GLENVILLE – Coach Mike Kellar's Glenville State College Pioneers mounted a late comeback Saturday afternoon, but came up short, as Fairmont State won the annual "Battle for the Bit" 24-14.
 
Fairmont appeared to have the game in hand, posting the game's first 24 points. Late in the third quarter, they had mounted a 24-0 lead before the Pioneers began to whittle into the advantage. Ten of the Falcon points came in the first half, the first three coming on a Colin Harvath 29-yard field goal at the 7:23 mark of the first quarter. They extended the lead to 10-0 at the 10:1 3mark of the second quarter, as Donovan Washington scored on a six-yard run.
 
Glenville appeared to cut into the lead in the latter stages of the first half on a Tim Heltzel to Javon Butler on a six-yard lob pass to the corner of the end zone. Unfortunately for the Pioneer faithful, Butler was called for offensive pass interference and the score was nullified.
 
Fairmont added two more touchdowns in the third quarter; quarterback Michael Floria scored on a one-yard run at 12:26, and Myles Miree followed that with a nine-yard scoring jaunt at 6:16.
 
Glenville began their comeback on the following drive, with Heltzel again connecting with Butler, this time for a seven-yard score with 2:21 remaining in the third quarter. Just minutes later, the Pioneers found the end zone again, this time with Heltzel finding Dylan Day, also on a seven-yard scoring pass.
 
Now only down ten at 24-14, the Pioneer defense held, and GSC was driving again, converting two fourth down conversions, and moving inside the Falcon 30. Unfortunately, the drive ended on downs, and the Pioneers did not seriously threaten again.
 
Heltzel would close the day 16-of-34 for 184 yards and two touchdowns. His top target on the day was Orion Bonner with seven catches for 106 yards, while Alfred Menjor led the ground game with 47 yards on 13 carries.
 
Defensively, Shaun Sterling led the way with a season-high 12 tackles, followed by Seth Arnold with nine and Brandon Penn eight.
 
Miree led the Falcons with 120 rushing yards on 28 carries. Floria was 10-of-18 for 263 yards passing.
 
Fairmont improves to 4-6 on the season, and 4-5 in the Mountain East Conference. Glenville falls to 2-7.
 
Glenville closes their season next week, traveling to West Virginia Wesleyan.