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Football: Wheeling focuses on maintaining momentum

After the Wildcats won their final four games last season, there is great cause for general optimism for Wheeling's football team this fall.

Yet for coach Brent Pearlman, there is still cause for one specific concern.

"There still is an attitude in a piece that we do and that has not fallen into place," Pearlman said. "To be a significantly good team we have to have the attitude completely right. It can't be 80 or 85 percent; it has to be completely right. I think with our guys, can we make that shift."

Last year, Wheeling lost its first five games. But the Wildcats regrouped, winning their final four for a share of the MSL East title and their best record since 2008.

"I think we are moving forward," Pearlman said. "It is just, 'How fast?' "

Is this the year that Wheeling climbs that mountain and not only qualifies for the playoffs for the first time since that 2008 season, but also challenges again for the MSL East title?

"The attitudinal hump really shows," Pearlman said. "Last year was not the normal year for us. We hit rock bottom early and then got better, better, better. If we stay on that trajectory, we will be really good."

Scoring points should not be a problem for the Wildcats, who averaged 37 points over the final five games of last season. And with MSL East co-offensive player of the year Jalen Dennis at quarterback, the Cats should be a threat to score at any time.

"Offensively we feel we are pretty good," Pearlman said. "I think we can score some points. We've got some speed."

And that all starts with Dennis, who excelled as a junior. He threw for 1,162 yards and 8 touchdowns while rushing for 596 yards and was a threat every time he touched the ball.

The running backs will be by committee, comprised of Jason Shannon, Blake Greenberg, Mao Gurney and TJ Best. Some of those players will also bounce out to wide receiver, with Best and Shannon joining Frankie Delucca and Johnny Kappel.

The Wildcats will start just one senior on the offensive line. Joe Sineni, Bobby Nerke, Nate Derk, Carlos Martinez and Issac Martinez, who are all juniors but were with the varsity last season, will make up the rest of the line.

"I feel very good about our offensive line," Perlman said. "I think they are going to be a nice unit."

Pearlman said his defense, which surrendered an average of 34 points last year, will be improved.

"It will be interesting," Pearlman said. "We have some kids back on defense and our defensive backfield is pretty good. Our linebackers lack a little experience but we should be OK. Our defense is the unknown right now."

The strength should be the defensive backfield where Dennis, Gurney, Shannon and TJ Best will roam.

Andrew Lara, Derks, Issac Martinez, Sineni and Nerke will rotate along the inside spots while Greenberg and JJ Walker will be at the ends. Kappel, William Giles, JP Smith, and Michael Best will be at the linebackers.

"We have to hope that the things that happened last year, the result of daily habits, will continue this year," Pearlman said. "If we don't, we will be two steps forward and three steps back."

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