Freshman/JV Football Vanquished by Vipers With a 41-0 Shutout

Amy Simon, Sports Editor| November 7, 2020

  • Linebackers Banks Ryan ’24 and Nash Stogdil ’24 chase after an opponent to stop him from gaining more yardage. The opponent ran 40 yards and scored a touchdown.

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  • The Warriors successfully block the Vipers. This prevented the defense from getting into the backfield.

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  • Quarterback Owen Norrel ’24 picks up a fumble. He gained several yards for Westwood.

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  • Wide receiver Ace Rodriguez ’23 chases after an opponent who caught a fumble. He was able to stop him a few yards before the goal line.

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  • From left to right, Danny Martinez ’24, Sherwood Piercy ’23, and Luis Hernandez ’24 huddle together during half time in preparation for the rest of the game. Despite the Warrior’s stronger defense in the second half, the game ended in a 41-0 loss.

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With a three-game losing streak, the Warriors were eager to redeem a win on their home field against Vandegrift. However, they fell short of that goal with a 41-0 shutout game. With most of the points earned by Vandegrift due to fumbles and incomplete passes, it was clear that both the offense and defense were not up to their usual strengths.

The Warriors started the first quarter off on the wrong foot. With two fumbles within the first four minutes, the Vipers were able to devour this weakness and score three touchdown passes before the quarter ended.

“The ball security wasn’t the best,” Sherwood Piercy ‘23 said. “We could have done a lot better, especially by just holding the ball. We knew Vandegrift was good and that threw us off our game a little bit.”

Throughout the second quarter, the Warriors were able to catch on to some of Vandegrift’s tactics and regain possession of the ball many times. However, despite the good communication and teamwork, Vandegrift’s defensive line was able to create pressure and score another touchdown. The defensive line was unable to catch up to their opponents, giving the Vipers leverage in moving yardage. On the defensive side, Jackson Baker ‘24 came through with an impressive interception right before the goal line, saving the team from giving up another touchdown.

The third quarter started with a quick touchdown made by the Vipers. However, the Warriors were able to redeem themselves for the rest of the quarter. Aiden Cheng ‘24, Noah Eisenberg ‘23, and Baker completed a string of passes, moving a total of 40 yards, and the defense also significantly improved. The Vipers were unable to gain much yardage and had a hard time passing the ball to an open player.

“Our freshman team really stepped up after half time,” Ben Ramsey ‘22 said. “Aiden and Noah had really good interceptions that helped. We also had better passing. I feel like if the same energy was put in the first half, we could have stopped them from scoring as much.”

In the final period of the game, the Warriors were able to get close to the goal line. They used many strategies throughout the fourth quarter, including holding the ball and wasting time thus not allowing the Vipers to come into possession with it. However, with an impressive interception made by the Vipers, they were able to take the lead with another touchdown, ending the game 41-0.

The Warriors will travel to Cedar Ridge on Thursday, Nov. 12 to play against the Raiders.