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WEST LIBERTY — The top-seeded West Liberty football team will take on Edinboro at noon today in an NCAA Division II Super Region One playoff game at Russek Field. The Hilltoppers’ one loss was the 42-30 opener at Edinboro in August. “It is very ironic that this is the team we get to play in the second round of the playoffs,” said West Liberty and former Weir High linebacker Mike Buffo. “I feel that with a couple of changes in the first game we would have won. After watching extensive film and studying their offense I feel that we have made the changes and are ready to come out victorious.” Buffo is fifth on the team in tackles as a special teams player and linebacker. The junior has 50 tackles, including five for loss and a sack. “Playing at the college level it is amazing,” he said. “To still be out on the field running, hitting, sweating and pushing yourself until you feel ready to pass out is what I live for. “This is my dream and I am living it what else could I possibly ask for. “There is nothing like playing on the hilltop. It’s a whole new world when you come up here.” Buffo is one of a handful of locals who are playing for the Hilltoppers. That list includes Isaac Omaits (Buckeye Local), Jeremy Presley (Big Red), Willie Walker (Harrison Central), Derrick Rovira (Weir), Drew Powley (Edison), Mike Henderson (Brooke), Ryan Mirich (Martins Ferry), Jayson Keyser (Bellaire) and Zach Amedro (John Marshall). “Zach threw for over 400 yards on us (at Weir High) and it is great to have him on our side of the field,” said Buffo. “Most of us Valley guys are playing on defense. One of my good friends Ryan Mirich is leading the team in sacks. It just a great time getting to play with some of the best athletes in the Valley once again.” Mirich has five sacks and Omaits four. Omaits has 23 tackles, seven for loss. Amedro has completed 287-of-449 passes for 4,040 yards and 41 touchdowns, making him only the fourth player in NCAA Division II history to throw for more than 4,000 yards and 40 touchdowns in a season. He is the only NCAA quarterback (all divisions) to pass for more than 300 yards in every one of his team’s games this year. The 11 straight 300-yard passing games are all-time NCAA Division II consecutive-game records for passing yards and total offense. It also ties the single-season passing and total offense mark for 300-yard games. His 41 TD passes lead the nation and he also ranks among the top four nationally in passing yards, total offense and pass efficiency while leading the Hilltoppers to the school’s first Top 10 national ranking, NCAA playoff berth and the top seed in Region One. The Hilltoppers’ record-setting junior quarterback has been selected as one of nine national finalists for the 2009 Harlon Hill Trophy as the NCAA Division II college football Player of the Year. “There are great standout players on the team,” said Buffo. “There’s just so much talent on both sides of the ball.” Buffo admitted that although it is hard to foresee a season like this one, he said he knew something was brewing after last year’s season came to an end. “We worked very hard in the off-season under our new strength coach Dan Hopkins,” Buffo said. “He put together a great workout program and off-season program. “All the guys said last year after we had just came off a win over Seton Hill (35-32 in the final game of the season) that we could win the WVIAC (West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference). We came out with the right attitude we have a lot of great leaders on the team this year trying to set good examples for the young guys on the team.”

 

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