#RockReport Sectional I @ Lafayette Jeff

Photo by K. Atkisson

The reality of high school football in the state of Indiana is that, for all but 6 teams, your high school career will end with a loss. And that loss will sting. As coaches, we like to say that if it doesn't sting, then we have done something wrong along the way. With the dedication that it takes to be a Rock, and the culture that has been built through seniors like this class, I feel fortunate to say that last night stung. Your Rocks traveled up to Lafayette to face a Broncho that remains undefeated, ending our season with a heartbreaking 27-24 defeat.

As with most football seasons in Westfield, we were not ready for this one to end. The head coach of Lafayette Jeff provided (perhaps unintentionally) one of the best compliments I have read from an opposing coach. He said (via pre-game J&C article here): "We watch Westfield film when we show our guys how to have fun and celebrate and get excited about the game of football."

It could be said that it is much easier to live out your principles when things are going well, when you are winning. I cannot emphasize enough that, despite things not going their way, this team stuck together and stayed the course that had been set before them by previous Rocks. They strove to reach their full potential with exuberant enthusiasm while valuing brotherhood. They built bonds that I hope will last them a lifetime, while using their platform to have a positive impact on the world around them. In this way, we can truly say that they were able to RISE to the occasion and represent our community with PRIDE.

This year's seniors had very big shoes to fill. Last year, we graduated 40 seniors from a state champion team. Reloading, coming back to defend that championship was a daunting task. It is a testament to the commitment of this year's seniors that our culture and principles stayed strong. In a season filled with adversity, it was also filled with laughter, complicated handshakes, sporadic dancing and, most of all, Family.

To those seniors, thank you. You will most certainly be missed. But remember: Once a Rock, always a Rock.

To the underclassmen and all future Rocks let us be clear: the shoes did not get any smaller. Remember this year's leadership when your own time comes. Remember these seniors and the example they have set.

As always, we are grateful for the support of our fans, community, and the administration. We are sad for the season to end, but we hope that we have made you proud as Your Rocks.

Photo by K. Atkisson

#GameDay Sectional I - Lafayette Jeff

Tonight, your Rocks will travel up to Lafayette Jefferson High School to take on the Bronchos in their 6A State Tournament opener. The winner of tonight's game will proceed to the Sectional Championship and face the winner of the Carmel/Noblesville tilt. Jeff comes into the game with a perfect 9-0 record and ranked #6 in the final AP poll of the regular season. The only common opponent that the two teams have faced during the regular season were the Harrison Raiders. Jeff defeated the Raiders 49-39, while the Rocks beat the Raiders 22-7.

The Bronchos are averaging a healthy 48.2 ppg on 486 yards (257 air, 230 ground). QB Mathew Wilkerson (#16) will spread the ball around to all of his receivers, utilizing their athleticism in an aggressive air attack. The ground game is spearheaded by RB Marquis Munoz (#32) who is averaging 111 ypg.

The Rocks will need to snap a 5 game losing streak against an extremely hot team tonight. They will have to limit an electric Broncho offense to grind out a victory on the road. It's a long drive, but we could definitely use a whole lot of friendly voices in the stands tonight.

It will be dry come game time, with temps in low 40's, so bundle up if you're coming. Need directions? We've got you covered. Kickoff is scheduled for 7pm.

#RockReport Freshmen @ Brebeuf

The freshman Rocks of Westfield finished their first season as high schoolers by beating Brebeuf Jesuit Preparatory of Indianapolis 35-14. With this win, the Rocks finished their season at 6-3.

The Rocks jumped right out at the beginning of the game with a long scoring drive. Player of the game Ayden Franzen made a huge catch on 4 th and long to keep the drive going, with the Rocks scoring on a Nick Talley to Zander Nguyen pass two plays later. The Rocks continued to be dominant throughout the game, scoring on all their first half drives. A strong running game was anchored by Center, Dakota Arvin, who won this week’s Mr. Consistency. He paved the way for many Jack Pfeiffer runs between the tackles. Pfeiffer accounted for three Rocks touchdowns with his running. As the game wound down, with Reid Shepers in at the helm as the quarterback, tight end Jacob Des Jardins made a big catch and run down to the 1 yard line, earning the game’s big play award.

Defensively, the Rocks looked to captain Seth Martin and David Frey. Both earned player of the game honors. Martin was consistently in the Brave backfield, wreaking havoc from his defensive end position while David Frey patrolled the secondary, stopping any long runs and essentially eliminating the passing game of Brebeuf. Throughout the entire first half, the defense allowed zero points from the Brebeuf offense. In the second half, safety Brady Kelly took away all hope of a Brebeuf comeback as he intercepted a deep pass that tried to put the Braves back into contention. On special teams, consistent performances stood out. Kicker Sean Sullivan placed his kickoffs perfectly, giving the Rock defense the best field position of the season. Flying down and earning multiple tackles in the kicking game was Ian Watson. On all PAT’s, snapper Lyle Beam was perfect with his snaps.

The coaching staff is proud of the accomplishments of this group of freshmen. Throughout the entire year, they embodied the fundamental traits of Westfield football. They have grown as players and young men, and we are excited to see them join the varsity both for this year’s playoffs and beyond.

#RockReport - JV vs Franklin Central

The Westfield Junior Varsity football team played their ninth and final game of the season on Saturday against Flashes of Franklin Central.  The Rocks were able to complete their sweep of the teams on their schedule with a 41-21 win and a 9-0 record on the year.

The Rocks offense started the game with chunk plays speeding down the field and scoring relentlessly against an overwhelmed Flash defense.  The player of the game was sophomore quarterback Camden Simons who passed for 3 touchdowns, ran for one, and assisted on another.  Sophomores Dane Wheeler and Reid Stewart were the recipients of Simons’s touchdown tosses.  Stewart also earned the consistency award by playing both tight end and offensive tackle for a depleted front five for the Rocks offense.  The big play for the Rocks came half way through the 3rd quarter on the first play of the half for the Rocks. Simons threw a backwards pass to sophomore receiver Mason Cox who set up and chucked the ball down field to sophomore Luke Jankowski for a 65+ yard touchdown which demoralized the Flashes.

The Rocks defense faced a formidable running attack but were more than up for the challenge.  The Rocks front 7 started the game with multiple three and out possessions, the second of which resulted in a botched snap on a Flashes punt attempt setting up the Rocks offense with a short field.  Junior linebacker Zach Collins and junior linemen Calvin Grenda earned player of the game and Mr. Consistency awards respectively for the defense.  The outcome of the game was sealed when junior safety Griffin Pope swooped in and intercepted a desperate attempt by the Flashes to salvage some semblance of offensive explosiveness in the game.

The JV Rocks football team has had a great season and represent a bright future for the Rocks.  The team was 9-0 on the year and HCC JV champions.  Congratulations Rocks!!

#RockReport Brebeuf

Photo by Kyle Atkisson

On Friday, your Rocks lost a heart-breaker at Brebeuf Jesuit Preparatory School to the Braves, 28-24. The game represents the latest in what has become an exciting series for the two school, with all of the contests being close affairs. This latest edition saw the Rocks jump out to a 17-7 lead at the half before the Brave came back. The two teams exchanges scores coming down to the wire with the Rocks eventually marching all the way down to the 14 yard line with 50 seconds left on the clock. The Rocks had several chances to score, but failed to convert through four downs, turning the ball over. The Braves then knelt it out to seal their victory.

The loss is the latest in a series of 5 tough games for the Rocks. Westfield finishes up the regular season with a 4-5 record. They will need to make use of this week's bye for 6A teams and sharpen back up for the playoffs. The Rocks face the Bronchos of Lafayette Jefferson High School in two weeks. More information on that game after the bye week.

Photo by Kyle Atkisson

#GameDay Brebeuf

Tonight, your Rocks will travel to the Brebeuf Jesuit Preparatory School to face the Braves in a non-conference contest. The Braves come in with an identical 4-4 record, so this game will determine which team comes out with a winning regular season. Brebeuf is currently on a 2 game win streak, having defeated HSE last week 30-0. Back in week 4, they lost to Zionsville 21-18 to round out the common opponents.

The Braves average 21.5 ppg on 244 ypg (77 ground, 167 air). Their leading rusher, Isaiah Martin (#32) is only averaging 39.3 rushing yards per game, so expect to see more of an aerial attack from Brebeuf tonight. QB Derrick Ozubo (#13) has thrown for 1310 yards on the season, and hooked up with his favorite target Jacob Pressler (#12) for 635 yards and 8 touchdowns.

This will be another test for the Rock secondary, who have been banged up and shaky the last several weeks. They will need to step up and shut down the Brave offense while the struggling Shamrock offense attempts to get its groove back. While this is a non-conference game, it is a key night for a Shamrock team looking to snap a 4 game losing streak going into the playoffs.

We could certainly use friendly voices in the stands tonight. Need directions? We've got you covered. Kickoff is scheduled for 7pm.

#RockReport Freshmen vs Fishers

The Westfield Rocks returned to winning form beating their conference opponents, the Fishers Tigers, by a score of 26-15. Competition was ferocious throughout the game, and Westfield’s Rocks found a way to win.

Defensively, the Rocks made a statement, as many early Fishers drives were ended in a forced punt or turnover on downs. Sayveion Woods-Dale made his presence felt at defensive tackle, earning player of the game honors. Safety David Frey who made many big tackles and intercepted a Fishers pass earned Mr. Consistency. The Big Play of the night went to Carson Voorhis who intercepted a pass and ran it back deep into Fishers territory. The offense scored two plays later.

The return of Mason Piening highlighted special teams, who contributed greatly to the win. For his well-placed punts and his kickoff returns, Piening wins the ST’s Player of the Game. Mr. Consistency goes to snapper Lyle Beam, who always got the ball where it needed to go in the kicking game. The Big Play of the Night was Jack Pfeiffer’s punt block deep in Fishers’ own territory.

On offense, the Rocks ran and passed the ball in a balanced attack. Factoring majorly into the game were the tight ends. Reid Schepers won Player of the Game for his blocking, and multiple catches, including one touchdown. The Big Play of the Night went to Mason Brooks on a high pass over the middle that he brought down for a touchdown. Bronson Kooy at right tackle performed consistently throughout the night, dominating on both run and pass blocks, earning him Mr. Consistency.

The Rocks will finish the season with a non-conference tilt at Brebeuf this Saturday, October 14 th . Kickoff is at 10:00 a.m.

Go Rocks!

#RockReport JV @ Fishers

The Westfield Junior Varsity football team played their eighth game of the season and final conference game on Saturday against the Striped Felines of Fishers.  The Rocks were undefeated on the season and playing for a conference championship, and they did not disappoint dominating the Tigers and winning the game 39-14 and finishing as undefeated conference champs. 

The Rocks offense started out with the ball and were facing a driving wind, but this did not slow down the vaunted offense.  The Rocks drove for over five minutes on their first drive and on the 12th play, sophomore running back and player of the game Trevor Lickfeldt scored his first of two touchdowns on the day.  The big play for the offense came on a 50 yard strike from sophomore quarterback Camden Simons to sophomore receiver Dane Wheeler on 3rd down with 25 yards to go.  This dynamic duo hooked up earlier in the game for another score and sophomore receiver Mason Cox added another receiving touchdown from Simons.  Sophomore lineman Mark McLaurin opened holes and protected the quarterback and was the driving force along with the rest of the offensive line that allowed the Rocks offense to be so successful.

The Rocks defense wasted no time making their mark on the game when junior linebacker and player of the game for defense Zach Collins intercepted the first play from scrimmage for the defense and ran it back for a touchdown.  The defense was stingy all day forcing multiple punts from the Tigers offense, which the punt block team then turned into blocks, fumbles, and turnovers. Junior cornerback and special teams superstar Sean Sykes recovered one fumble leading to another Rocks touchdown.  Sophomore cornerback and special-teamer Grant Joyce was solid all game on defense and special teams earning honors in both phases of the game.

The JV Rocks football team will play their final game of the season on Saturday October 14th  at 10 a.m @ Franklin Central High School.  This is a change from the original schedule.

#RockReport Fishers

Last night, your Rocks, led by their seniors, fought valiantly against the Fishers Tigers, but came up on the short end of a 17-27 contest. The Rocks came out strong in the first half, taking a 1 point lead into the locker room. The Tigers, however, burst out in the third quarter and put up 15 points against a long Shamrock field goal, thus opening a lead. Even still, the Rocks showed grit in the fourth quarter, putting up a late score to offset an additional pair of Tiger field goals.

Special mention should be given to Jacob Riddle, Reid Stewart, and Sam Medlen. These Rocks made significant contributions in preparing the team for the Friday contest. They made sure to RISE to the occasion during the week, providing the best possible look for their fellow teammates.

Next Friday, the Rocks will finish up their regular season by visiting the Brebeuf Braves. Kickoff is scheduled for 7pm.

#Gameday Fishers

Had some technical issues today, so the standard game day post is really late. Apologies. I'll be brief.

The Fishers Tigers are coming to Riverview Health Stadium tonight, looking to take advantage of a Rocks team that has been laid low the last few weeks. Fishers has had a bit of an up and down season, and their 3-4 record doesn't really seem to reflect the quality of their wins. They defeated HSE by 6 and Avon by 7. Like the Rocks, they also beat Noblesville but lost big to Brownsburg. They're coming of a loss to Roncalli last week, and will be hungry to even up their record.

Statistically, the two teams are nearly a dead lock across the board. We're averaging pretty much the same yardage and points, with a healthy spread between air and ground. Look for this to be a hard-fought game between two solid teams tonight.

No directions needed. Kickoff is scheduled for 7pm.

#RockReport Freshmen @ Avon

The freshman Rocks of Westfield lost in their away game to Avon, 35-7. To wrap up conference play, the Rocks will be back home this Monday, 9th at 6:00 p.m. to take on the Fishers Tigers.

The young men are excited to finish off conference play the right way -- playing physical, and playing as a team!

#RockReport - JV vs Avon

The Westfield Junior Varsity football team played their seventh game of the season and fifth conference game on Saturday against Orioles “with teeth” of Avon.  The Rocks were primed and ready to play on Saturday and got their 7th win of the season with a 30-18 victory. 

The Rocks offense started out on fire on Saturday, receiving the ball on the opening kick-off for the first time and systematically moving the ball down the field under the leadership of sophomore quarterback Camden Simons resulting in a touchdown by sophomore running back Trevor Lickfeldt behind a stout line anchored by sophomore Griffin Burge and sophomore receiver, wing, and player of the game Eli Patchett.  The Avon defense firmed up for the remanding of the half allowing only a field goal from junior kicker Andy Manzur, but in the second half, the Rocks responded with a flurry of point.  The first score came when Simons hit Patchett for a touchdown pass to start the second half.  Patchett later added another score on a punishing run through the entire Oriole defense for over 30 yards.  To put an exclamation point on the game came when Simons ran for over 40 yards on a designed quarterback run to seal the game.

The Rocks defense was punishing all afternoon as well.  The defensive player of the game was sophomore linebacker Eli Patchett who flew around the field and made plays all day.  The play of the game for the defense came after an interception thrown by the offense force the defense to defend a short field.  The very first play of defense, sophomore safety Shannon Bola swooped in and intercepted the pass to take the wind right out of the Orioles come back sails.  As the Orioles were attempting another comeback, the Rocks Hands Team recovered two onside kicks to seal the game.

The JV Rocks football team will look to keep their momentum going when they play Fishers High School for their final conference game on Saturday October 7th  at 10 a.m @ FHS.

#RockReport Avon

Photo by Kyle Atkisson

Unfortunately, another short post this week as your Rocks traveled to Avon and fell 24-6 to the Orioles. Both offenses struggled with a steady wind for most of the night, though the Shamrock offense failed to convert a few key times. The Rock D was also unable to come up with stops in key situations, while losing the turnover battle. Special Teams had a rocky night as well, missing an extra point.

The Rocks will look to end the three game skid when the Fishers Tigers come to Riverview Health Stadium this Friday. Kickoff is scheduled for 7pm.