Wright State University's club football team continues to push through a challenging season, showing heart and determination even in the face of tough competition. After taking on powerhouse Ohio State University, the Raiders proved their resilience and drive to keep improving. With one final matchup against the University of Toledo ahead, WSU is looking to finish the season strong and showcase how far they have come.
OSU V. WSU game recap
WSU club football is still in season, facing a schedule that has been both demanding and action-packed.
WSU recently faced OSU at home in a matchup that was not only a key game of the season but also one of the toughest challenges in the league. The game kicked off at 12 p.m. on Oct. 26 at Mulholland Field.
Despite holding the homefield advantage, WSU struggled to gain momentum against a strong OSU squad.
The game started quickly in favor of OSU, leading with an early touchdown making the score 7-0. WSU’s offense struggled to move the ball downfield, with several incomplete passes and turnovers. OSU capitalized on these opportunities, extending their lead to 21-0 by the first half.
WSU’s #4 Pablo Dewberry showed promise with a few strong runs but had to leave the field briefly due to a minor injury, though he returned later in the game.
The second half continued in OSU’s favor, including a blocked WSU punt and multiple quick touchdowns that pushed the score to 56-0. WSU managed to create a few positive plays, including an interception and some solid runs by #4 Dewberry and #5 Dre McComb, showing resilience against the tough OSU defense.
Late in the fourth quarter, WSU finally put points on the board with a touchdown from a “tush push” play, making the score 62-7. The game ended with OSU controlling the ball, but WSU made a final tackle to conclude the matchup.
Despite the lopsided score, WSU demonstrated determination and flashes of skill, showing what kind of team they are and the importance of the game to the players.
Staying locked in
When a game starts tough and early struggles pile up, it is easy for the losing team to give up, but the WSU Raiders did not have that mindset. This club football team stayed in the game and kept fighting, doing their best to make plays and move the ball.
Their persistence paid off near the end of the game, when they were finally able to put points on the board. Scoring against such a talented and highly awarded team gave the Raiders a sense of pride and accomplishment.
Sophomore club football player Trevor Hardin talks about the challenging game.
“[OSU] is the top team in our league, they’ve won I think four championships back-to-back, they played D3 teams in their schedule while instead we play club teams. So just to come out and compete even though the score didn’t show it, we played an okay game, and a lot of the guys understand that that is the goal and the bar to set is [OSU],” Hardin added how it felt to see the hard work pay off, “It felt really good to go out and score against the best number one team in the league for club football”
The defensive coordinator Nolin Jackson gives his feedback on the team’s performance.
“We always step up to the plate for the challenge and just try to give out best,” Jackson said.
This is important because staying confident in your play and focusing on the positives instead of letting mistakes affect you can make all the difference. Without the team’s resilience, it would have been easy to give up.
Wrapping up the season and the importance of the game
Even with this tough game behind them, the Raiders aren’t done yet. WSU club football is set to take on another challenging matchup, facing Toledo University in their final scheduled game of the season.
Toledo is also going to be a tough match, and the team is preparing mentally and physically. Last year, when WSU club football played Toledo, WSU was able to take the win.
Coach Jackson discussed the team’s strategy heading into the upcoming game.
“Since we beat them last year, we kind of want to take that part out of it and realize it’s another year. We just need to prepare like we’ve never played them before, just making sure we do the little things right,” Coach Jackson said.
Not only are the players passionate about the game, but the coaches share that same drive and dedication to seeing the team succeed.
Quarterback coach for WSU club football, Kev Dixon, talks about the players throughout the team.
“One thing I’ve noticed this year, based on a lot of years from playing on the team to now, is around this time of year a lot of players mentally quit on the team. The players this year are still fighting through the adversity of everything we’ve gone through this year,” Dixon said.
“Players came in not necessarily the most aware of what they’re doing, as far as their position requires them and doing different things like that, but the players have really leaned into the coaching.”
The Raiders are focused on ending their season on a high note, determined to prove their growth and finish strong against another tough opponent.
