The Warriors (0-4) continued their demonstration of hard work and perseverance against an excellent Hendrickson (3-1) team. Despite losing 42-7, the Warriors showcased their skill through several shining moments.

Although Westwood defense started out slow, allowing four touchdowns on five possessions, they began to gain strength after a couple important stops.  After recovering a Hendrickson fumble, the Warriors’ defense held the Hawks down while their offense searched for ways to score against a tough team.

“We just met up against a better team,” Coach Wood said.  “The last couple teams have just been better than us, and so all you can do is keep working hard and continue to get better each and every day.”

The halftime performance was very special this time, incorporating the eighth grade members of middle school bands.  Westwood, Canyon Vista Middle School, and Grisham Middle School collaborated to play the song, “We Got The Beat,” which was a great experience for all the students.

After the amazing halftime show, the Warriors were ready to fight back. Following another Hawks touchdown, Te’shon McGinnis ‘17 ran hard and managed to break free to gain more than twenty yards. Shortly after, Garrett Aylor ‘18 finally managed to push through the swarm of Hawks to score the Warriors’ first touchdown.

Although the rest of the game featured a few more touchdowns from the Hawks and none from Westwood, Coach Wood was encouraged by his team’s resilience and demonstrations of skill.

“Sometimes, times are tough,” Coach Wood said.  “I do believe that true character is defined mostly when things are tough, and right now, I thought our character displayed was really good.  I want to continue to see those things.”

Coach Wood will have a chance to continue to watch his team’s growth when they play Rouse on Sept. 25 at 7:00 pm at Bible Stadium.

Contributions by Ethan Lao