Westlake football runs past Lackey
Wolverines blank Chargers in second half
On a night when the momentum seemed the shift repeatedly within a matter of plays late in the first half, the Westlake High School football team made all the big plays in the second half en route to a 3814 victory over host Lackey on Friday night in a Southern Maryland Athletic Conference Chesapeake Division clash.
Westlake (4-2 overall, 2-0 SMAC Chesapeake) recorded its third straight victory by holding the host Chargers scoreless in the second half after the two teams combined for 28 points in the last four minutes of the first half.
Lackey (3-3, 1-2) may have headed into the intermission with the momentum courtesy of a late touchdown toss from quarterback Robert Middleton to Jonathan Bridgett, but the Wolverines regained it early in the third quarter and maintained it thereafter.
“At halftime, I told the guys that we needed to come out and execute and try to add another 20 points,” said Westlake head coach Tony Zaccarelli, whose team will face McDonough at 7 p.m. Friday. The Rams (1-5) lost 43-0 to Calvert in Week 6. “We knew it was going to be a tough game from start to finish. Lackey is very good and they’re well coached and we were going to need to play hard all four quarters.”
Westlake opened the game with a 15-play, 65-yard drive that lasted over nine minutes and ended when senior quarterback Jalon Spencer connected with Kevin Hughley on a 10-yard scoring strike on a fourth down play. The Wolverines converted on fourth down on two other occasions on the opening drive and led 6-0 in a first quarter that expired rapidly.
Westlake maintained that modest advantage until late in the second quarter when the game evolved into a series of big plays and sudden momentum shifts. The Wolverines went up 12-0 when senior running back Laquay Washington Jr. scored on a 58-yard run with just over four minutes remaining in the first half.
Lackey was forced to punt on its next possession, but the Chargers benefited from a fortuitous bounce that grazed off the leg of Westlake blocker Earl Spicer Jr. and the hosts recovered deep in Westlake territory. On the very next play, Middleton plowed forward from 1 yard out and Dustin Berry nailed the extra point to trim the Westlake lead to 12-7.
On the ensuing kickoff, the Wolverines regained the momentum briefly when Devin Williams returned it 83 yards for a touchdown and Spencer connected with Hughley for the two-point conversion and a 20-7 lead. But, Middleton connected with Jonathan Bridgett on a 34-yard scoring strike in the left corner of the end zone with 14.8 seconds remaining to reduce Lackey’s deficit to 2014 at the intermission.
“At halftime when we were only down one score I told the guys that we had to keep fighting,” Lackey head coach John Lush said. “Westlake is a very good team and they have so many playmakers. We just were unable to sustain good drives in the second half and eventually our defense got tired.”
Westlake may have surrendered the momentum just before the intermission, but the Wolverines regained it on their first play from scrimmage in the third quarter. Following a short Lackey punt, Washington bounced off two would-be tacklers in the backfield, got to the outside and raced 45 yards down the left sideline for another touchdown to give the visitors a 26-14 lead.
“I just kept my feet moving,” said Washington, who had been suspended two games earlier after being ejected from the opener against Friendly. “Once I got loose, I knew I could take it all the way. It’s definitely good to get back and make plays. I let my team down earlier, so I wanted to come back strong.”
Westlake added to its lead late in the third quarter when it marched 56 yards in eight plays and Washington tallied his third touchdown of the night on a 2-yard run. The Wolverines sealed the verdict midway through the fourth quarter when reserve quarterback Jeremiah Maxwell scored from 4 yards out on a keeper with just over five minutes remaining.
After the Chargers turned the ball over on downs on their last possession of the game, junior quarterback Gary Boykin handled the chores for Westlake’s last drive. Boykin, who has an artificial lower right leg, led the Wolverines to two first downs before time expired.
“It’s great to see Gary get out there and play,” Williams said of Boykin. “He works hard in practice and he’s a great teammate. He’s been on the team for three years with us and we all want him to get out there and do well.”