Westfield Halts Rebel Uprising With 32-7 Win
FAIRFAX, VA -- In a game far less lopsided than the final score suggests, Westfield topped Fairfax 32-7 as they soured the Rebels' Homecoming.
The game between the two Concorde District schools was a closely contested battle before the midway point of the fourth quarter, which is when the Bulldogs would put a stranglehold on the game and deny any shot of a Fairfax win. Yet up until that point, the homestanding Rebels seemed poise to try and pull off the upset of #4 Westfield.
The action got started after a scoreless first quarter during which Fairfax dominated the time of possession. The Rebels, though, would eventually be rewarded for their efforts when they took a 7-0 lead early in the second quarter after a one-yard touchdown run by running back Chris Regensberg. The Bulldogs responded quickly with a 59-yard touchdown drive on the following series highlighted by a 25-yard run by Jordan Anderson to the Rebels' 19. The drive was capped two plays later by Anderson's touchdown plunge from the 2 yard line. Fairfax maintained a 7-6 lead after the missed extra point.
The Rebels' next drive stalled and Westfield's Zach Sargent returned a punt to the Fairfax 41 giving the Bulldogs excellent field position. With more productive running from Anderson, the Bulldogs marched to the Rebels' 5 yard line for a 1st and goal. Quarterback Danny Fenyak then hit Evan Winfrey with a touchdown pass giving Westfield a 12-7 halftime lead following another missed extra point.
As the half resumed, Fenyak and company went right back to work without skipping a beat. Engineering an impressive drive to open the third quarter, Fenyak hit three different receivers to advance the ball to the Rebels' eight yard line. In workmanlike fashion, Anderson powered the ball to just inside the one yard line and Fenyak snuck it in for another Westfield touchdown. The successful conversion gave the Bulldogs a rather comfortable 19-7 lead.
Yet just when it appeared that Westfield had all of the momentum, Fairfax put together an impressive drive of its own. Starting on their own 23, the Rebels marched down the field thanks to Regensberg, who continued to harass the Bulldogs with outstanding running. The quarter ended with Fairfax knocking on the door at Westfield's four yard line with a second and goal.
When the fourth quarter began, Rebels' running back Iogi Lewis carried the ball to the 3 yard line and Regensberg took it to the 1 on the next play bringing up a crucial 4th and goal. It looked inevitable that Fairfax would cut the lead to less than a touchdown, but the Bulldogs made an impressive goal line stand by stopping Regensberg's next run just inches short of the end zone after the initial touchdown call was reversed.
After the goal line stand, it was all Westfield from then out. Fenyak hit receiver Cole McIntuff with an 11-yard touchdown pass with just over seven minutes remaining, and Anderson ran for another touchdown less than two minutes later, resulting in the final 32-7 score. The Bulldogs' record remains unblemished at 7-0 while the Rebels fall to 3-4.
Velocity Sports Performance Players of the Game:
Danny Fenyak, QB, Westfield- Accounting for three of his team's five scores, Fenyak proved to be the hero tonight after a whole year of seeing running back Jordan Anderson grab the spotlight. With the strong performance, it's clear that Westfield has quite the balance offensively, possessing weapons on the ground and through the air.
Chris Regensburg, RB, Fairfax- With an impressive performance on both the offensive and defensive side of the ball, Regensburg gets our nod for being Fairfax's Velocity Sports Performance Player of the Game. Scoring one touchdown, and having another one reversed, Regensburg stood out as a major threat to the tough Westfield defense.
