Friday, October 31, 2014

#GameDay McCutcheon

It's finally here! The start of the playoff journey. Tonight we face a very tough Maverick opponent that could most definitely stop us in our tracks. Most regional sports writers are picking undefeated McCutcheon to win this one. That's okay. We relish the challenge. Everyone loves an underdog.

They're a good team with a fantastic running back. We have to go play them at their home. We need all the fans we can get. I know it's supposed to be cold and Lafayette is a long drive, but it's the playoffs! We need your voices!

If you absolutely cannot make it, the game will be online at www.mtcsports.net or new.livestream.com/mtcsportsnetwork. We'll also be live tweeting @ShamrockFB, as usual. Otherwise, bundle up and come cheer your Rocks on! Here are the directions:

Monday, October 27, 2014

#RockReport JV Wrap Up

We've been busy preparing for the upcoming playoff opener at McCutcheon, but wanted to post a wrap up covering the last two games of the fantastic JV season. So, you get two-for-one today...

The Junior Varsity Westfield High School football team finished their season with two huge victories over Fishers High School and Brebeuf Jesuit High School. The Rocks JV team finished the season with an 8-1 record and champions of the HCC.

The Rocks pulled off a must win against Fishers JV team for a one loss HCC season. The offense for the Rocks had many big plays on the day. Sophomore quarterback Andy Sweet ran the ball well for two touchdowns behind the lead blocks of sophomore offensive linemen Gannon Asher and Chad Reeh. The highlight of the day came during the second quarter when sophomore quarterback/running back Caleb Sanburn engineered a drive during a tied game. On 4th and one at the 50-yard line, the Rocks offensive coordinator Blair Schlicker made a gutsy call, a reverse to sophomore Drew Neustifter for a touchdown.

The Rocks defense had a great day against a very good Fishers offensive unit. The defense made four outstanding plays on the day that gave the Rocks the win. The first was a three and out that turned into a blocked punt by sophomore linebacker Hank Grenda which set up an offensive score. The second big play came on a blocked extra point by sophomore linebacker Jackson Garrett. The next big play came after another special teams play, a fumbled snap on a punt that backed up the Rocks defense deep in Rocks territory. The defense stepped up big and forced a 4th down turnover on downs to keep the Rocks in the lead. The third came during a 2-point attempt by Fishers, when sophomore linebacker Justin Frey blitzed off the edge and sacked the quarterback keeping the game at an ultimately insurmountable 9-point lead for the Rocks.

The JV Rocks finished their season with a dominating performance over an outmatched Brebeuf JV team. The Rocks won 33-0 and had many outstanding performances. The Rocks special teams stepped up big when sophomore linebacker Hank Grenda blocked a punt and scooped and scored early in the game. The defense dominated the day with sophomore lineman Liam Jagow, Brian Skelton, and Matthew Tongate harassing the Brebeuf quarterback all day long and leaving little for the other members of the defense to do throughout the day. Sophomore quarterback Andy Sweet threw for a touchdown and ran for two more and anchored the offense. The cherry on top of the sundae that was the 2014 JV season came when sophomore running back Ruslan Siadovich Abamislimov scampered around the left end, juked the defender zeroing in on him out of his shoes, and darted into the end zone with a 20-yard sprint, all to the chants of “The Rus is Loose” coming from the sideline.

Great job, JV Rocks!

Monday, October 20, 2014

#RockReport Washington

Rocks Varsity Football won big over the George Washington Continentals Friday night, 42-0.

We’d like to give a huge shout out to the Continentals for coming to our place and playing hard despite having only 13 healthy players. They showed a lot of heart, and hopefully it was a fun atmosphere and competition for them, too.

Offensively, the Shamrocks started slow but quickly found a groove. Ryan Pepiot led the way, along with the consistent play of Renzo Alvarez. Ben Lotfalian and Milo Beam tacked on a pair of TD receptions for the night’s offensive highlights. The Rock Defense chased down the speedy Continentals all night with Noah Smith leading the way. Smith had a leaping interception early that set the tone. Jacob Robinson and Daryn Milton added consistent play. Shamrock Special Teams was solid as well. Ryan Rubicz was the special teams player of the game with Caleb Sanburn adding consistency.

Special mention should be given to Drew Neustifter, Matthew Tongate, Zach Patterson, Austin Ward, and Miles Klinkenbeard. These Rocks made significant contributions in preparing the team for the Friday contest. They were Great during the week, providing the best possible look for their fellow teammates.

Choose to be Great and support Rocks Football on Friday the 31st, when Westfield will open the Sectional Tournament on the road at McCutcheon High School. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:00pm.

Tuesday, October 14, 2014

Stadium Update: Field View

We were able to go out and walk on the new field this last week. I took the opportunity to snap a few shots. Can't wait for there to be football played on it!

G, as in Go Rocks.

Red Zone

Going to be stands in the way eventually.
Sidelines!

Click for big view!


Sunday, October 12, 2014

#RockReport Fishers

Rocks Varsity Football fell to the Fishers Tigers Friday night, 38-7.

Offensively, the Shamrocks struggled to put up points for the second straight week. The lone score came on a Ryan Pepiot run. The Rock Defense didn’t have a great game, either, failing to stop the Tigers for most of the night. They were able to recover a couple of fumbles, and showed character continuing to play hard on what very obviously wasn’t a good night. Shamrock Special Teams tried to perk things up with a few solid kickoff returns, but also gave up a punt return, spoiling this phase as well. Sometimes, it just isn’t your night, and the Rocks never found their groove. Fortunately, there is still one remaining regular season game, and then the playoffs. Though the goal of a repeat conference title will remain unrealized this season, there remain several other goals for the team to achieve.

Special mention should be given to Joe Foster and Tanner Nichols. These Rocks made significant contributions in preparing the team for the Friday contest. They showed grit 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 George Washington Community High School Continentals. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:00pm.

Friday, October 10, 2014

#GameDay Fishers


Last conference game of the year. Last chance to sharpen ourselves against an HCC opponent. Last opportunity for our seniors to showcase their grit and down the Tigers. Last Friday for you to come out and see your Rocks take on a Hamilton County rival. Need I say more?

Need directions to FHS? We've got ya covered...

Thursday, October 9, 2014

#RockReport Avon JV

The Westfield Junior Varsity football team had a game of extremes swings in momentum and emotion. The team pulled together a victory against a good Avon JV football team.

The game started with a dominant performance by the Westfield Defensive unit. The game was started with two consecutive negative yardage plays, forcing the Orioles offense back to their own goal line. On the third play of the game, sophomore linebacker Justin Frey ripped the football way from the Avon running back in the end zone and scored his third defensive touchdown of the year. The juggernaut that was the Westfield Defense on this day, caused a second turn over on the Orioles second drive when sophomores Josh Tuffnell and Brian Skelton combined for a devastating hit on the Avon running back that was then recovered by Joe Foster. On the third possession for the Orioles, they were again forced into the shadow of their own end zone and an errant snap resulted in a safety. In the first three attempts by the Avon offense, the Westfield DEFENSE scored a total of 9 points. The half was drawn to a close with a field goal by Miles Clinkenbeard after a great drive engineered by quarterback Andy Sweet.

The second half started with the Rocks on offense, putting together one of their most dominant drives of the year, lasting a total of nine and a half minutes and driving a total of 70 yards lead by sophomore quarterback/running back/safety Caleb Sanburn. Unfortunately the drive ended with an interception in the Shamrock end zone leading to the first Avon score. Later in the third quarter the Orioles returned another interception for a touchdown taking the lead from the Rocks 14-12.

The two teams traded punts for the majority of the rest of the second half and the Rocks were running out of time to mount a comeback. Things were looking bleak for the Rocks when Avon had the ball with under 4 minutes left, until the defense stepped up for a fifth and final time. Frey forced his second fumble of the day and sophomore defensive end Liam Jagow recovered the fumble and gave the Rocks one last chance. The offense did not squander this opportunity, completing a huge 3rd down conversion from Sanburn to sophomore receiver Josue Gonzales, and driving down the field to the Oriole one inch line. The teams traded blows on the goal line, gaining a yard and losing a yard until 4th and inches with 16 seconds remaining in the game. Sanburn took the snap, tried to sneak around the left side, but was met by 2 Avon defenders. The Oriole sideline erupted in jubilant celebration punctuated by a spectator running onto the field and garnering an unsportsmanlike penalty. Unfortunately for the Avon sideline, their excitement was premature. When Sanburn was hit by the two defenders, they caused a fumble. This fumble was recovered in the end zone by Tuffnell and the ROCKS WIN. This game showed the Rocks resolve and grit as they took adversity and bleak circumstances but had the confidence to fight to the end.

The JV Rocks team will compete for the conference title on Saturday October 11th at 10:00 am at home vs Fishers High School.

Pictures of Rocks!


Recently, we were graciously pointed toward football photos taken by Michele Davis. If you'd like to browse the images, find the links below (or find them all on Flikr here). Huge thanks to Michele! Enjoy!

#RockReport Avon Freshmen

On Monday, October 6th, the freshman Rocks returned to the confines of their home stadium, prepared to take on the visiting Orioles of Avon High School. The young Rocks knew that they would have to increase their physicality and heighten their sense of team unity to come away victorious from this game, and they did just that, winning with a final score of 21-14.

Offensively, the Rocks were led by player of the game Nate Froelich, who bowled his way down the field and knocked off the hapless defenders who attempted to stop him. He found his way into the end zone for two of the three Westfield scores. The offensive linemen held stalwart all day, and opened up the rushing lanes for Froelich against the Orioles’ stout, run-stopping defense. Cameron Nance and Matthew Meyer also had a huge play in the game, as Nance connected with Meyer for a 35 yard touchdown reception.

Defensively, the Rocks showed great improvement and physicality from the previous week. Defensive stops and takeaways were the norm for this unit through the whole game. Kaleb Pettijohn stepped up to be player of the game, wrangling down any opposing ball carriers from his free safety position. Pettijohn also had some huge pass breakups. Seth Tackett, as usual, found himself in the right place to come away with an interception that sealed the game away from the Rocks. The linebackers and defensive line held Avon’s rush heavy attack to a minimum, forcing two fumbles along the way.

Special teams played admirably, changing the field with punts, kickoffs, and great returns. The PAT unit was three for three. This week, the Rocks will travel to Fishers to play their final Hoosier Crossroads Conference game of the season. This is one that you do not want to miss. The game will kick off at 6 p.m. on Monday, October 13th. See you there!

Monday, October 6, 2014

#RockReport Avon

Rocks Varsity Football fell to the Avon Orioles Friday, 23-6, on a rough and blustery evening.

Offensively, the Shamrocks struggled to put up points in the blowing rain. The highlight was a long run from Ryan Pepiot that set up the lone score. The Rock Defense gave up some easy points early, then clamped down and tried to hang on in the cold mud. They recovered two fumbles, one by Stan Mattingly, but it wasn’t enough. Shamrock Special Teams struggled as well, missing a pair of FGs and failing on an extra point attempt. Notably, Nick Dowd upped his season touchback total on a night with brutal weather.

Rain or shine, the Rocks are focused on getting back to work this week and improving in all three phases.

Special mention should be given to Brock Ginder, Gannon Asher, and Matthew Tongate. These Rocks made significant contributions in preparing the team for the Friday contest. They fought 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 Fishers High School to take on the Tigers. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:00pm.

Friday, October 3, 2014

#GameDay Avon


Prime time match tonight between two heavyweights in the HCC. Your Rocks are fighting to defend their title. Tonight, the ring awaits in Red Stanley Stadium. Can we count on you to be in our corner when the bell rings at 7pm?

Thursday, October 2, 2014

#RockReport HSE and Brownsburg Freshmen

Things got a little backlogged last week, so here are two weeks worth of Freshmen Rock Reports...

HSE
On Monday night, the freshman Rocks returned home to Westfield after having secured a major victory against the rival Millers of Noblesville the previous week. Our young protagonists took the field against another Hamilton County rival – in this case, the Royals from the southeastern side of the county. What ensued was a physical shootout and a continuous display of improvement from the freshman Rocks; however, the young men did not come home with the victory, losing 34-20 to their adversaries. The young men have learned from this difficult setback, and they are ready to go out and succeed in their next game.

Quarterback Cameron Nance again led the offense in its most productive outing since early in the season. Cameron led the aerial attack, while Nathan Froelich and Alec Salsbury pounded away on the ground. With a depleted receiving cast missing contributors such as Kaleb Pettijohn and Bryan Hoover, Nance called on the numbers of some other young receivers, and they answered wonderfully. Matthew Meyer stepped up and made a number of drive-saving grabs. Jacob Miner, who played a little bit of everywhere on Monday night, came down with the football multiple times, including a touchdown on the last play of the game.

Defensively, the young Rocks fought hard the whole game. The defense swarmed to the football, and Seth Tackett made a huge interception off an HSE pass. Logan McClurg came up with a number of big tackles at cornerback, while the linebacking crew of Froelich, Welch, Noyes, and Randolph pursued the ball all over the field.

The special teams unit played admirably throughout the game. The punt squad changed field position for the teams multiple times, and the PAT squad was automatic after each touchdown. Kickoff added some flair, recovering an onside kick that led to a Rocks’ touchdown.

Ladies and gentlemen, although this game’s outcome was not as desired, the young Rocks of Westfield played hard from kickoff through the game’s close.

Brownsburg
On the last Monday of September, the freshman Rocks went to Brownsburg to face the Bulldogs. The young men learned about the values of toughness and grit in their loss to their foes, finishing the game with a final score of 34-7.

Offensively, the linemen showed improvement, taking on the stout rush of the Brownsbug front and paving the way for big rushes by running backs Nate Froelich and Alec Salsbury. Quarterback Cameron Nance also ran his way through the Brownsburg defense multiple times. A depleted receiving corps also stepped up and contributed to the Rocks’ score as Kaleb Pettijohn caught Nance’s ball on a slant route and turned it upfield into the endzone.

The defense of the Rocks had some standout players. On the line, Michael Delaney had a few big plays pressuring the Bulldog quarterback. Connor Henderson contributed with a sack as well. Eli Akers and Aidan Mullett saw some significant action at linebacker in this game.

The special teams units came out and performed admirably. As a punter, Nathan Froelich changed the scape of the field many times and added a point with his PAT kick. Kickoff return handled the onside and pooch kicks of Brownsburg quite well all game.

The freshman class is improving as a whole, and they have had a spirited week of practice. They are determined to be better. Please support the players as they come back home this Monday, October 6th, to take on the Orioles of Avon. You all are greatly appreciated!

#RockReport Brownsburg JV

The Westfield Junior Varsity football team manufactured an “ugly victory” against the Brownsburg Bulldogs.

Two quarterbacks captained the JV Rocks offense throughout the morning, sophomores Andy Sweet and Caleb Sanburn (who was thrust into the spotlight and performed admirably). The game started off with a delay for the Rocks O, when the Bulldogs pulled a dastardly trick and recovered an onside kick on the first play of the day. Sanburn started the say at Quarterback, but Sweet came in during the second quarter and finished off the drive with a 20 yard flip pass to sophomore Devin McGinnis on a busted play. Later Sanburn finished the Bulldogs off with a go ahead score from running back (his third position played in the game). Junior wide receiver Will McCool provided stability for the team, while sophomore Ruslan Abamislimov provided a spark from the backfield to chants of “the Rus is Loose”.

The JV defense brought their A game against a depleted Bulldog offense. Sophomore cornerback Chris Zolto was a Rock for the defense on the edge all game, making multiple plays and preventing big plays. Sophomore Josh Tuffnell made the play of the day when he blitzed into the Bulldog backfield, blew up the beleaguered Brownsburg ball carrier, and caused the brute to belch up the ball. The loose ball was retrieved by sophomore defensive tackle Joe Foster who rumbled, bumbled, and stumbled his way into the end zone with a convoy of every Rock defender on the field. Varsity guard Jordan “Trunks” Long was caught on tape with an incredulous and exacerbated expression on his face.

The Rocks team put together a domineering performance in all phases of the game including special teams. The punt team was able to pin the opponents inside the 5 yard line early in the game thanks to Sanburn’s extra effort. Sanburn was almost able to perform this feet again, but sophomore star linebacker Justin Frey decided to punt the ball a second time into the end zone for a touchback.

The JV Rocks team bounced back from a tough loss last week and managed to get back into the win column. The JV team returns to action on Saturday October 4th at 10:00 am at Avon High School.

Wednesday, October 1, 2014

Stadium Update: We Have a Field!


Some of you may have seen this via Twitter already, but we got our hands on a Rockin' aerial view of the new turf, just a few letters shy of completion. I also snapped a shot of the gold end zone prior to lettering. Pretty awesome, right?