Seniors handle emotions of playing at home for final time

Petteway’s future almost didn’t include a place on the Mountaineers. After playing as a freshman and sophomore, he suffered a season-ending knee injury before his junior year, causing him to take a year off for medical redshirt. He gradually worked his way back to form in 2014 and became a starter this year.

Despite the enormity of the situation Saturday, Petteway didn’t find it difficult to focus on opponent Iowa State once the game clock started.

“It was easy,” he said. “All the emotion was flowing. We were all playing for each other and the underclassmen were all pulling for the seniors to go out with a win.”

Petteway, one of 20 seniors making their final home appearance, led the Mountaineers with eight tackles in a 30-6 win over the Cyclones, including 1.5 sacks and 2.5 tackles for loss.

Along with Petteway, this year’s senior class included: Darren Arndt, Jared Barber, Isaiah Bruce, Terrell Chestnut, Cody Clay, John DePalma, KJ Dillon, Karl Joseph, Eric Kinsey, Nick Kwiatkoski, Marquis Lucas, Edward Muldrow III, KJ Myers, Nick O’Toole, Kyle Rose, Rick Rumph III, Jordan Thompson, Stone Underwood and Dayron Wilson. Twelve from that list played defense, the majority of them starters.

Like Petteway, Kwiatkoski said the finality of his home career hit him as game time approached. And, like his fellow linebacker, he said the Mountaineers were fueled, rather than paralyzed, by the emotions surrounding the game.

Not all the pre-game thoughts were self-centered.

Kwiatkoski mentioned the roller-coaster season: WVU started the year 3-0, lost four straight and rebounded to win three straight to enter Saturday’s game at 6-4. Along the way it lost Karl Joseph, a mainstay at safety who was the team’s inspirational leader, to a knee injury.

“I think the adversity brought the team together,” Kwiatkoski said. “Our goal was to send the senior class out with a win and the young guys had the same mentality.”

For the past several weeks, WVU’s players also bonded over the premature ending to Joseph’s career.

“We had a players’ meeting when we lost Karl and we said that we were going to have to dig deep,” Petteway said. “You can’t replace a player like Karl with one person so we knew we all had to step up our game.”

Two instances — one on the field, one off — seemed to add spark to the Mountaineers’ effort Saturday.

With the Cyclones driving on their first possession, Dillon made a leaping interception of a Joel Lanning pass and returned it 25 yards to the WVU 40.

Skyler Howard hit Shelton Gibson with a short pass one play later and Gibson, slipped a tackle, reversed field and ran the ball 60 yards into the end zone.

“When KJ made that interception, it got us going,” Petteway said.

Rose jump started the Mountaineers again at halftime as they held a 13-6 lead. The Cyclones scored just before the half, using two successful fake punts in an odd, 19-play, 43-yard scoring drive that lasted 7:03 and ended with Cole Netten’s 49-yard field goal.

Rose reminded the team not to let up.

“He told us the seniors have 30 more minutes left on Mountaineer Field,” Petteway said. “When we come back into the locker room we’re done here.”

Kwiatkoski said Rose’s speech typified the team’s resurgence in the latter part of the season.

“I think our leadership has really stepped up in recent weeks,” he said. “As a senior class, we really want to finish strong.”