West Liberty, West Virginia – The Hilltoppers football program is enjoying its most successful start in 17 years. Under first‑year head coach Chad Salisbury, the team is 5‑1, leading the Mountain East Conference by a half‑game over rivals Wheeling and Charleston.
New leadership, new results
Salisbury, a Frazier High School graduate and former PennWest California offensive coordinator, was hired in mid‑December after longtime coach Roger Waialae resigned following the 2025 season. In his short tenure, Salisbury has already overseen a dramatic turnaround. The Hilltoppers opened the season with a loss to Walsh but have since won five straight games, including two overtime victories and four wins by four points or fewer.
“It’s surprising,” Salisbury said. “We’re a new group altogether for the first time and we didn’t know what we were going to get. But the kids have responded really well and they play hard. They play until the end of the game – every week.”
Players credit the culture shift
Freshman defensive back Seamus Mahon, a Pittsburgh Central Catholic graduate, praised Salisbury’s energy and demanding standards. “Coach Salisbury is a very high‑energy guy, and he demands a lot from us. The amount of work we put in is paying off and it’s shown we’re able to come back late in games with that hard work,” Mahon said.
Senior running back Hunter Patterson, an Oak Glen High School graduate and honorable‑mention All‑American, echoed the sentiment. “When I met Coach Salisbury, you could tell what he wanted to get done here. He is very serious about changing the culture and holding everyone accountable. I wasn’t surprised by the early success – I expect us to keep winning.”
Schedule and conference outlook
West Liberty’s next home game is against West Virginia Wesleyan on Saturday. The Hilltoppers will travel to Glenville State on Oct. 24, then host Fairmont State on Oct. 31. The season concludes with home games against the University of Charleston (Nov. 7) and a rivalry matchup at Wheeling University (Nov. 14).
In conference play, the Hilltoppers sit atop the Mountain East standings with a 5‑1 record, a half‑game ahead of Wheeling and Charleston, while Fairmont holds one loss and the remaining teams have two each.
Community and alumni reactions
Bruce Wald, a longtime friend of Salisbury and former California Vulcans sports information director, praised the rapid improvement. “It’s great, it’s tremendous what’s going on. You could see the team getting better as the game went on. They had to develop confidence and the ability to avoid mistakes. It’s amazing when you look at the last four or five games down to the absolute wire – West Liberty prevailed and it shows somebody’s doing something right.”
Wald added, “Good things happen to good people. This is certainly the case for the Hilltoppers.”
Looking ahead
Salisbury remains focused on building consistency. “When you win games late, the kids start thinking that all the work we do in the preseason and winter has a reason. Hopefully that’s been proven to them, and we continue to take steps. I’d like to see us play a little better in the first couple quarters.”
The Hilltoppers’ resurgence has energized the campus and the surrounding community, offering a hopeful glimpse of sustained success for West Liberty football.
Original reporting: Herald-Standard – latest news for Uniontown, Pennsylvania — read the source article.
