Westwood lineman Aking Anderson (50) is on the spot to recover the Redhawk fumble. (Photo/Ross Burton)
COLUMBIA – Westwood met the Dreher Blue Devils in a region contest Friday night. After a heartbreaking loss to Chapin last week, Westwood was determined not to make the same mistakes against Dreher. As a result, the night was almost entirely Westwood’s as they blew out the Blue Devils by a score of 38-3.
“They’re 5-1. We can’t take anyone for granted, obviously,” Westwood head coach Rodney Summers said before the game. “We have to establish the run. They’ll put their linebackers in there and defensive backs and go to man coverage, forcing us into throwing the ball if they can.”
Westwood took the opening possession of the night from their own 20 and worked steadily into Dreher territory. The drive ended in frustration, however, when Chris Patterson was picked off by Dreher’s Jason Carter at the Blue Devil 46.
Dreher got into Westwood territory when Avery Armstrong completed a pass to Isiah Drayton at the Redhawk 48-yard line. From there, the Blue Devils, helped by penalties called against the Redhawks, found themselves deep in the Westwood red zone. However, the Westwood defense was determined to keep the Blue Devils out of the end zone. From 10 yards out, Dreher had four chances to get into the end zone. The Redhawk defense forced them to settle for a field goal, their only score of the night, as Wesley Mousseau booted the ball through the goal posts.
The next possession by the Redhawks would end the quarter and continue into the second quarter. On the first play, Christian Brown ran the ball 44 yards from their 20-yard line into Dreher territory. Several short running plays would ensue, gaining four first downs during the drive. The drive ended when Patterson tried to connect with Vyncint Smith at the goal line. The ball was tipped by a Dreher defender, into the arms of another Blue Devil. Smith made the tackle at the WHS 17.
The Blue Devils could not make their good fortune pay, however, as they went three and out. Each team did the same on their respective next drives. With 3:48 to go in the first half, Dreher still maintained a three-point lead as Westwood’s Tyriek Bell received the Dreher punt via fair catch on the Dreher 35-yard line. On the third play of the drive, Patterson hit Smith 33 yards away to the Dreher 5-yard line. Brown ran it in for the score on the next play. Brandon Howard’s kick was good for the extra point. Westwood assumed the lead, 7-3 with 2:36 to go in the half.
Brown struck again after Armstrong’s pass was intercepted by Anthony Douglas. Brown took the handoff at the Westwood 48-yard line and wove his way 48 yards downfield for the score. Again, Howard produced for the extra point, giving the Redhawks a 14-3 lead.
With 23 seconds to go in the half, the Redhawks were still not done. After two plays and a spike to stop the clock, Howard came onto the field to attempt the field goal. With one second to go on the clock, Howard kicked the ball right through the uprights to add three points to Westwood’s halftime lead, making it 17-3 at the break.
Westwood, determined to rid themselves of their third quarter doldrums, kicked off to the Blue Devils, only to get the ball back after three unsuccessful keepers by Armstrong. Mousseau’s punt was high and short, giving up good field position to the Redhawks. The Redhawks took full advantage, keeping the ball on the ground with Brown running the ball 38 yards in four carries. On his final Carry of the drive, Brown ran the ball nine yards into the end zone. Howard again added the extra point, giving the Redhawks a 24-3 lead.
The Redhawks’ next possession was almost a carbon copy of their last drive, with the exception of a completed Patterson pass to Miquelle Canady for 11 yards. As before, Brown took the ball into the end zone from nine yards out for another touchdown. Howard remained perfect with the point-after kick.
The fourth quarter began after a three-and-out by Dreher. Westwood, with a comfortable lead, replaced Patterson with Nick Leveretter and Brown with Miquelle Canady as their key running play weapons. Leveretter kept the ball for an 11-yard run and Canady notched 25 yards on the next play. From two yards out, Terrance Anderson ran the ball in for the final touchdown of the game. Reserve kicker Quinton Kleinart claimed the extra point for the 38-3 final.
“We have been needing this kind of win for a while,” Summers said. “We came out in the third quarter and scored 14 points. The defense played excellent tonight. We hadn’t been able to play the second string before since last year. Adonus (Lee) looked like he’s getting better. Hopefully he’ll be 100 percent next week. I think we can match up with Flora this year. I think we can make a run at the region this year. If we end up in a tie, we should have the points to come out ahead.”
The Redhawks host A.C. Flora High School at 7:30 p.m. Friday.
WHS – 0-17-14-7 – 38
DHS – 3-0-0-0 – 3
First Quarter
DHS – Wesley Mousseau 27-FG. (2:02)
Second Quarter
WHS – Christian Brown 5-run. Brandon Howard kick. (2:36)
WHS – C. Brown 48-run. B. Howard kick. (1:38)
WHS – B. Howard 37-FG. (0:01)
Third Quarter
WHS – C. Brown 9-run. B. Howard kick. (7:06)
WHS – Chris Patterson 9-run. B. Howard kick. (3:06)
Fourth Quarter
WHS – Terrance Anderson 2-run. Quinton Kleinart kick. (7:41)
DHS WHS
First Downs 4 18
Rushes/Yards 22-(-5) 42-326
Passing Yards 42 58
C-A-I 8-15-1 4-11-2
Fumbles/Lost 1-0 1-1
Penalties/Yards 0-0 9-84
RUSHING: WHS – Christian Brown 21-208, Miquelle Canady 4-34, K. Smith 3-32, C. Patterson 7-25, J. Smith 2-14, N. Leveretter 3-10, T. Anderson 1-2, E. Canady 1-1. DHS – Corbin 5-5, Ward 8-3, Guinyard 1-(-2), Armstrong 8-(-11).
RECEIVING: WHS – Vyncint Smith 2-42, Miquelle Canady 1-11, T. Gallman 1-5. DHS – Drayton 2-16, Knight 1-9, Reed 1-7, Scott 1-6, Ward 2-3, Lemmons 1-1.
PASSING: WHS – Chris Patterson 3-9, 53 yards, 2 INT; Nick Leveretter 1-1, 5 yards. DHS – Armstrong 7-14, 41 yards, 1 INT; Ward 1-1, 1 yard.