WHO ARE THE WHEELING MINERS? HOW CAN THE LIONS BEAT THEM? A FAN’S GUIDE TO THE GAME.

As an avid fan of all types of pro sports myself, I’ve seen my many teams in many different leagues and thought, “Who exactly are we playing? What do they do? Is my team doing anything here? How do the playoffs work in this league?” The games I loved attending in person could sometimes be a slog, given that I just had no idea of what was going on. Does this sound like you?

Trust me…I get it. It’s hard to find time to watch every team in every league while still being a functioning adult. Thankfully, I’m here today to talk to you, my fellow Lions fans, about what to look at and expect from the coming two weeks’ games, the implications on the playoffs, and the easiest ways to watch the game from WV!

To start with, let’s talk about the Wheeling Miners (Wheeling, West Virginia) season so far. The Miners squad is sitting at 4th in the American Division, with a 3-5 record. Despite this record’s look on paper, the team is undeniably a tough squad to play, especially when they are at home. The Miners snapped a two game skid this past week, with an electric 28-20 win over Sioux City. As any fan knows, momentum shifts hard in your favor after snapping a rough streak. 

The offense, when going, is very impressive to watch. Recently, QB James Summers has shown his ability to move the ball using his legs when the play starts to break down. This past week, he hung 90 yards on the ground over the Sioux City defense. WRs Jeremiah Flores, Jarvai Flowers and Isaiah Robinson are the top three receivers with over 175 yards each on the season, closely followed in both yardage and sheer game momentum by DB Fred Hardgrove.

Needless to say, this team has a strong offense of late, but what about the defense? The defensive line has really had a good year, managing 54 solo tackles collectively. The real bright spot though, is the secondary. The guys back there manage really well to stop touchdowns from being scored, as is well evident by even a second of watching them pick the ball off. They have managed this result 12 times this year. If the pick is missed, someone is there to make the tackle every single time, owing to the unit having well over half of the team’s 268 solo tackles. Simply put, the defense with momentum is a force.

The Lions, though, are coming into this two game set with all the momentum a team can have. After two great weeks (one of which was handing the #1 team in the league their first loss), the boys can really make a statement here. As a team, they are beginning to really fire on all cylinders. QB Vincent Espinoza has really come into his own over the season, and the defense seems to get better each time they take the field. Not to mention, the rookies are playing as well as could ever be asked of them. Even though this is a first-time test for the season, I believe in the Lions. This team really does have the talent to be playing in the final this year.

But how do they make the final? Well, here is where these two games get very interesting. The American Division’s #2 spot has a 3-team battle down the stretch. Our main players are the 4-3 Lions, the 3-4 Rouxgarouox, and the 3-5 Miners. The Lions and Miners, as mentioned throughout, are tied up with one another through these final two weeks. The Roux are going to be in Omaha on Saturday for a matchup with the Beef, before returning home to Shreveport for a final week showdown with the top of the division Beaumont Renegades. Columbus is in a position where they need to manage a win in at least one of the next two weeks games, thanks to their head-to-head record against the Rouxgaroux.

As a Lions fan, this is a can’t-miss game for me. Thankfully, the league streams every game of the year on their official YouTube channel (National Arena League) under the 24-25 season playlist. Come join me on the stream, and then, next week, make your way to the Civic Center to cheer our boys on into the playoffs!

- Riley Bloodsworth