Brock Netter, Editor
Southern Ohio Sports Authority is presented by OhioHealth.
WILLIAMSPORT — Friday meant everything to Westfall’s seniors.
It wasn’t because of the county rivalry, the packed stands or the final chance to play against lifelong friends, but because of the end result.
In spite of both early and late game miscues, the Mustangs held it together in the closing moments and came up with a game-sealing interception to close out a 35-28 victory over Logan Elm.
CREDIT: Derrick Webb/SOSA
“Our guys played so hard, and even though we had some mistakes, we took those punches and countered back every time,” Westfall coach Logan Stepp said. “Logan Elm is a big, physical team and you can’t turn the ball over to them a bunch of times. But credit our defense for stepping up and making plays down the stretch and playing winning football. I couldn’t be happier for these guys, especially our seniors.”
The victory marks the first time that Westfall has beaten the Braves (0-2) since 2019, and the program’s first 2-0 start since 2018.
“This was such a great atmosphere. The stands were completely full and I think the last time that happened was when Logan Elm came here two years ago, so this game means a lot,” Stepp said. “This county rivalry has been going on for a while and we’ve been running clocked in the last three matchups, so it’s been completely one-sided. But the kids have continued to buy in, the community has given us all great support and this win is definitely special.”
See-saw first half
Westfall’s Joey Wright and Logan Elm’s Austin Holbrook traded rushing touchdowns to open the game, but Holbrook converted a two-point conversion to put the Braves ahead 8-7.
Both teams then took to the air.
A.J. Paudicz connected with Quinn Eberly on a 55-yard touchdown toss, only for Holbrook to answer with an 18-yard touchdown throw to Tyler Bowlby, tying the game at 14-14.
The Braves forced a Westfall fumble and recovered, setting up Holbrook and Bowlby to connect again on a 19-yard touchdown, putting the Braves up 20-14.
However, Westfall had an answer as Wright muscled his way through three Brave defenders for a 19-yard touchdown run that gave the Mustangs a 21-20 lead at halftime.
“We’re lucky to have a great 1-2 punch in the backfield, and it makes things tough for a defense when you can’t read who has the ball,” Stepp said. “We have a big offensive line, and those guys up front deserve a lot of credit for the work they put in and how they’ve executed in these first two games. They’re a huge reason why we’ve been successful so far.”
Bend, but don’t break
After a scoreless third quarter, Paudicz opened the fourth with a 45-yard toss to Landon Sparks and it set up Eli Wright to take the ball 18 yards for the rushing score, making it 28-20.
The Mustangs then opted for the onside kick and recovered the ball. With momentum on their side, they cashed in on the extra possession when Wright scored from four yards out, creating a double-digit lead at 35-20.
However, Logan Elm still had life and trimmed the deficit to 35-28 when Holbrook found Bowlby for a 12-yard touchdown alongside a two-point conversion.
“If I’m being honest, our defense played such a great second half because I got off the headset,” Stepp said candidly. “I was giving some advice and thoughts about what we should do, and it resulted in us giving up touchdowns on every drive so I got off. Our guys work too hard and put too much time in for me to mess it up or not trust them.
“Holbrook played a really good game. We figured he was going to run a bit and that Logan Elm, as a team, was going to run more. But he threw it around and found his guys in space. He got better as the game progressed, but I thought we did a great job of stopping the run and forcing them into more passing attempts deep into the game.”
The Braves needed a defensive stop and got one with a forced fumble plus the recovery.
Ultimately, though, the Mustangs’ defense held up behind a third down sack from Dom Andria and an interception from Eberly on fourth down to seal the victory.
“We’ll enjoy this win for the weekend because our kids deserve it and earned it,” Stepp said. “There’s a lot of things we have to clean up, before, during and after the play. They all know what’s going to happen come Monday, but I’m happy for them getting a huge win.”
Statistically, Wright had 15 rushes for 120 yards and a pair of touchdowns while Wright had 23 carries for 120 yards and a pair of scores. Paudicz was 6-of-12 through the air for 132 yards and a score, and Eberly had two catches for 69 yards and a touchdown.
Holbrook finished the night 18-of-28 passing for 243 yards and three touchdowns. He also rushed 22 times for 65 yards and a score. Bowlby caught five balls for 92 yards and three scores.
Up next
Westfall returns to action on Friday hosting Circleville while Logan Elm searches for its first win at Miami Trace.
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