#RockReport Sectional I - Jeff

Photo Credit: JCOnline

Last night, your Shamrocks traveled to Lafayette Jefferson High School to face the Bronchos in the first round of their Sectional bracket, earning a 38-14 victory. The win represents the first step for the Rocks on their postseason journey, putting them in the Sectional Championship next Friday, where they will face the Lafayette McCutcheon Mavericks.

Offensively, the Shamrocks exploded in the first half, scoring all of their points before halftime and going in with a 38-0 lead. Johnny Swidan led the way, dragging would-be Broncho tacklers as the Shamrock offense pounded the rock. Chad Reeh and Andy Sweet tacked on consistent play in support of the dominant run game, while tossing just enough passes to keep the Broncho defense on their heels. The big play of the night came on the first drive, when Sweet hooked up with Evan Manley for a long touchdown.

The Rock D stifled the Bronchos and generated plenty of turnovers to help put this game away early. Brian Skelton seemed to be all over the ball last night, coming away with several takeaways, including a key interception on one of the early Broncho drives. Jackson Garrett and Caleb Sanburn kept things consistent with physical play both in the box and in the secondary. The Rocks held the Bronchos scoreless in the first half, and only gave up scores late with the game well in hand.

Shamrock special teams got in on the fun last night, generating a blocked punt that Skelton returned for a touchdown. The field goal team was also able to put one through for a score after one of the Broncho turnovers, and William Harrison launched a booming punt one of the few times the Rocks found themselves pinned in their own territory, flipping the field.

Special mention should be given to Jeremiah Edwards, Trevor Lickfelt, and Cam Simons. These Rocks made significant contributions in preparing the team for the Friday contest. They attacked each day during the week, providing the best possible look for their fellow teammates.

The Rocks will host the Sectional Championship next week, where they will face the McCutcheon Mavericks. Kickoff is scheduled for 7pm.

#GameDay Sectional I @ Lafayette Jefferson Bronchos

Tonight, your Rocks will travel to Lafayette in order to face the Bronchos of Jefferson High School in the opening round of their Sectional. The Bronchos enter with a 6-3 record, coming off a 55-48 win two weeks ago against Muncie Central. The only opponent that they share with Westfield is the Harrison Raiders, to whom they lost 40-8 back in week 4. (The Rocks won their week 1 contest against the Raiders 38-17.)

The Bronchos come in with a hot hand on the offensive side of the ball. While they average 30 points per game on 378 yards (216 on the ground), they have put up 55, 47, and 50 points in their last three contests, so this is a team that can score. The Rock D will have its work cut out for them, limiting a speedy Broncho ground attack. RB Latrell Brown (#22) leads the way averaging just shy of 100 rushing yards per game, while QB Mathew Wilkerson (#16) throws for 158 yards per game. Wilkerson's favorite targets are WRs Justin Walker (#2) and Jalen Williams (#9) with 5 and 7 TDs, respectively. Walker will also occasionally line up in the "wildcat" formation, utilizing his exceptional speed for a different style of rushing attack.

The Shamrock offense will need to dominate the line tonight, pounding the rock with their signature running attack. Look for big chunks of yardage on the ground as the Rocks aim to control the game flow with physical, smash-mouth football.

This is the first of hopefully many playoff games, but every game can certainly be the last. We know Lafayette is quite the drive, but we could use all the friendly voices we can get on the road, during the playoffs. Need directions? We've got you covered. Kickoff is scheduled for 7pm. See you there!

#RockReport Freshmen vs Hamilton Heights

The Freshman Rocks of Westfield capped off their season on Saturday, October 15th, with an impressive win over the Hamilton Heights Huskies at beautiful Riverview Health Stadium – Home of the Rocks.

After a big kickoff return by Special Teams Mr. Consistency Award Winner Trevor Lickfeldt, the Rock Offense took charge of the game. On the game’s first play, the Rocks set the tone for the rest of the game. Eli Patchett, offensive player of the game, took the wide toss from Camden Simons; instead of running it down the field, Patchett set his feet behind the offensive line and dialed up Dane Wheeler running undefended along the sideline. Patchett delivered the pass right into the hands of the speedy Wheeler who ran the ball into the end zone for a long first touchdown.

After a Jacob Riddle kickoff, the Rock Defense went out to work. The Huskies moved down the field; however, the Rocks merely bent, and never broke. Big tackles on the drive came from Gabe Henderson and Aidan White on a big fourth down stop in the red zone.

The Rocks’ second score came quickly. After a solid Lickfeldt run to start the drive, Cam Simons found Eli Patchett over the middle of the field on a slant. Patchett ran unabated into the end zone for a 70 yard touchdown. A Jacob Riddle PAT made the score 14-0 with 4:50 left in the first quarter.

The defense’s second drive was impressive, as the defensive line set up a brick wall impossible for the Huskies to run around. Griffin Burge and Ross Krieg combined for a number of stops, forcing a three and out.

The Rocks run game wasted no time in getting into the mix on the third drive. Quarterback Camden Simons called his own number to get positive rushing yards, and Offensive Mr. Consistency  Trevor Lickfeldt powered his way to the end zone following behind crushing interference from the six blocks of granite known as the Westfield Offensive Line – Krieg, Netral, Parker, Honeycutt, Mclaurin and Kaster. A Riddle PAT made the score 21-0.

Defensively, the Rocks forced an immediate turnover. After a sack for the defense’s big play, Gabe Henderson came through yet again with a fumble-inducing tackle recovered by Krieg to set up the Rock O with the ball while still in the first quarter.

As the second quarter commenced, the Rock Offense started the drive with a Simons passing attempt. After the incomplete pass, Trevor Lickfeldt outflanked the defense with a 30 yard run to the end zone. A penalty on the PAT attempt allowed the Rocks to go for two, which they converted with Lickfeldt running in once again, making the score 29-0.

The Rocks kept their pedal to the floor, as Riddle kicked a picture perfect pooch onside, which was recovered by the Grant Joyce for the big play of special teams. The Rocks Offense capitalized on this, and marched the ball down the field. The offensive line led the charge with great runs by Lickfeldt, Zach Allen, and Eli Patchett, who scored on a powerful charge. That marked Patchett’s 3rd score – one through passing, one through receiving, and one through running. Riddle’s extra point tagged onto the score, leading to 36-0.

The Huskies’ following drive was followed by the likes of Zach Allen, who physically disrupted a pass thrown his way, and Luke Honeycutt, who burst through the line to get a big 3rd down stop. The Rock O took over the ball but had to punt it away, leading to a Heights score. The extra point made the score 36-7 in favor of the Rocks.

The Rock offense got one last opportunity to score before the half, and they took full advantage of this. Led by Cam Simons, the offense marched down the field like clockwork. A big pass from Simons to Patchett led to a physical 15 yard Lickfeldt touchdown. The extra point brought the score to 43-7.

As the second half commenced, the Huskies scored their final touchdown the initial kickoff return. The point after attempt failed, leading to a score of 43-13. The Rocks continued to play physical football. Zach Allen took the reins at running back, and Hunter Will took charge of the offense. Both players found themselves gaining big run yardage. Defense continued to play its physical brand of football. Alan White wreaked havoc on the Husky side of the line of scrimmage from his position of defensive tackle. Defensive Player of the Game Grant Joyce came down with a big pick to finish the game and secure the victory in the hands of the Rocks.

The 2016 football season was great. The freshman Rocks finished with a 5-4 record and are now hungry to join the Varsity on their quest for a state championship. Marked with improvement and many enjoyable moments, this season was unique for the special quality of the young men and their love of the game. The 2016 freshman class will continue its winning ways as it develops as a part of the Varsity squad, and they will be great contributors in years to come!

#RockReport JV @ Brebeuf

The Westfield Junior Varsity football team had its final game of the season vs the Braves of Brebeuf Jesuit Preparatory High School. The JV Rocks were looking to overcome a season record of 1-4 earlier this year and bring that mark up to 5-4 with a victory vs the Braves. The were successful, winning 31-13.

The JV Rocks offense overcame a few miscues earlier in the game and ended up with a dominant 31 point performance. Junior quarterback Cameron Nance rushed for two scores and provided clutch plays for the Rocks running for first downs and hooking up with junior wide receiver Tyler Canada for a crucial first down in the second half.  Sophomore running back Owen McGraw also delivered a huge play at the start of the second half with a big run of 45 yards for the touchdown on the first play of the half to blow the game wide open. McGraw also had two touchdowns on the ground for the day.  The offensive line performed admirably on their final game of the season anchored by sophomore center Justin Case who had himself a hammer award for his physical play on the day.  Sophomores Aaron Hackleman and Drew Johnson as well as juniors Edvin Cortez and Michael Delaney were solid upfront all day for the Rocks offense.

The JV Rocks defense was smothering all day vs an overmatched Brebeuf team. The defensive line was especially dominant lead by junior defensive tackle and antique tractor enthusiast Eli Ross.  Junior defensive back Seth Tackett came up with two huge interceptions stopping promising Brebeuf drives.  Sophomore safeties Gerald George and Eric Kriskovich also provided solid coverage and run support for the Rocks defense.

On special teams McGraw came up with a huge punt block to give the Rocks offense great field position and sophomore kicker Alex Bales nailed two field goals in the first half including a huge kick at the end of the first half to give the Rocks a 12-7 lead.

The JV Rocks football team has concluded their season and would like to thank all of the fans and parents who came out to support us this year.

#RockReport Brebeuf

Photocredit: Hamilton County Reporter

Last night, the Shamrocks earned a 37-21 victory against a scrappy Brebeuf Braves football team. The win finishes out the regular season for the Rocks, sporting a 7-2 overall record.

Offensively, the Shamrocks were led by Nate Froelich. The talented running back ripped off large chunks of yardage for the offensive, with one run in particularly serving a spark in the second half. During the run, Froelich dashed through a half dozen Brave defenders, criss-crossing the field and covering nearly 60 yards for the score. Austin "Tiny" Dollens added consistent play up front with the O-line, while Evan Manley led the wide receivers. Manley made a fantastic diving catch for one of the Shamrocks' early scores.

The Rock D was able to limit the Braves to 21 points after starting a bit slow. They ratcheted up the physicality in the second half, and were able to frustrate a dynamic Braves quarterback with pressure. Koby Hauser led the way with solid coverage in the secondary, while also bringing physicality down to the line of scrimmage when called upon. Matthew Tongate added consistent play on the defensive line. The big play of the night was early, when Hauser intercepted a Brave pass in the end zone, thwarting a Brebeuf scoring attempt.

On special teams, the Rocks were able to maintain an advantage over the Braves. Caleb Sanburn provided consistent play, with solid, reliable long snaps. Will Harrison nailed a 50-yard field goal to end the first half, and Nate Froelich recovered a late onside attempt by the Braves to help seal the victory.

Special mention should be given to Seth Feltner, Jacob Crabtree, and Seth Tackett. These Rocks made significant contributions in preparing the team for the Friday contest. They attacked each day during the week, providing the best possible look for their fellow teammates.

The Rocks will enjoy a bye next week, as they prepare start their playoff journey by travelling to Lafayette to take on the Bronchos in the first round of the sectional on Friday, October 28th.

#GameDay Brebeuf

Tonight, you Rocks will host the Brebeuf Braves at beautiful Riverview Health Stadium. The Braves come in with a 4-4 record (1-2 on the road) with their most recent victory being a stunning 24-17 victory over Cathedral. Brebeuf also faced Zionsville early last month, falling 28-33 to the Eagles.

The Braves average 268 yards per game (165 passing), and average only 18 points. Still, as their victory last week showed, they are perfectly capable of handing a highly ranked 6A team a defeat, and should most definitely not be taken lightly. The Rocks will need to limit the dynamic run/pass talent of QB Luke Iffert (#3). Iffert leads the team in rushing per game, as well as slinging the ball effectively downfield. His two favorite targets are Max Kucer (#8) and Jacob Pressler (#12), both of whom have notched 3 TDs a piece this season.

It's the last game of the regular season, so tonight is Senior Night for the Rocks. Come out and honor the seniors that have given so much to the program over the last four years. They will look to lead the Rocks to take care of business tonight, and hopefully wrap up the regular season with a win. Kickoff is scheduled for 7pm.

#RockReport JV Catch-Up

The JV report skipped a week, so here's a recap for the last two games...

The Westfield Junior Varsity football team had two very triumphant victories over the two conference opponents the last two weekends. The Rocks were able to bring enthusiasm and execute well in both games winning a close game against Avon 21-20, while completely dominating Fishers high School with a 24-0 shut-out.

The first game included a come from behind victory by the Rocks lead by Junior quarterback Cam Nance and Junior wide receiver Kaleb Pettijohn. An early turn over caused by the Rocks special teams lead to a short run by sophomore running back Owen McGraw. Pettijohn added another score later in the second half. The Rocks defense ended up stopping the Avon offense on a to-be game winning drive where the Orioles got down to the 1-yard line and were denied by a stout defensive effort. Junior linebacker Matthew Noyes provided a safety and the game winning forced fumble to seal the game for the Rocks.

The JV Rocks played the Fishers Tigers next. This game was a complete rout by the Rocks from the first whistle of the game. The Rocks offense was able to move the ball up and down the field with the help of junior linemen Michael Delaney, Edvin Cortez and Joe Marra, sophomore linemen Aaron Hackleman, Quinten Tew, Drew Johnson, and Justin Case. Sophomore Owen McGraw scored on a long touchdown run in the second quarter and junior kicker Alex Bales added a field goal just before the half. Junior receiver Matthew Meyer added another score as well as junior tight end Hayden Rodgers. Junior Seth Tackett intercepted a ball late in the game after junior defensive end Andrew Pazdernick delivered a monstrous hit on the Fishers Quarterback to cause the errant pass.

The JV Rocks football team will look to keep their current winning streak alive and end the season with a winning record by playing away vs Brebeuf Jesuit High School on Saturday October 17th at 10 a.m.