Special Olypmics Clinic

Each year, one of our favorite activities is the short clinic we host for Special Olympics. It always serves to remind us what is pure and fun about the sport of football. It is all too easy to get caught up in the wins and losses, the highlights and lowlights, standings and schedules. Sports are so much more than all of those things. Thank you to all of our Special Olympics participants for taking the time to remind us...

Below are some more pictures (for even more, check out SOHC's Facebook post here).

#RockReport Brownsburg

Rocks Varsity Football crated the Brownsburg Bulldogs Friday night with a 35-21 victory.

Offensively, the Shamrocks rolled to an early lead on the legs of Elvin Caldwell. He had help from the solid blocking of Ryan Pape and Renzo Alvarez. Ben Lotfalion snagged a goalline fade for a TD, and Caldwell tacked on a 31 yard TD run, one of many that made the Bulldog D look foolish.

The Rock Defense kept the Bulldogs chained for most of the night, surrendering points late in the game. Westfield’s front line dominated scrimmage, led by Mike Patterson and Jacob Robinson. Ryan Rubicz added consistent play at the corner position, and the entire defense had a pair of early four down stands.

Shamrock Special Teams kept Westfield ahead in the field position battle. Joe Krambeer unleashed the boomstick for several towering punts. Nick Dowd added to his season long consistency with a multitude of touchbacks. The big play of the night goes to Cameron Harrison, who recovered a muffed Brownsburg punt.

Special mention should be given to Josue Gonzalez and Luke Dedrick. These Rocks made significant contributions in preparing the team for the Friday contest. They were key wolves during the week, providing the best possible look for their fellow packmates.

Choose to be Great and support Rocks Football next Friday, when Westfield will host the Avon Orioles. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:00pm.

#GameDay Brownsburg

Big game tonight against a very good Bulldog team on the road. Both of us are sitting at 3-2, and need wins to stay alive in the conference title hunt (chasing Fishers). The Star has us winning this one, but it's going to be a tough game. You may want to skip the traffic on I65 and take the back roads down to the game. If so, we've got ya covered...

#RockReport HSE JV

Busy week, so I got this up a little late this week. Apologies!

The Westfield Junior Varsity football team put forth a valiant effort against a very good HSE team. The game included 4 ties and 4 lead changes with the final lead change occurring in overtime with a field goal by an undefeated HSE JV team.

The Rocks were clicking most of the night on offense. Sophomore quarterback Andy Sweet contributed with a hand in 4 scores, three passing and one rushing. The first score of the game came on the first drive with a scramble by fleet-footed Sweet. The second score to tie the game at 14 came on the Rocks second possession with a 35 yard pass from Sweet to sophomore wide receiver Evan Manley. Manley deceived the HSE defenders into thinking he was running a short route, but immediately changed gears and ran a deep route for the touchdown. The third score was for the lead on the very next drive, as Sweet threw another long pass to sophomore receiver Davion Gibson (who has moved to Texas and will be missed). The Rocks went into half time with a 21-20 lead. On the first drive of the second half, Sweet completed a short pass to sophomore tight end Hayden Russell to give the rocks a 27-20 lead. The last score of the night was a 20 yard pass from Sweet to freshman running back Nate Froelich.

The JV defense for the Rocks had many ups and many downs throughout the course of the game. One of the bright spots was the play by sophomore defensive ends Liam Jagow and Brian Skelton. They were work horses for the defense and disrupted the offense regularly throughout the day. The biggest highlight of the morning for the Rocks defense came at the end of regulation. The game was tied 34-34, the HSE offense was driving and time was running out for the Rocks to get a decisive win. HSE was trying to run the ball off the right edge, when sophomore linebacker Josh “Meatball” Tuffnell tackled the running back and forced a fumble recovered by sophomore Hank Grenda. The offense unfortunately could not push the ball in the endzone and gave the ball back to HSE. Promptly sophomore safety Drew Newstifter intercepted an ill-advised pass by the HSE quarterback with about a minute remaining in regulation. The Rocks offense drove down the field and gave themselves and opportunity with :03 seconds left, but missed a very difficult field goal.

The JV Rocks team experienced their first loss of the year, but have bounced back well in practice and are prepared to return to their winning ways on Saturday September 27th at 10:00 am at home vs Brownsburg High School.

Another Stadium Update

You may have seen the picture of the new 50 yard line that we posted on Twitter. Pretty exciting stuff! I wanted to post a few more pictures to update the build process. Things are happening fast. It's beginning to look a lot more like a future field. In addition to the first patch of turf, we also have goal posts!

South End

Goal Post!

Looks pretty flat. That's Coach Gilbert's shadow pointing out where things will be.

Go Green!

#RockReport Hamilton Southeastern

Rocks Varsity Football topped the Hamilton Southeastern Royals Friday night, 34-20, to crown the Homecoming celebration.

Offensively, the Shamrock O-Line dominated up front, leading to a several big runs for player of the game Elvin Caldwell. Caldwell had a pair of the 36 yard touchdown runs that helped bury the Royals.

The Rock Defense frustrated HSE’s offense, not allowing anything easy for what has traditionally been a very solid run attack. Jacob Robinson anchored the D-Line, and the consistent play of LB Stan Mattingly stymied the Royals. Noah Smith had the big play of the night, chasing down one of the fastest players in the conference for a shoestring tackle that saved a touchdown.

Shamrock Special Teams had a solid showing Friday, as well. Noah Smith again came up big here with great play across the board. Matt Crupi added consistency, while Nick Dowd drilled field goals from the 21 and 15 yard line to help extend the Rock lead.

Special mention should be given to Liam Jagow, Davion Gibson, and Hank Grenda. These Rocks made significant contributions in preparing the team for the Friday contest. They were key wolves during the week, providing the best possible look for their fellow packmates.

Choose to be Great and support Rocks Football next Friday, when Westfield will travel to Brownsburg High School to take on the Bulldogs. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:00pm.

#Gameday HSE

Homecoming tonight, so no directions needed. Come howl at the moon and support your Rocks! Kickoff is scheduled for 7pm at Red Stanley Stadium.

#RockReport Noblesville Freshmen

Monday, September 15th proved to be a great day for the young Rocks, as the protagonists of the plot travelled to the city of Noblesville to take on and defeat the 15-8 Millers in cross-county rivalry action. Coming off a tough loss to a stalwart Zionsville team, the young men knew the burden of responsibility placed on their shoulders as Rocks, and they rose to the call.

The defense set the tone for the night, recording a whopping five interceptions. Secondary defenders Logan McClurg, Kaleb Pettijohn, and Seth Tackett each contributed to enforcing the no-fly zone in Noblesville air space. With the air not providing a viable option, the Millers sought to move the ball by land. Nate Froelich and company resolved to not allow that. The stout inside linebacker filled the holes hard and wreaked havoc for the Miller offense, the pop of his pads echoing through the stadium. Connor Henderson, defensive end, also stepped up, weaving his way through the Miller offensive line, and homing in on the quarterback for a bone-rattling sack.

The Rock O ran a ball-control offense and powered the ball on the ground. The offensive line stepped up against the vaunted Miller defense and paved holes for the running backs, while protecting quarterback Chad Welch in the passing game. Welch, recording his first start for the Rocks, guided the team, calling heavily on the numbers of LaVeal Gibson and Nate Froelich. Gibson powered the ball into the end zone for both of Westfield’s scores, and Froelich busted numerous long runs to get the offense into scoring position. Gibson had another 50 yard touchdown run called back on a penalty in the third quarter.

The special teams performed admirably. The kickoff team flew down the field and gave the defense great field position. The first PAT kick of the season was recorded, as kicker Nate Froelich booted the ball sailing through the uprights.

The Rocks look to continue their winning ways this upcoming Monday, September 22, at home vs. the Royals of Hamilton Southeastern High School. Ladies and gentlemen, come see these young men as they go out to make the community proud. Your support is greatly appreciated!

#RockReport Noblesville JV

The Westfield Junior Varsity football team added to their impressive resume by figuratively grinding the Noblesville Millers into submission by the end of the game. The Rocks ended the game with a rally of points and came away with a 21-6 victory bringing their season record to 4-0.

The Rocks JV offense, added by two freshman feature backs, Nate Froelich and Laveal Gibson, had the ability to move the ball all day but sputtered out late in a few drives. The first score came after a long pass from sophomore quarterback Andy Sweet to sophomore wide receiver Evan Manley set-up the Rocks with good field position. Froelich was able to demonstrate his quick feet, good balance, and great lower body power by scoring on a hard fought run. Sweet and Manley hooked up later in the second half for a 70 yard bomb for a touchdown. The offensive line was able to create holes all day with the help of sophomore offensive tackle Gannon Asher.

The Rocks Football JV defense had many shining moments in the game, outscoring the Millers 7-6 on their own thanks to a late interception returned for a touchdown by sophomore linebacker Justin Frey (his second of the season). A gigantic statement about the Rocks resolve was made after a fumble was lost by the offense deep in their own territory. The defense promptly answered on the next play thanks to sophomore defensive tackle Joe Foster’s forced fumble and recovery. The Millers did not get close to the end zone the rest of the game. Sophomore linebackers Hank Grenda and Jackson Garrett contributed to the team effort with Grenda being a constant disruption to the offense and an interception by Garrett. Disaster was narrowly averted again during a punt attempt by the offense, but sophomore kicker Miles Clinkenbeard. The snap sailed over Clinkenbeard’s head, he chased it for 15 yards, turned around and calmly delivered a huge punt with several Millers bearing down on him.

The Junior Varsity Football team hopes to continue their streak this Saturday, September 20th on the road against the Hamilton Southeastern Royals at 10:00 am.

Wolf Pack

For the strength of the pack is the wolf, and the strength of the wolf is the pack.

#RockReport Noblesville

Varsity Football fell to the Noblesville Millers on Friday night, 17-12.

Offensively, the Shamrocks struggled to finish drives, shooting themselves in the foot on several of them. Elvin Caldwell was a bright spot for the offense, pounding out yards on the ground and scoring the lone touchdown from 16 yards out.

The Rock Defense won the turnover battle, with a couple of interceptions and a fumble recovery. Cameron Harrison was the player of the game with strong coverage and snagging one of the interceptions. Mike Patterson had a solid showing for the Rocks on the defensive line, and the big play of the night was a goal-line stand by the Rock D at their own 1 yard line, forcing a field goal.

Shamrock Special Teams started well before struggling late. Nick Dowd kicked a pair of long field goals early that gave the Rock s an early lead.

Special mention should be given to David Mendoza, Elisha Lennon, Chad Reeh, and Christian McCarron. These Rocks made significant contributions in preparing the team for the Friday contest. They were savage during the week, providing the best possible look for their fellow teammates.

Choose to be Great and support Rocks Football next Friday, when Westfield will come home to host the Hamilton Southeastern Royals. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:00pm.

#GameDay Noblesville

Another big rivalry game. This one for the Midland Rail Trophy. We'll make the short drive (only 7.8 miles away!) to Hare Chevrolet Field for the contest tonight to face a very determined Millers team. We need every friendly voice we can get in the stands, so we hope to see you there! Kickoff is at 7pm.

In case you need them, here are the directions (the field is actually behind the middle school):

#RockReport Zionsville Freshmen

On Monday, September 8th, the freshman squad took the field versus their rivals from Boone County – the Zionsville Eagles. A great defensive battle took place over the course of the game, with the young Rocks experiencing a big learning experience after a 0-3 loss.

Defensively, the Rocks shined all game. All eleven men were swarming to the football as one body, stopping the option attack that Zionsville employed. A hard-nosed defensive line penetrated into the backfield and disrupted the quarterback’s reads throughout the game. Michael Delaney busted through the line multiple times to make stops in the backfield, and Connor Henderson added to that with a sack of the opposing quarterback. Griffin Lickfeldt at middle linebacker found his way into the backfield as well, dialing up his blitzes and producing a bone-crunching sack and multiple tackles for loss. The secondary refused to be left out of the picture, as Logan McClurg stepped up and knifed through the offense to set the hard edge at cornerback. Kaleb Pettijohn played the deep safety, and created a no-fly zone for any ball coming his way. He ended up the game with a huge interception. The stout freshman D allowed only a 46-yard field goal in their valiant effort to stop the Eagles.

Offensively, the frosh squad could not capitalize on the defense’s success; however, many of the players found a way to stand out. LaVeal Edwards busted lose on a 50 yard run that put his squad into scoring position in the second quarter. Wide receiver Brian Hoover also played an electrifying brand of football. Playing against one defender in man-to-man coverage, Hoover used his silkily maneuvered to free himself and get the football in his hands.

On special teams, the Rocks continued to grow as well. Hoover, bringing his impact to the kicking game as well, made a great play on the punt team, allowing his squad to continue on an important drive. Nate Froelich booted the ball deep on kickoff, setting up the defense with great field position to start the game.

The young Rocks lost a tight game this Monday, but they have learned from it and will improve. The young men are not demoralized and are excited to fully take on the challenges that the rest of the season gives them. This upcoming Monday, September 15th, come see the Rocks take on the Millers of Noblesville, in a classic game featuring cross-county rivals. To all the parents, fans, and well-wishers – you are greatly appreciated, and the coaches and young men cannot wait to show their improvement this Monday!

Go Rocks!

Stadium Update

Construction on the new stadium continues to progress. While we're out there every day at practice, the machines are moving and things are starting to take shape. Coach Gilbert asked me to post an update with a picture, as you can see the field starting to take shape. We've seen it slowly emerge, but if you're not out there every day, it probably looks like things are coming together fast. You can see the outline of the track where concrete has been poured, and the field area in the middle is flat and almost ready for turf. Pretty exciting. We can't wait to see what it looks like. Here's hoping that maybe we get a practice or two on it this year. I suppose we'll just have to focus on making another deep playoff run to make sure they have plenty of time...

Here's a panoramic view. Click for the full image.

#RockReport Zionsville JV

The Westfield Junior Varsity football team put together a tour de force win against the Zionsville Eagles in a 28-23 victory. The score does not do justice, the degree of dominance the Rocks had over the Eagles.

The Rocks JV offense started with a great drive, but stumbled at the one yard line and turned the ball over on downs. The Rocks dominating defense stepped onto the field and was un-phased by the change in momentum and quickly shut down the Zionsville team and returned the ball to the Rocks offense who with great deft scored on the next drive. Sophomore Quarterback Andy Sweet ran the ball in for the rocks first score. Freshman running back Koby Hauser ran roughshod behind an offensive line lead by sophomore offensive tackle Chad “Mauler” Reeh. Sophomore wide receiver and future member of the Westfield track team Evan Manley caught a deep pass from Sweet giving the Rocks even more momentum. Manley ran his fastest but was caught at the 1 yard line. This effort set up Hauser who scored the second touchdown for the Rocks in the second quarter. Sweet scored the third touchdown of the first half giving the rocks a huge lead going into halftime. Freshman running back Nat Froelich scored the Rocks last touchdown of the morning on a very hard-nosed run, breaking many tackles and ankles along the way.

The Rocks Football JV defense also had an outstanding morning of demoralizing the opponent by imposing their will. The Zionsville offense was held scoreless throughout three quarters of play, led by the extraordinary effort of sophomores; linebacker Jackson Garrett, defensive lineman Liam Jagow and Brian Skelton, and corner back Chris Zolto. The defense took the field with outstanding aplomb and showed outstanding skills at their craft. The highlights of the game came when Garrett tipped a pass by the Zionsville quarterback and junior defensive end Dalton Davis taught the pass and returned it to set up an offensive score. Sophomore corner back Ryan Pawlak also contributed with a late interception stopping any momentum the Eagles might have had. The Defense only allowed 14 of the 23 points on the night. Seven points were scored by the Eagles in the second quarter on their Kick-off return team after the Rocks third score. The last two points were scored by sophomore wide receiver Davion Gibson, who scampered for 40 yards backwards in order to run out the clock and ensure the Rocks victory.

The Junior Varsity Football team hopes to continue their streak this Saturday, September 13th at home against the Noblesville Millers.

#RockReport Zionsville

Varsity Football claimed the Shining Star Trophy on Friday night, beating the Zionsville Eagles 44-34.

Offensively, the Shamrocks came out firing, opening up a 38-8 lead by halftime. The running game was big for the Rocks, with Elvin Caldwell grinding out the yardage. Brandon Karsnick contributed with a 24 yard touchdown scamper, highlighting the attack.

The Rock Defense grounded the Eagles early, but let up some in the second half, allowing Zionsville to creep back into the game. Matt Crupi led the way for the defense, backed up by the consistent play of Cameron Harrison. Stan Mattingly had the big play of the night with a pick six.

Shamrock Special Teams soared Friday night on the consistent deep kickoffs of Nick Dowd. The kickoff return team also contributed with several big returns. Brandon Karsnick again contributed here by nearly taking the opening kickoff back to the house, setting up the offense with a short field to start the game.

Special mention should be given to Gannon Asher, Christian McCarron, and Zachary Jankowski. These Rocks made significant contributions in preparing the team for the Friday contest. They focused during the week, providing the best possible look for their fellow teammates.

Choose to be Great and support Rocks Football next Friday, when Westfield will travel to nearby Hare Chevrolet Field to take on the Noblesville Millers . Kickoff is scheduled for 7:00pm.

#GameDay Zionsville

Huge rivalry game tonight with the Shining Star Trophy on the line. Home game, so no directions again. Red Stanley Stadium at 7pm. See you there!

#RockReport Southport JV and Freshmen

JV
The Westfield Junior Varsity football team continued their dominance this season with a 42-26 victory over Southport High School.

The defense started the game in impressive fashion for the Rocks JV team. The Rocks caused 3 turnovers in the Cardinals first 3 possessions, which lead to a 20-0 lead early for Westfield. The first turnover was caused by sophomore Caleb Sanburn who made a great play for an interception. The second was another interception, this time by sophomore Justin Frye. Frye was able to run the pick back for a touchdown. The third consecutive turnover was caused by a bad snap by the SHS center and was recovered by Jackson Garrett on the 15 yard line going in for another score.

The offense also had a very impressive night with 5 scoring drives and imposing their will on the Southport defensive line. The scoring deluge was started by sophomore running back Jared Bayha on a 20 yard scamper for a touchdown. Sophomore quarterback Andy Sweet had his hand in 4 of the 5 touchdowns (and almost a sixth but it was called back due to penalties). His first passing touchdown was to sophomore wide receiver Davion Gibson after the third defensive turnover. Sweet then ran in for a touchdown on a qb sneak set up by a long drive aided by the blocking and leadership of Junior offensive center Zach Krieg. At the end of the first half, Sweet threw a long touchdown pass to sophomore Evan Manley to give the Rocks momentum going into the half. Andy Sweet finished the night with a long touchdown run of over 50 yards with the help of excellent effort down field by sophomore wide receiver Josue Gonzalez.

The Rocks hope to continue their undefeated season this Saturday, 9/6/14 at 10 am at Zionsville Community High School.

Freshmen 
On Saturday, August 30th, under a cool, grey Indiana sky, the Rocks freshman squad undertook their biggest challenge to date – the 6A behemoths from the south side of Indy, the Southport Cardinals. The steely sky reflected the calm resolve that the young Rocks had within themselves. They brought their manic-paced power offense and their staunch defense to the field and after a grueling dogfight, exited as the ultimate victors.

The Rock offense drove up and down the field all the game, wearing the 3-3 stack defense of the Cardinals down. Gaping holes opened up in the run game as the offensive line asserted their will from first snap until final score. The unit consisting of Robinson, Bako, Marra, Rodgers, Crabtree, and Delaney proved themselves in a trying situation, and answered the call admirably. Player of the game Nate Froelich followed the big men up front as he broke off one long run after another and found his way to the end zone two times. To complement Froelich’s bowl-them-over running style, LaVeal Gibson added his own dose of shake-and-bake magic, slashing through the lines of hapless would-be tacklers. The receiving corps stepped up all throughout the game. Most notably, Matt Meyer stepped up at slot receiver, scoring a touchdown and snagging a forty yard catch that kept the Rocks’ final minute, game-winning drive alive.

Defensively, the Rocks shined all game. Led by Coaches Hampton and Getch, the young squad ran at top flight to the football and held the vaunted Cardinals’ offense to merely two scores. The Rock front held solid all the game, and stifled their opponents’ game plan. Like a mad man, Michael Delaney burst through the line set before him at defensive end. He was not the only lineman for whom the defense had to account, though. Robinson, Spangler, Henderson, and Ross all found their ways into the backfield and disrupted the tempo of the quarterback. The linebacking crew refused to be outdone by their line counterparts and found their way into the hard-hitting action as well. Timing up their blitzes, the backers flew full force into their rivals and omitted the run game from the equation. The secondary set up a no-fly zone throughout the game, batting down passes as they flew into the defenders’ zones.

The special teams unit brought its own unique flair to the game on Saturday. Each player had it as his mission to change the game, and they did just that. With only four minutes remaining in the game, and the score tied at fourteen, the punt team came out and reversed the field for the opposing squad. Behind the boomstick of Bryan Hoover, the special teams unit showed how special it was, and sprinted headlong down the field, downing the ball after it had travelled forty yards. This great show of skill and desire led to a defensive stop and the ensuing offensive game-winning score.

Ladies and gentlemen, this is a squad that you do not want to miss! The freshmen are delivering hard-hitting action at a pace that resembles the mighty Ducks of Oregon. Their growth as a unit and individuals is unmistakable, and they are making their community proud. Come see them take the field versus the rival Eagles of Zionsville this Monday, September 8th at six p.m. This promises to be the best game of the young season, and every single family member, friend, and fan are greatly appreciated!

Go Rocks!

#RockReport Southport

Varsity Football fought a tough battle in the home opener against the Southport Cardinals, falling 26-37 to the visitors.

Offensively, the Shamrocks failed to capitalize on several key chances, but otherwise did a great job of gaining yardage and putting itself in a position to succeed. Elvin Caldwell pounded out those yards on the ground behind the consistent play of Renzo Alvarez. The big play of the night was a 54 yard touchdown pass from Ryan Pepiot to Joe Krambeer.

The Rock Defense struggled early but buckled down late, giving the team a chance to win. Matt Crupi led the way, while the consistent play of Martell Fletcher helped to anchor a defense that saw almost 50 plays in the first half alone. Crupi came up big with an interception halfway through the second quarter that gave momentum going into the half.

Shamrock Special Teams had a rocky night as well,
some moments of brilliance and others with missed opportunities. Nick Henderson had a great game as a returner and Will McCool added consistent special teams play. Henderson provided the highlight of the night with a zig-zagging punt return that set up the offense on the 17 yard line.

Special mention should be given to Brian Skelton, Nolan Rodgers, and David Mendoza. These Rocks made significant contributions in preparing the team for the Friday contest. They really played united during the week, providing the best possible look for their fellow teammates.

Choose to be Great and support Rocks Football next Friday, when Westfield will host the Zionsville Eagles at Red Stanley Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:00pm.