unanswered points to complete the comeback and remain unbeaten in MEC play.
The Hilltoppers forced three turnovers in the victory, including Maultsby’s forced fumble.
Maultsby becomes the second West Liberty player to earn MEC Defensive Player of the Week honors this season. Neal Luca received the award on Aug. 31.
Wheeling's Lugo Top MEC Men's Swimmer
The Mountain East Conference announced Monday the winners of this week's Swimmer of the Week awards. The weekly awards are presented by The Health Plan.
Wheeling's Emanuele Lugo is the MEC Men's Swimmer of the Week, while Fairmont State's Viktoriia Dranytska is the MEC Women's Swimmer of the Week.
Lugo, a redshirt freshman from Bresso, Italy, led Wheeling to a strong opening weekend at the Salem Relay Invitational in Salem, West Virginia on Sept. 26. Lugo was part of the team’s 400 medley relay, 300 relay, and 400 yard freestyle relay teams, helping the Cardinals to two first place finishes and a fifth place finish. His top time came in the breaststroke leg of the 400 medley relay, clocking a 55.24 finish.