Photo by Scott McCloskey
Wheeling Park’s Jacob Stewart, left, Caleb Bryan, center, and Trevor Howell and the Patriots play host to Oak Glen Friday night.

WHEELING — Two teams will collide on the turf of Wheeling Island Stadium Friday night with high hopes.

Wheeling Park (3-1) is riding a three-game winning streak after last week’s 56-20 triumph over rival Linsly in the first meeting between the two schools, while Oak Glen (3-0) is coming off a bye week after suffering several key injuries the week before.

The Golden Bears got their big win two weeks ago when they handled John Marshall 55-46. This week they will look to take down another W.Va. Class AAA squad.

“We really needed it,” Oak Glen coach Ted Arneault Jr. said of the bye week. “We sustained quite a few injuries in the John Marshall game having lost (HB,DB) Evan Geisse and (OT,DT) Josh Blake for the season, and (OG,DE) Kyler O’Conner (first team all-state) for about three weeks. So, we are banged up and having that extra week to reassess and fill those holes was nice to have.”

As for the Patriots, they seem to be coming into their own after racking up 558 yards in last week’s victory but they have to quickly shift gears to deal with the task of another strong opponent.

“Our guys are focused and they understand how important every game is,” Park coach Chris Daugherty said.

Park senior quarterback Beau Heller seems to improve his game each week as he threw for 363 yards and four touchdowns last week, while completing 17 of 23 passes. He also ran for a score.

His top target? Well, he had three. Sincere Sinclair tallied five catches for 141 yards and a score, Shaheed Jackson caught six passes for 110 yards and a touchdown and Carson Namack hauled in four throws for 87 yards and a TD.

As if the passing game wasn’t enough to deal with, tailback Stevie Mitchell rumbled for 151 yards and two touchdowns on 28 carries.

“We have to bend but don’t break with them,” Arneault said. “We can’t give up explosive plays. They have speed all over the field and their quarterback is playing like someone who’s been there awhile.

“Mitchell impresses me as an athlete. It’s a unique challenge when preparing for a versatile team like that.”

Defensively for Park, Erick Brothers, Nate Shelek and Colton Thomas were all over the field last week adding up 10 tackles each. Shelek played the role of ballhawk as he picked off a pair of passes, while Thomas turned in a sack.

Shelek has tallied 44 tackles, including 20 in one game, and four interceptions this year.

“Our secondary is doing a great job and I think Nate Shelek is doing a great job,” Daugherty said. “He had 20 tackles a few weeks ago and two interceptions and then turned around last week and got two more. He is finding himself around the ball a lot. It says a lot about our scheme and it says a lot about him.

“I thought our defense was physical last week and was able to play with emotion and a motor but did not let it over run them. They were tuned in to what they had to do.”

Shelek and the rest of the Park defense will have their hands full this week with a talented Golden Bears’ offense, led by senior quarterback Nick Chaney, who completed 6 of 7 passes for 127 yards and two TDs two weeks ago against John Marshall.

Chaney is joined by a group of talented runners and receivers.

First-team all-state standout Hunter Patterson led a ground game that nearly saw three rushers break the 100-yard barrier in the Week 3 win with 195 yards and two touchdowns, while cousin Gage Patterson followed with 118 yards and a score.

Paxton Shuman chipped in with 95 yards and three scores.

“They can throw the ball a little bit and they can run the ball,” Daugherty said. “They have a lot of different formations and talented players on the field who can make plays when they get the ball. Our defense has its work cut out for them.”

Whatever happens on the field, these teams should display plenty of fireworks as the season reaches the halfway mark.