The Weber State University football team is in the midst of one of the best seasons in school history. The Wildcats currently sit at 6–2 and are ranked No. 4 in the FCS heading into the final home game of the regular season.
WSU has 16 seniors on this year’s team, and they will be honored in a pregame ceremony before the ‘Cats take on Sacramento State at noon Saturday.
Each of the seniors have delivered key contributions during their time at Weber State.
Safety Jawian Harrison Jr. has recorded 108 tackles as a Wildcat, as well as four interceptions. His pick sealed a victory over Eastern Washington University on Oct. 13.
Wide receiver Darryl Denby has been climbing the WSU record books. On Oct. 20, he became the 27th player in Wildcats history to reach 100 career receptions. He hauled in two touchdown catches the next week and became the 20th player to achieve 1,500 receiving yards in a Weber State uniform.
“It’s a blessing,” Denby said. “I know there were some great receivers here, so it’s just an honor to be mentioned with them.”
Oft-injured running back Treshawn Garrett has made the most of his opportunities when healthy. He has racked up 1,989 yards on the ground, along with 19 rushing touchdowns. Garrett has also caught three touchdown passes in his career.
Cornerback Keilan Benjamin has five interceptions in two seasons with WSU, including a clutch fourth-quarter pick against Montana State University on Oct. 20.
Tight end Raphael Longangu has six catches for 49 yards in four seasons as a Wildcat.
Quarterback Rathen Ricedorff joined Weber State in 2017 and redshirted during their 11-win campaign. He saw his first action with WSU last week in North Dakota when he lined up for two snaps.
Cornerback Parker Preator has contributed with 10 pass breakups in the last two seasons. He has a total of 45 tackles.
Cornerback Jeremy Maxwell has an interception and eight pass deflections as a Wildcat.
Cornerback Jordan Preator, Parker’s brother, has five interceptions in the last two seasons. He has also contributed to 87 tackles in the timeframe.
Linebacker Justus Brown has collected two sacks and 46 tackles in 33 games over the last three years with Weber State.
Fullback Brady May has filled a variety of roles for the Wildcats. In addition to blocking for the offensive line, May has three rushing touchdowns.
Landon Stice has been vital to the Wildcats’ success this season. The linebacker has contributed to six turnovers forced by the WSU defense, as he has four interceptions, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery and return for a touchdown.
Offensive lineman Iosua Opeta has started all 45 games in his Weber State career. Last season, he earned third team All-America honors from the Associated Press and was named to the Big Sky All-Conference first team.
Opeta’s career at Weber State might be winding down, but he does not see the end of his football life.
“I don’t think football is going to be over for me soon,” Opeta said. “I think I’m still going to be able to play for a while.”
All-American linebacker LeGrand Toia has 179 total tackles during his four years as a Wildcat. He has picked up 18.5 tackles for loss and seven sacks.
Defensive lineman Filipe Sitake has 86 tackles, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries for WSU.
Denby expects Senior Day to be emotional.
“It’s bittersweet,” Denby said. “Everything went by so fast. I feel like I was just a freshman.”
Opeta expressed his appreciation for the fans at Stewart Stadium.
“The fans are awesome,” Opeta said. “When I first got here, it was super small (crowds) for games. I’m super happy with the way the fans have been showing their support for us the last couple years. We fill it and it gives us juice.”
The Wildcats will look to further solidify their playoff positioning against the Hornets. WSU will play their final two regular season games on the road, at Southern Utah University and Idaho State University.
