Wheeling 25, Prospect 21

Wheeling? Playoffs?

Wheeling hasn't advanced to the postseason since 1996, and in those 11 years the Wildcats and their faithful have had their share of suffering, including nearly four years without a victory.

But Wheeling suddenly finds itself on the brink of a postseason berth thanks to a thrilling 25-21 come from behind Mid-Suburban East victory Friday night over visiting Prospect.

The Wildcats' (4-3, 2-1) postseason hopes seemed to be teetering on the edge as they trailed 21-6 entering the final quarter.

But thanks to 6 second-half turnovers by Prospect (3-4, 1-2), the Wildcats were able to score 19 unanswered points to pull off the stunning victory before an awed crowd.

"Wow, I can't believe it," said Wheeling running back Abel Rangel, who returned the game's opening kickoff 99 yards for a touchdown. "We never stopped believing."

Rangel added an 11-yard touchdown run with 10:16 in the final quarter to narrow the deficit to 21-12. The score was setup by linebacker Danny Vargas' second of 3 fumble recoveries.

"Coach told us we could play with these guys," said Vargas who also contributed a sack. "We just kept hitting and making plays."

Wheeling's defensive lineman Josh McCormick recovered a fumble on the Prospect's 33 on the first play after the score, setting up junior quarterback Matt Holmes 1-yard score that narrowed the deficit to 21-19 with 8:14 remaining.

Vargas recovered his third fumble three plays later on the Prospect 23, setting up the go-ahead touchdown with 6:00 minutes remaining on a 22-yard pass from Holmes to junior James Kurtz ( 6 receptions, 51 yards).

"We just never stopped believing," said Holmes, who completed 10-of-19 passes for 124 yards. "The defense gave us opportunities and we took advantage of them."

"I told the kids we had to match Prospect play for play," said Wheeling coach Dave Dunbar, whose team beat Prospect for the first time in eight years. "And I thought we did that in the second half. The kids just never stopped."

Wheeling's defensive back Tom Zidron came up with 2 big interceptions in the final five minutes and its defensive line held the Knights to 41 of their 250 yards rushing in the second half.

"They didn't deserve to win," said Prospect coach Brent Pearlman, whose team has advanced to the playoffs in six of the last seven years, but now needs a ton of help to advance this season. "I never been more disappointed in a team's performance."

Eric Senft rushed for 147 yards on 7 carries in the first half, including a 67-yard touchdown run. Quarterback Miles Osei added 1- and 36-yard scoring runs to give the Knights a 21-6 halftime edge.

But Prospect self-destructed in the second half and Wheeling had only 1 turnover for the game.