WHEELING, W.Va. (WTRF) — Ohio rallied from a two-touchdown deficit to defeat West Virginia, 28-21, in a highly anticipated matchup in Wheeling.

It did not take long for the game to produce a big play.

On West Virginia’s opening drive, Ty Sperringer took the shotgun snap, rolled to his left and threw toward the sideline, where Zach Bryan came up with an interception to give Ohio possession in West Virginia territory. Ohio was unable to capitalize on the turnover.

The visitors broke through later in the first quarter.

Ian Starkey kept the ball on the option and ran it into the end zone for the game’s first touchdown, giving Ohio a 7-0 lead.

West Virginia answered moments later.

Sperringer used play action before lofting a pass to the end zone, where Glen Brown made the catch and kept both feet in bounds for the tying touchdown.

The hosts struck again in the final seconds of the opening quarter. Sperringer took a shot downfield, and Brown hauled in his second touchdown reception of the game to give West Virginia a 14-7 advantage.

West Virginia extended its lead early in the second quarter.

Sperringer handed the ball to Kade Koronoes, who cut back near midfield before sprinting untouched the rest of the way for a touchdown, pushing the lead to 21-7.

Ohio answered before halftime.

Sam McLean faked the handoff, rolled to his right and found Nolan Blackburn in the end zone for a touchdown.

Ohio completed the comeback in the second half, scoring the game’s final two touchdowns to earn a 28-21 victory over West Virginia.

WELLSBURG, W.Va. — A Brooke County man has been sentenced to prison after pleading guilty to a felony drug charge stemming from a January investigation at a Follansbee home.

Brooke County Prosecuting Attorney Allison Adyniec Cowden said Rian Harkins, 25, was sentenced July 13 by Brooke County Circuit Judge Jason A. Cuomo to serve one to 15 years in the West Virginia Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation.

Harkins pleaded guilty April 20 to one count of possession with intent to deliver methamphetamine.

The case began Jan. 4 when Brooke County Sheriff’s Deputy Shane Siranovic responded to a reported overdose at a home on Fourth Street in Follansbee.

Prosecutors said Siranovic found Harkins unresponsive behind a table in the basement of the home. After attempts to wake him, including a sternum rub, Harkins regained consciousness and told deputies he was fine.

While inside the home, deputies reported seeing suspected drugs and drug paraphernalia in plain view. Authorities secured the home while Siranovic obtained a search warrant from Brooke County Magistrate Court.

During the search, deputies recovered digital scales, small plates containing a white substance that field-tested positive for cocaine or cocaine base, plastic bags containing suspected narcotics, and other items investigators said were consistent with packaging and distributing controlled substances.

Investigators also found several containers holding a liquid with a white, grainy substance, along with an ice cube tray containing similar material and a box of baking soda. Prosecutors said laboratory testing later confirmed the liquid contained fentanyl.

Authorities also recovered several firearms from the home. One, a Smith & Wesson Bodyguard .380-caliber handgun, was determined through the National Crime Information Center database to have been reported stolen from Wheeling, prosecutors said.

Harkins remains in the custody of the West Virginia Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation.

West Virginia Wesleyan College will continue to inspire the state’s next generation of artists after being selected to host the West Virginia Governor’s School for the Arts for another three-year cycle, extending the partnership through 2030.

The college first hosted the Governor’s School for the Arts from 2014 to 2016, and the program returned in 2024 for a three-year cycle. The announcement marks a continued partnership between the college and one of the state’s premier educational enrichment programs for talented young artists.

West Virginia Wesleyan College President James Moore, the college’s 20th president, came to the college in 2006 as director of jazz ensembles, where he built one of the most vibrant collegiate jazz programs in the region. Today, that jazz program is under the direction of Adam Loudin ’07, who studied under Moore and is continuing the tradition.

Moore said, “We are thrilled and honored that we have been trusted with another three years of this amazing program. This College has always been one that’s valued the arts, and it’s what brought me here in 2006 as a young faculty member. We see the value in these students and know that they need to be supported by an institution that understands that the contributions of artists are among the most valuable to society. West Virginia Wesleyan College is most certainly that place.”

A transformative, free-of-charge program, the Governor’s School for the Arts invites current sophomores interested in expanding their artistic talents and experiences in digital art/media, creative writing, dance, instrumental music, studio art, theatre arts and vocal music to apply. The state of West Virginia covers the costs of the program.

The announcement comes at a time when West Virginia Wesleyan College continues to demonstrate its strong commitment to the creative and performing arts. This fall, the college will welcome approximately 60 students in creative and performing arts, including several who attended the Governor’s School for the Arts in 2024. Overall, the college has welcomed more than 160 creative artists across the last three incoming cohorts, and 11% of students study creative arts.

Sophomores can apply at the West Virginia Governor’s Schools website once applications open in the 2026-2027 academic year.