#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 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 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 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.

#GameDay @Avon

Tonight, your Rocks will travel to Avon to take on the Orioles. Both teams come into this game with a 4-2 overall record, though Avon is a half game up in the conference at 2-1. In terms of common opponents, Avon has beaten Brownsburg (62-27) and HSE (38-7).

This is another team that can put up some points. The Orioles are averaging 45 ppg on 435 ypg (163 ground, 272 air). Sampson James (#2) is their lead rusher, averaging 122 ypg on the ground. Avon also boasts a standout wide-receiver in Isaac Guerendo (#23). QB Cameron Misner (#15) has already hooked up with the burner for 12 TDs and 921 yards. The Rock D will need to bounce back after a rough outing last week and put the brakes on the high-octane Oriole offense, while the Shamrock offense will need to find an end-zone that has eluded them for two straight weeks.

This is one of the longer conference drives, but we could certainly use a whole bunch of friendly voices in the stands tonight. Need directions? We've got you covered. Expect travel times to creep up during rush hour. Kickoff is scheduled for 7pm.

#RockReport Brownsburg

Not a whole lot to write about this week, as this is one I'm sure most Rocks fans would rather forget. The Brownsburg Bulldogs came in and thrashed your Rocks, spoiling homecoming with a 41-7 victory. The Rocks fought hard, but struggled to get much going against a stout Bulldog defense, and the Rock D couldn't find a way to stop the many Bulldog weapons. The lone score of the night came from a blocked Bulldog punt that the Rocks were able to recover in the end zone.

The Rocks will look to bounce back from this one when they travel to Avon next Friday and face the Orioles. Kickoff is scheduled for 7pm.

#RockReport @Hamilton Southeastern

Photo by Kyle Atkisson

Your Rocks traveled to HSE last night and faced the Royals, falling 13-0. This marks the first loss of the year for the Shamrocks, and puts them at 2-1 in the conference.

Offensively, the Shamrocks were blanked for the first time in quite a while. They struggled to move the ball, generating only 159 yards of total offense. They fought hard, but ultimately could not find the answer to crack the Royal defense. The Rock D fared slightly better, yielding only 13 points, 6 of which came late in the game with the team pressing for a break. Still, they failed to generate a takeaway on a night when the offense really could have used the advantage. Shamrock Special Teams struggled as well, failing to convert a field goal, though the punting game was a consistent area of strength on the night. The game was a low scoring grinder, with the Royals coming up with big plays when needed and the Rocks unable to answer. The Rocks will look to rebound next week.

Special mention should be given to Zach Allen, Jacob Netral, and Leonnel Juarez. 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, your Rocks will come home to host the Brownsburg Bulldogs. Kickoff is scheduled for 7pm.

Photo by Kyle Atkisson

#RockReport Noblesville

Photo by Kyle Atkisson

On Friday, your Rocks earned a 30-26 victory over the visiting Noblesville Millers retaining the Midland Rail rivalry trophy. It took nearly every second of the 4 quarters, as the Rocks were able to take the lead for good with only 19 seconds remaining to play. With the victory, Westfield improves to 4-0.

Offensively, the Shamrocks were led by the gutsy play of WR Kyle Pepiot. Drew Johnson anchored a consistent offensive line that proved key in opening running lanes. The most important of these lanes was created with 0:19 showing on the clock and the ball in RB Nate Froelich's hands. Froelich blasted through the hole to snatch the lead on a TD run.

The Rock D really struggled in this game, yielding early points to a team that hadn't been scoring particularly well so far this season. Still, give the Millers credit, as they obviously brought their "A" game, pushing the Rocks to the brink. The Rock D was able to seal the game at the end, however, when Owen McGraw intercepted a long pass in the waning seconds of the game.

Shamrock Special Teams came out hot to start the game, generating a takeaway on the opening kickoff when Kyle Pepiot forced a fumble that was recovered by K Alex Bales. They also tacked on a field goal and were led by the outstanding play of Koby Hauser. Cooper Boehm added consistent high energy when he was in the game as the Special Teams were able to gain any edge in this phase of the game.

Special mention should be given to Calvin Grenda, Griffin Burge, and Griffin Pope. 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, you Rocks will travel to Hamilton Southeastern High School to face the Royals. Kickoff is scheduled for 7pm.

Photo by Kyle Atkisson

#GameDay Noblesville

Tonight, the Noblesville Millers will travel a short distance down highway 32 to visit Riverview Health Stadium and take on your Rocks. The Millers come in at 0-3 and are hungry to get in the win column. Last week the lost to Fishers 0-29.

A big problem for the Millers has been points. They're averaging only 5.6 ppg on 188 yards (116 air, 71 ground). They are led by Christian Collier (#28, 35 rushing ypg) on the ground, and QB Grant Gremel (#14, 116 passing ypg) tends to spread the ball out among all of his receivers. LB Eddie
Dziennik (#1) is leading the team in tackles, averaging an impressive 15 per game.

Though the Millers have struggled early this season, they always play Westfield close. These Midland Rivalry games have typically been decided by only a score or two, so definitely do not make the mistake of thinking this one is in the bag. The Rocks will need to come out and flex their defensive muscle while putting up points on a defense that has typically held them in check.

No directions needed for this one. Hope to see you out at Riverview Health Stadium for what might just be the first game that really feels like fall. Kickoff is scheduled for 7pm.

#RockReport Zionsville

Last night, your Rocks retained the Shining Star Rivalry trophy, defeating the Zionsville Eagles 28-21. The Rocks had a three touchdown lead heading into the fourth, but the Eagles rallied back with 14 unanswered points to bring this game to the wire. The Rock D held on fourth down backed up to their own 13 yard line to seal the deal.

Offensively, the Rocks were led by Nate Froelich's relentless ground assault. Kyle Pepiot also tacked no consistent play at the receiver position. The big play of the night came with QB Cam Nance zipping the ball in Matthew Meyer in the end zone to give the Rocks the lead going into halftime.

The Rock D spent a lot of time on the field tonight, anchored by the stellar corner play of Dorian Henson. Seth Tackett added consistent play at the other corner, and the big play of the night was a bit earlier in the night than the second fourth down stop to end the game. This fourth down stop came in the third when the Eagles decided to gamble and go for it despite being in their own territory. The Rocks stopped them cold, setting up a short field for the offense.

Shamrock Special Teams struggled a bit with two missed field goals, but had a couple of good kickoff returns to set the offense up well. The consistent play of Koby Hauser helped to muscle the Rocks through this phase of the game, while Cam Nance added a big play by chasing down the Eagle who recovered a blocked FG, saving a potential touchdown.

Special mention should be given to Mason Cox and Gary George. 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, your Rocks will host the Noblesville Millers, as the rivalry section of the schedule continues. Kickoff to decide the winner of the Midland Rail trophy is scheduled for 7pm.

#GameDay @Zionsville

The Eagles have landed. Tonight, your Rocks will venture over to Zionsville and battle for the Shining Star Rivalry trophy.

Zionsville comes into the contest at 1-1, having beaten Pike by 1 and lost last week to Lebanon by three. So, they are no strangers to close games. The Eagles are averaging 32 ppg through two contests on 401 yards (176 ground, 225 air). Nick Brier (#35) is their leading rusher, averaging 95 ypg, while QB Andrew Broecker (#15, 450 yards) most often finds leading WR Mitchell Canada (#2, 170 yards) through the air.

Rivalries in the HCC are always intense affairs, and tonight's fight is shaping up to be a good one. The Rocks will look to deliver a one-two knockout blow with stout defense and relentless offense, but this one will likely take all four rounds to decide.

Rocks' fans, we could really use your voices tonight! Zionsville is just a stones throw away. We've got a map below if you need one. Kickoff is scheduled for 7pm and there will be a live stream on WHMB TV40 here. Hope to see you there!

#RockReport Southport

Last night, your Rocks traveled down to Lucas Oil Stadium and took care of business against the Southport Cardinals. Down 0-14 at the half, the Rocks rallied back to score 21 unanswered points in the second half, improving to 2-0 on the season.

Offensively, Cam Nance led the way with key conversions in the second half. Levi Kaster and Matthew Meyer added consistent play. The big play of the night came on a pretty v-out route where Nance dropped the ball in to Pat Beam for a touchdown, one of the two times that the pair found the end zone,

The Rock D was led from the trenches by the D-line play of Michael Delaney. Koby Hauser tacked on consistent play on a night where the D forced the Cardinals to turn the ball over on downs three times. Perhaps the most impressive of those stops came when the Rocks were regaining momentum in the second half, and were able to correctly adjust to an overloaded Cardinal formation to make a fourth down tackle for loss.

In the Special Teams phase, the Rocks anchored by the consistent play of Matthew Meyer. Matthew Noyes was also able to get a hand on a punt, creating fantastic field position for the resulting drive.

Special mention should be given to Sam Medlen, Jacob Riddle, and Grant Joyce. 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, your Rocks will travel to Zionsville to face the Eagles in the conference opener. Kickoff is scheduled for 7pm.

#Gameday Southport

Both teams are traveling tonight, as your Rocks will be taking on the Southport Cardinals in Lucas Oil Stadium tonight. Southport comes in 0-1 having lost to Roncalli last week. They managed just 3 points, but had 203 yards of total offense (to compare, we had 209 last week). This is a team that will be hungry to notch one in the win column.

Southport appears to have a pretty balanced attack, accounting for those 203 yards with 99 rushing and 104 passing. Jalen Caldwell (#32) leads the team on the ground, while Rashawn Haskins (#8) being the top target. Westfield will look to limit those two weapons on D, and put up a two-pronged attack of its own to remain undefeated.

Kickoff is scheduled to follow the end of the previous game, and should be somewhere around 8:30pm. See you there!

Need directions? Head downtown and look for the huge stadium. More than that? Okay, we've got you covered:

#RockReport Harrison

On Friday the West Lafayette Harrison Raiders visited, hoping to plunder the start of the Shamrock season, but left disappointed. Your Rocks earned a 22-7 victory over Harrison to start 1-0. There was a fantastic turnout from the community as Coach Robo was honored and previous state contender teams were recognized.

Offensively, the first Rock score of the year came on a razzle, dazzle double pass, with Matthew Meyer hooking up with Kyle Pepiot for 6. The Raiders were able to answer with a score of their own, but then the Rock D took over and shut the door for the rest of the evening. The D was led by fantastic efforts from Koby Hauser and Collin Caldwell. The big play of the night came when the D forced a four down turnover backed up inside their own 5, with the Raiders making it as far as the 1 yard line and yet still being denied the score. Cam Frye added consistent play as the Rock D held Harrison to its lowest point total against the Rocks in 7 years.

Special Teams contributed to the highlights as well, with Alex Bales converting on all of his field goals and extra points. He also tacked on a 49 yard punt. Sam Lupear added consistent play in this phase of the game.

Special mention should be given to Reece Fisher, Blair Clark, and Nathan Hayward. 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.

The Rocks will travel to Lucas Oil Stadium next Friday to face the Southport Cardinals. Kickoff will follow the completion of the game before it, which is currently estimated to be around 8:30pm.

#GameDay Harrison

High School Football is finally upon us! Tonight across the state, the thud of foot on leather will be heard as communities come together to cheer on their warriors. Your Rocks will host the West Lafayette Harrison Raiders, aiming to celebrate both the start of a new season and the success of years past. Two runners-up and one state champion team will be honored tonight prior kickoff. That means a whole bunch of past Rocks will be in attendance to watch this year's crop go full throttle against the Raiders.

Both teams come in with a clean 0-0 record. The Raiders are coming off success of their own last season, having won their first conference title in 20 years. They, too, graduated a good amount of key seniors, so both teams will look to stamp their identity as winners tonight. Running back Dawson Dahnke (#35) will be the focal point of the office, which the defense should be anchored by linebackers Butch Knox (#49) and Keon Dillon (#25).

No map needed tonight. Riverview Health Stadium will be rocking. Hope to see you there. Kickoff is scheduled for 7pm.

#GameDay Scrimmage vs Ben Davis

High School Football is almost upon us. The lights are getting warmed up. Tonight will be your first official look at your 2017 Rocks when Ben Davis visits Riverview Health Stadium for a scrimmage.

We wanted to pass along the format of the scrimmage so that you know what will be going down. We have chosen to go with "Option B" per the IHSAA definitions. It is as follows:

• 20 Minute Warm-Up
• 15 Plays or 18 Minutes Team A -35 Yard Line 
• 15 Plays or 18 Minutes Team B -35 Yard Line
• 4 Minute Break
• 10 Plays or 12 Minutes Team A +10 Yard Line
• 10 Plays or 12 Minutes Team B +10 Yard Line
• 4 Minute Break
• 12 Plays or 12 Minutes Team A +35 Yard Line
• 12 Plays or 12 Minutes Team B +35 Yard Line
• 2 Minute Transition Break [Entry of reserve players who have not yet played]
• 8 Plays or 8 Minutes Team A - RESERVES -35 Yard Line
• 8 Plays or 8 Minutes Team B - RESERVES -35 Yard Line
• 4 Minute Break
• 8 Plays or 8 Minutes Team A - RESERVES Yard Line of Choice
• 8 Plays or 8 Minutes Team B – RESERVES Yard Line of Choice

The fun starts at 7pm. See you under the lights! #RISE

RISE

In case you missed our tweet over the weekend, we wanted to give our school community a collective pat on the back here. Rocks took first place in the Indiana Blood Center blood drive for the third time with 169 units. Way to go, Westfield!

Giving is a great way to kick off the high school football season. School doesn't start quite yet, but around the state today, student athletes are strapping up and going to work for the first official practices of the 2017 football season. Here's hoping it's another great one! You'll be able to catch a glimpse of your hard-working, state-champion Rocks all week at Riverview Health Stadium gearing up to represent Westfield at the 6A level this season.

See you under the lights, soon. RISE.