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GLENVILLE — Things should be more than interesting starting at noon Saturday for senior day at Duvall-Rosier Field as host Fairmont State welcomes in Glenville State for the “Battle for the Bit” in a Mountain East Conference clash.
Fighting Falcons 10th-year head coach Jason Woodman’s club is 3-6 overall and 3-5 in the MEC. FSU has experienced more than its fair share of tough setbacks, but expect the hosts to rely on tailback Myles Miree. He rushed 27 times for 116 yards in last week’s 30-6 setback to Notre Dame. He leads the MEC in rushing and is 84 yards from 1,000.
“They are not happy with how their season has gone, but they are a good football team,” said Pioneer boss Mike Kellar, whose team fended off W.Va. State last week, 31-30. “You look at the team, every position is good. They are well coached. They are big, strong and fast. They got a really nice football team.
“If you change a handful of plays they got one of the best records in the league. You are what your record says you are, I get that I’m in the coaching business, but on the same token they are not a group you can look at their record and tell the story of their football team. That’s for sure.”
Josh Dale, who was sacked four times last week against NDC, has been filling in for quarterback Connor Neal.
GSU (5-4, 4-4) is expected to give freshman Anthony Garrett his fifth career start. He threw for 301 yards and two touchdowns last week. Javian Bellamy (45-849-7) and Orion Bonner (27-343-2) continue to lead the receivers. The tailback trio of Alfred Menjor, Zakee Swann and Saeed Galloway combined for nearly 200 rush yards a week ago.
“They are fast. They got three receivers who are as fast as anyone we’ve seen this year,” coach Kellar said. “Their tailback is going to be a 1,000-yard back and we got to stay in the gaps and stop the run and try to get them into a throw game.”
Menjor, who is 10th in the MEC with 681 yards rushing, has been complimented by Swann (463 yards) and Galloway, whose eight touchdowns are tied for third in the MEC.
“They are going to be hard to stop,” admitted Kellar, who acknowledged the Pioneers’ pass rush and secondary have been their biggest defensive strengths.
“If we can stop the run and get them behind the chains and a little off schedule you can get them into a game where your coverage schemes and blitz schemes can hit home for you.”
The G-men are allowing only 202 yards passing a game and their 14 interceptions rank sixth in Division II.
Fairmont State won last year’s meeting, 24-14, and leads the all-time series 51-42-3.
With the season drawing to a close coach Kellar admitted “we’ve had to lighten up in practice and spent a little more time walking through because everything is sore.
“Guys are limping here and nicked up there, groins and soft tissue injuries. Nothing we haven’t been dealing with all year. We are relatively healthy for this time of year.”
This marks the last chance for Glenville State to start a winning streak. The Pioneers have alternated wins and losses each week and only have W.Va. Wesleyan invading Morris Stadium for senior day next Saturday afternoon left.
Coming off their first triumph against the Yellow Jackets since 2016 was important, but coach Kellar is hoping the good times can keep rolling.
“As much as you do drill work and try to simulate game situations, and no one does that more than we do, but you can only simulate so much,” the coach added.
“You try to talk about the grind and how to grind out victories and all those type of things. It’s hard to do, but going through those games that’s an experience that will be good for them down the road, both this season and seasons moving forward.”
Contact Jay Bennett at jbennett@newsandsentinel.com