As the 2017-18 athletic season approaches, the Western Oregon University Athletics Department would like to re-highlight the incredible games, performances and accomplishments of the 2016-17 season with the Wolves Year in Review. The 2016-17 year was special for Wolves athletics that saw records fall, team and student-athlete successes, academic achievements and championships won.

The Wolves Year in Review will countdown the 10 thrilling moments and triumphs throughout the past year over the coming weeks. Stories will appear in no particular order as there were many great moments it was hard to rank them in order, we will leave that to you the fans to determine. 

Wolves Upset D1  Sacramento State

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Junior receiver Paul Revis accounted for 175 all-purpose yards with two touchdowns while redshirt sophomore linebacker Bo Highsburger and senior linebacker Tafatolu Naea combined for 26 tackles to help the Western Oregon football team defeat Division-I FCS Sacramento State, 38-30, in a non-conference contest at Hornet Stadium on Saturday night.
 
WOU led 21-16 at halftime and extended the lead to 16 points in the fourth quarter before the Hornets scored at the 2:33-mark to trim the lead to eight. After the Wolves next drive was cut short, Sacramento State marched down the field and neared the red zone in the final minute. Facing 4^th-and-13, senior defensive back Danny Hankins intercepted a Nate Ketteringham pass in the end zone with 19 seconds remaining.
 
The Wolves used a two quarterback system with junior Phillip Fenumiai completing 8 of 15 passes for 97 yards and a touchdown, while junior Nick Duckworth went 6 of 9 for 73 yards and a score.
 
Seeing their lead cut to two, 24-22, early in the fourth quarter, the Wolves scored on successive possessions with big plays. Junior wide receiver Wesley Gray capped a seven-play, 75-yard drive making a nice grab on a 36-yard pass from Duckworth. Freshman running back Torreahno Sweet broke multiple tackles to score from 30 yards out for the eventual game-winning score highlighting an eight-play, 80- yard drive.
 
The only scoring in the third quarter came off the foot of redshirt freshman Jacob Bannister with a 40-yard field goal for a WOU 24-16 lead.
 
In the first quarter dominated  by Western Oregon, the Wolves used a halfback option play allowing Braxton to fire a pass over the Hornet defense to a wide open Revis for a 19-yard touchdown. After forcing a three-and-out, Revis sliced through the Sac State special teams for a punt return score of 74 yards for a 14-0 lead.
 
Devon Medeiros kicked a field goal at the end of the first quarter, trimming the WOU lead to 14-3.
 
Sacramento State scored late in the second quarter when Ketteringham kept the ball on a delayed run to score from nine yards out. The Medeiros point after kick banged off the upright keeping the score, 14-9.
 
WOU responded with a sustained 93-yard drive over the next 3:15. Braxton caught a swing pass from Fenumiai and broke past the pylon for a 10-yard touchdown to increase the Wolves' cushion to 21-9.
 
A drive in the final minute allowed the Hornets to pull with five at the half when Jaelin Ratliff made a grab in the back of the end zone with six second remaining. WOU made it interesting as junior back Steven Long took the ensuing kickoff 75 yards before being caught at the 18-yard line.
 
Defensively for Western Oregon, Highburger led all tacklers with 14 stops, eight of them solo, one sack and a fumble recovery. Naea followed with 12 tackles while junior Trebiel Larry had eight stops and an interception. Senior lineman Jeremy Moore had two sacks and senior George Swartzlender had 2.5 tackles for loss.