Westfield adding to legacy of stingy defensive play
Dallas Jesuit to offer challenge in next round, with Emmitt Smith’s do-it-all son as the star
Defensive tackles and Westfield football are synonymous.
Senior Nick Booker-Brown described his experience playing a position the north Houston program is apt at cultivating.
“It’s just history with Ed Oliver and big Coburn,” the Boise State commitment said. “Now I’m taking over. Now it’s just history. It’s like a legacy to me playing D-tackle.”
Westfield’s prowess in the trenches is deeper than Buffalo Bills rookie Oliver, who has stopped by his alma mater this season, and University of Texas player Keondre Coburn. Desmond Jackson and Hardreck Walker before them come to mind.
But Booker’s talk of legacy on Ella Boulevard doesn’t have to be limited to the defensive tackle spot. It runs through every level of a defense turning in its usual stellar season and has permeated a program that is again one of the last standing in Texas.
Perhaps one of Westfield’s biggest tests looms: EJ Smith and Dallas Jesuit.
Jesuit isn’t a one-man show by any means, but the four-star allpurpose back has certainly garnered some attention while amassing 800-plus rushing yards, 450 receiving yards and 27 total touchdowns through a season filled with injury.
Westfield (12-1) and Dallas Jesuit (9-4) meet at 6 p.m. Saturday at NRG Stadium.
“He’s special. They’ll line him up at running back; they’ll like him up at receiver,” Westfield coach Matt Meekins said of Smith. “They’ll put him in wildcat (formation), quarterback. He’ll do a little bit of everything.”
Westfield senior linebacker Dyllon Peavy says it’s a Jesuit team not afraid to be run-heavy. And yes, No. 22 has to be respected. EJ is the son of Pro Football Hall of Famer Emmitt Smith.
But Westfield’s defense also commands respect. District 16-6A opponents totaled only 35 points against the Mustangs in seven games.
Standout individual performances against this Westfield team aren’t uncommon, but finding the end zone on a consistent basis is. Westfield allowed three touchdowns total between the bidistrict playoff game against Klein Cain and last week’s regional semifinal against Waco Midway. The anomaly was against Tomball Memorial in the area round, a 3626 win.
Westfield has seen an opponent reach the 30s on the scoreboard once since 2017 — in last year’s 35-3 non-district loss to North Shore. Even that was nearly avenged in September in a 24-21 loss to a North Shore team that last week hung 56 points on Katy. September’s loss to North Shore is Westfield’s only defeat this season.
Even Westfield’s regional championship defeat to eventual state champion Longview last year was by a 14-0 score.
Some may point to Westfield’s consistent dominance over its district opponents as a buffer toward the trend. But Westfield can be just as stingy outside 16-6A, and its offense applies pressure on opponents as well.
Westfield is looking for its first state semifinal berth since 2014. It’s in the regional fnal for the sixth time since 2011.
Meekins said this team is “player-led” instead of “coach-fed”. Senior safety Marcus Moore refers to legacy like Booker does as far as program standards go. Moore calls it the “price of the tag.”
And as far as those defensive schematics are concerned, Meekins said the Mustangs have been able to rush four consistently, which only helps.
“Our defense has been really good for a long time,” Meekins said. “They play hard, work hard, and they like to hit.”
Westfield players are excited about playing at NRG Stadium on Saturday — a luxury some may not realize is a luxury until they’ve traveled the playoff path in Class 6A Division II Region II.
The region includes teams from Dallas, Houston, Central Texas and East Texas.
The stretch run of playoff games usually includes a trip to McLane Stadium in Waco. No one is complaining about life in Region II or playoff games in a Big 12 Conference venue, but Westfield playoff games at NRG Stadium don’t happen often. North Shore and Atascocita playing at Sheldon ISD’s Panther Stadium created an opening.
“I’ve never played at NRG,” said Moore, a Navy commitment. “It’s big, but at the end of the day, we have to focus on the game. It’s going to be a big stadium. We have to block out all the noise and focus on the things right in front of us, and that’s just to get the ‘dub’ and move on to the next round.”