Written and photographed by: Tanner Halstead
Montani Semper Liberi
There is no doubt that West Virginia University holds a special place in people’s hearts. Coming from a state that has zero professional sports teams and no clear future on ever receiving one, our tried-and-true Mountaineers are essentially all we have to claim as our identity. The amount of unconditional love that the state has for WVU is unmeasurable. As a result, West Virginia and its people will do nothing but support their Mountaineers any way they can.
After covering the Mountaineer Football team this season, all the statements above still hold true. With the 2021 football season underway, our first “full-go” year out of the pandemic lockdown, the Mountaineers were surely put to the test. Although, the support never dwindled and that may have been a crucial factor in where we will possibly finish at the end of the year.
Getting the Ball Rolling
Heading into Neil Brown’s 3rd year as head coach, the fans were definitely looking forward to some progress that should have been shown. So far under coach Brown, the mountaineers sit at an even 17-17 record. Week 1 started off against the Maryland Terrapins. The mountaineers did not have the luxury of starting the season out at home. It was a back and forth battle between the long time rivals, but ultimately the Terps prevailed. The Mountaineers returned back home after that heartbreaking loss and now had to pick up the pieces the next week against Long Island University. You could honestly say that the Maryland loss burst a major bubble with our fans
Many taking to the various social media sites expressing their opinions on what they think should have been done.
WVU was tasked with negating all that nonsense and blocking it out in order to execute in week 2. Our home opener was against Long Island University. A team that had never played a division 1 school in their existence – until the day they met WVU.
The Mountaineers answered back strong in week 2 with a massive 66-0 blowout. Sure, it was against a team that was completely under-experienced and essentially had no chance, but by the score of this game, you could tell that the Mountaineers had something to prove.
The Black Diamond Showdown
Starting off 1-1 isn’t ideal, but to senior punter Tyler Sumpter this was a perfect mixture for what was about to happen in week 3 against our long-time neighboring rivals, the 15th ranked Virginia Tech Hokies.
“You never want to lose the first game of the season but coming back home for two weeks in a row really helped us set the tone for what we were trying to do.” – “Given this was the first time we played Virginia Tech since 2005, we knew what this game meant not only to us, but the fanbase we have around us. This was a game for the fans, for them to be able to have the bragging rights for whoever came out on top that day.”
Tyler couldn’t have been more spot on. The Mountaineers came out that day and put it on the Hokies. All game long it just seemed like we were hitting on all cylinders, and the fans were on board 100%.
Although we had a 4th quarter scare, our defense held up on their end of the deal and had a massive 4th and goal stop to basically seal the game in our favor. The win was especially sweet for offensive lineman Doug Nester, who played one season at Virginia Tech before transferring to his home state to play for the Mountaineers.
“I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for the 60-plus thousand people in the stands," Nester said. "This is for them; this is why we do it. Sure, it’s cool to come back home, especially coming back from the team I originally committed to, there is just no way to describe it.” “This is where I have always felt like I belonged, and this just solidified that for me," he added.
Images from the Virginia Tech game below.
The Rough Stretch
No matter how good things may seem, there is always room for despair. This is something the Mountaineer fans have felt quite too often in recent years. Heading into week 4, we had our toughest opponent we’d see all year – Oklahoma. West Virginia has always been close only until the very end of every matchup with the Sooners, and this one was no exception. The Mountaineers lost, 13-16. Leaving Norman, Oklahoma at 2-2, the next two weeks were really going to be a test not just for the team, but for the entire identity of the Mountaineers. WVU dropped the ball against Texas Tech the next week, and then again at Baylor. We were now 2-4. The fans (as you might expect) were not too thrilled. Every year we have a moment in the season where everyone decides they should be head coach. Social media was back to its fiery self. It seemed as though we were down for the count.
Former WVU offensive lineman and current director of varsity sports, Dale Wolfley, has been through many ups and downs during his time at West Virginia. He took some time during the Virginia Tech game to discuss what the program means, not only to him, but to the 1.8 million who reside in West Virginia.
“You know, I really feel like I haven’t grown up given how much everything has stayed the same," Wolfle said. "Whenever I was playing in the late 80s and early 90s – there was such a buzz around town about our whole being. To this day, I have still felt that exact same feeling and it's truly something special. Year in a year out we know we have people who will have our backs every moment of the way. During this stretch where we have lost, sure it sucks, but the excitement that is coming is almost visible. There is always that buzz! These mountaineers need us to support them especially during times like this whenever we lose three weeks in a row. We can bounce back, it's only a matter of when we do it.”
The Bounce Back
As if Wolfley was predicting the future, the following week the Mountaineers kicked it in gear against TCU. During the course of the game, we battled fiercely and managed to come out on top with the final score of 29-17. Sumpter said that win was exacly what the Mountaineers were all about.
“That game alone should tell you that we are serious about this, and we need all the support we can get," Sumpter said. "It's tough playing away from our home crowd, but we did that for them. We knew there were people out there talking smack, but the real ones stayed true and that was all for them.”
The Mountaineers were all too joyous coming back home, but knew there was another test standing in their way in Iowa State. Yet again, Sumpter’s words were true and they proved it at home by knocking off the 22nd ranked Cyclones
“This is what it's about man, this is what you can’t put into words,” Wolfley said as he looked around the stadium at the screaming fans after the game. “It's been raining, it's freezing cold, but look how many people are still here cheering us on.” - Listen in on the right
WVU for the People
It takes many people throughout Morgantown to make game days a success at Milan Puskar Stadium, including Vietnam veteran Frank Anderson, who works as a security chauffeur in the media lounge. Wearing a bright orange vest, Anderson monitors field access and makes sure people have the right credentials during games. For Anderson, working at the stadium comes with added perks.
“I couldn’t ask for a better job honestly, especially being able to watch your home state team play all the time," Anderson said. Anderson also said that people can volunteer to work on game days, but the university tries to find veterans who are retired and want to work. "The majority of the people you see in orange vests are retired service men and women,” he said. “We are on a list every year that determines the rotation of who gets to work that specific game. That way everyone gets a chance to work, but also has an awesome experience.”
This game day also happened to be military appreciation day, adding an extra level of honor for Anderson and many others.
That honor extended to at least one player on the field who served a tour of duty in Afghanistan. Wil Schoonover, a linebacker for the Mountaineers, is a West Virginia native from Moorefield and after high school he decided to join the Army instead of going straight into college. Once he completed basic training, Schoonover then served as a specialist for the Airborne Infantry while in Afghanistan. Schoonover ended his tour in the middle of 2018. After his time in the Army, Schoonover decided to walk at his childhood dream school, the Mountaineers. He is now listed as a redshirt freshman and has plenty of time to fulfill his dreams as being a college football player.
Back to the Grind
Getting back to speed for the rest of the season, WVU was faced with a grueling final four week stretch. The Mountaineers seemed to not be able to connect anywhere against Oklahoma State, and did basically the exact same thing the next week against Kansas State. Following back-to-back losses, the Mountaineers had to face none other than the Texas Longhorns in Morgantown. The season at this point was clearly on the line. We have to win out in order to get a bowl bid for the end of the year. West Virginia and Texas have created a newfound rivalry that has escalated since WVU joined the Big 12 back in 2012. Not only was it a must win game, it was senior night for many of our starting players including Tyler Sumpter.
“Going into it, we knew what the assignment was," Sumpter said, "We knew we were going to get it done." “Your last game in Morgantown must end on a win and that was the mentality of our entire group that day.”
It was safe to say that West Virginia wasn’t going down without a fight. We had played probably the best we could have all year and it really showed. Jarrett Doege ended up having a perfect passer rating which is insanely hard to do.
Let’s Go Bowling
To some extent, nobody usually ever has to worry about the Kansas Jayhawks in football. Since 2009, Kansas has not had a winning season and have only won 8 games in the Big 12. Nonetheless, they are who stood in the way of WVU’s chances to be eligible to play in a bowl game.
A must win situation.
Kansas had their moments throughout the season, especially with a win over Texas when they were ranked. The game started off with Kansas taking the lead with a field goal late in the first quarter, and then causing a fumble on WVU’s first possession. It wasn’t looking too good. After a few three-and-outs, West Virginia finally found the end zone with a pass to Winston Wright Jr. to put us up 7-3. The game seemed to be going at a very slow pace until Wright Jr. scored his second touchdown of the game. From then on it was an offensive shootout from both teams. Heading into the 4th quarter the score was 34-21. With around four minutes left in the game, Kansas drove the ball into the red zone. But then, senior linebacker Josh Chandler Semedo, swooped in for an interception in the end zone sealing the win and allowing the Mountaineers to go 6-6 and become bowl eligible.
Following his final regular season game as a Mountaineer, Sumpter was excited for what lies ahead. “I am glad I have the chance to end my college career as a champion of some sort,” Sumpter said. “We’re ready to end this season on a high note.” As for now, the Mountaineers are set to face of against the Minnesota Gophers in the Guaranteed Quick Rate Bowl.
While Mountaineer fans may cherish their memories from the 2021 season, the team isn’t done yet. And as WVU play-by-play broadcaster Tony Caridi says,
“It’s a great day to be a Mountaineer, wherever you may be!”
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