PHILIPPI, W.Va. -- The Alderson Broaddus football team will host Bowie State on Saturday at noon at the Multi-Sport Performance Stadium. 

Last Time Out: The Battlers dropped their opener to Saginaw Valley State on Aug. 30. The Battlers matched the Cardinals opening score with a 50-yard touchdown pass from Connor McWilliams to Zack Lake. The game remained tied until late in the first half. The Cardinals forced an AB fumble deep in Battler territory and scored on the next three possesions bridging halftime to build a 28-7 lead. 

First Ever Meeting: This will be the first time these two programs have faced off since AB launched football six years ago. The only common opponent on the teams schedule from a year ago was Lincoln. The Battlers topped the Lions 48-10 while Bowie defeated Lincoln 86-14.

Home Sweet Home: The Battlers are 4-1 in their history in home openers. The lone loss cam a year ago to Saginaw Valley State. AB is 16-12 as a program at the Multi-Sport Performance Stadium.

All-Great Midwest Players: Junior guard Donovan McNelis anchors an offensive line a year after earning First-Team All-Great Midwest honors. McNelis was also named the Don Hansen All-Super Region I third team. Maurice Thomas also earned First-Team All-G-MAC honors as a returner and second-team credentials as a receiver. Senior linebacker William Bailey was also a second-team member.

Rushing the Passer: The Battlers brought down opposing quarterbacks 28 times a season ago, and 18.5 of those sacks were made by players still on the AB roster. Quade Raley led not only the Battlers, but the entire Great Midwest Athletic  Conference with 11 sacks. That ranks tied for 5th among sacks by players returning across all of Division II. Alderson Broaddus hauled down the quarterback twice in the season opener.

Team Captains: Head coach Salvatore Dewalt and the Alderson Broaddus Football team announced Zach Lake, Donovan McNelis, Quade Raley and Matt Jackson as the team captains for the 2018 season. Lake, a redshirt junior, played all 11 games for the Battlers last season and led the team at 21.5 yards per catch on 26 catches. McNelis comes off a strong redshirt sophomore season earning All-G-MAC first team honors and third team Don Hansen Super Region I honors. Raley led the G-MAC with 11 sacks and earned an honorable mention All-G-MAC selection leading AB with 79 tackles. Jackson was the Battlers fourth leading tackler in 2017 making 44 stops.