PHILIPPI, WV - For 37 seniors who have laid the groundwork for the progress of the Alderson Broaddus program, Saturday's finale was an emphatic exclamation point to their careers on the gridiron.
The Battlers not only successfully defended their G-MAC Founders Cup Game trophy, they also earned the league's first championship with a 31-28 win against Kentucky Wesleyan.
And so the 60-pound mining cart to mark the rivalry between AB/KWC will remain on the Alderson Broaddus campus along with the very first G-MAC Championship trophy to signify winning a three-team race.
AB's Tyler Schiefelbein kicked a 42-yard field goal with 1:15 remaining, finishing off a memorable regular season and a tough rally as KWC gave the Battlers all they could handle on their home field.
Senior Mike James set up the game-winning kick with an interception and spring up the sideline to get his team into scoring position.
On a deep route, James picked off KWC quarterback Mike McGee, who had already thrown for three touchdowns, including a pair to Travion Tucker in the first quarter.
The Battlers celebrated postgame by showering head coach Dennis Creehan with an ice bath as he completed his final game on the sidelines in order to remain the athletics director at the institution.
His players rallied around him by storming back from a 14-point first-half deficit to cap off a 9-2 season (7-2 including NCAA non-countable opponents). It was an appropriate way to finish off Senior Day.
Kentucky Wesleyan finished the regular season on a strong note after toppling Malone in their first conference game. Another group of talented Panthers' seniors, highlighted by speedster Keelan Cole, also played in their final game.
Under head coach Brent Holsclaw, the KWC program made noticeable strides throughout the year and had AB on its heels with the 28-14 halftime edge. The Panthers made the contest feel like a true rivalry as the offense just couldn't get tracked in the second half.
AB closed the gap to 21-14 on a two-yard scoring run by Brandon Jones, another decorated senior, and drew all square at 28-28 as Zack Lake scored on a 28-yard reception.
Schiefelbein was pure on his career-long field goal attempt and the AB defense made its final stand with a fourth-down sack courtesy of another senior lineman, Jeff Stephens.
The league now turns to an exciting new era when it welcomes Findlay, Hillsdale, Lake Erie, Ohio Dominican and Walsh, for the 2017 season. The G-MAC will also include Alderson Broaddus, Kentucky Wesleyan and Malone, in the eight-team league.
The G-MAC will also be a member of Super Region 1 along with the Mountain East Conference (MEC), Northeast-10 Conference (NE-10) and Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC).