(Highlights by Teran Malone)
WHEELING, W.Va. — Wheeling Central was significantly challenged for the better part of three quarters in Friday’s Class A semifinal against Pendleton County at Bishop Schmitt Field on the campus of Wheeling University.
The Maroon Knights’ response to adversity is a major reason the top seed secured a spot in the Class A title game.
After the No. 4 Wildcats drew to within one point almost 5 minutes into the second half, the Maroon Knights blocked a potential tying point-after kick and went on to score 22 unanswered points, riding a dominant ground game to a 43-20 win.
“We established the line and our guys blocked well and came off the ball well,” veteran Maroon Knights’ head coach Mike Young said. “We got a couple kids back that had been hurt. Our group up front is really good.”
PCHS trailed 21-14 at halftime after cutting its deficit in half on a 7-yard touchdown pass from sophomore quarterback Colton Roberson to Chase Owens with 39 seconds remaining in the second quarter.
The Wildcats carried that momentum into the third quarter and began that frame with a 14 play drive that ended with Roberson’s 11-yard touchdown pass to Travis Owens on third-and-goal. After bringing in the score, Owens came on for his third point-after kick, but this one was blocked, allowing Central to stay on top 21-20 at the 7:10 mark of the third.
The Maroon Knights (9-2) responded with the most important series of the matchup, running eight times for 67 yards and scoring their fourth touchdown on Kade Koroneos’ 15-yard run.
“Our kids realized they had to pick it up. We had some breakdowns and penalties,” Young said. “When we stopped them from getting that extra point, that gave us an oomph and it showed the rest of the game.”
The Wildcats were flagged for offside on the initial point-after attempt, which led to the Maroon Knights attempting a two-point conversion that Koroneos ran in for a 29-20 advantage with 3:20 on the third-quarter clock.
“We had the momentum and then just couldn’t come up with a stop defensively,” Wildcats’ head coach Zac Smith said. “We’d been kind of bend but don’t break all season and we’d always come up and made a play. We couldn’t get it done tonight. That’s a great football team. They’re well-coached and they have plenty of talent. That’s hard to compete with in Single-A.”
A holding penalty on the ensuing kickoff caused Pendleton (10-3) to start at its own 12-yard line, and after forcing a three-and-out, Central regained possession 2 yards shy of midfield.
The Maroon Knights continued to ride a powerful ground game into the red zone after Koroneos rushed for 9 yards on fourth-and-2. On the next play, Central’s senior tailback crossed the goal line on a 6-yard run, leaving PCHS trailing 36-20 with 9:26 left.
“We just stayed confident in what we do,” Koroneos said. “We know who we are, so we kept working and it worked out in the end.”
Dustin Sanner’s fourth down sack of Roberson brought an end to Pendleton’s next series, and Koroneos immediately followed it up by ripping off a 79-yard run for his fifth touchdown to cap the scoring.
Koroneos rushed 26 times for 266 yards with five touchdowns to key a ground game that produced 320 rushing yards.
“Our offensive line kept working really hard throughout the game and they made adjustments,” Koroneos said. “They really did their job late in that game.”
Pendleton put an early scare into Central after forcing a punt on the game’s opening series and marching 95 yards over five plays to strike first on Roberson’s 11-yard TD run. Prior to the touchdown, Roberson fired completions of 48 and 34 yards, respectively, to Travis Owens.
“They throw and run well, and their quarterback is a heck of an athlete,” Young said. “They’re very well-coached and they come off the ball and run sharp routes.”
Pendleton 7, Wheeling Central 0, 8:19 1st qtr
Roberson 11-yard touchdown run.#wvprepfb pic.twitter.com/Qy2Mn7EfQI
— Greg Carey (@gcarey938) November 29, 2025
Central responded quickly to its only deficit of the matchup as quarterback Nico Kusic threw a 53-yard touchdown pass to Max Olejasz, before the first of five Clayton Petry point-after kicks tied the contest at 7.
Koroneos’ first rushing touchdown came from 1 yard out with 9 seconds left in the opening quarter one play after he’d gained 3 yards to convert on fourth-and-2.
Wheeling Central 14, Pendleton 7, 0:09 1st qtr
Kade Koroneos 1-yard touchdown run.#wvprepfb pic.twitter.com/uokqmxZNVr
— Greg Carey (@gcarey938) November 29, 2025
Roberson was intercepted by Kusic and Olejasz on consecutive series, the latter of which allowed the Maroon Knights to start at the Wildcats’ 41 at the halfway point of the second quarter. Four plays later, Koroneos’ 7-yard touchdown run made it 21-7 and a two-score game for the first time, though Pendleton was back to within seven at the intermission.
Wheeling Central 21, Pendleton 7, 4:25 2nd qtr
Koroneos 7-yard TD run.#wvprepfb pic.twitter.com/pYzZwCRG3K
— Greg Carey (@gcarey938) November 29, 2025
Kusic rushed 12 times for 64 yards. All five of his passing attempts came in the first half, two of which were completions that totaled 89 yards.
Central will face the winner of No. 3 Clay-Battelle/No. 7 Cameron in the Class A final.
Roberson finished 15-for-26 with 219 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions. He rushed for a team-high 58 yards on 26 carries, while the Wildcats totaled 112 yards on the ground in defeat.
Travis Owens led all players with 125 receiving yards on five catches, while older brother Chase Owens finished with a game-best seven catches for 61 yards.
“We got worn down a little bit. Pretty much everybody we’ve played this year has been a little bit bigger and sometimes stronger than us,” Smith said. “We fought like hell. We have a resilient bunch. I was really pleased with our effort tonight. We didn’t go away easy and we’re going to be back.”