Game Blog - #1 Westfield 27, #2 South Lakes 7 in Class 6, Region D Finals

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The Class 6, Region D Region Championship at Westfield High School features the two-time defending State Champion Bulldogs at 12-0 overall playing host to the #2 seed South Lakes Seahawks (11-1 overall).

Westfield comes in undefeated with the longest winning streak in all of Virginia currently. Meanwhile, South Lakes blanked Madison a week ago in the regional semifinals. The lone loss for the Seahawks was to Centreville, which Westfield beat during the regular season.

A year ago, the Bulldogs won 42-12 in the 6A-North Region Championship.

We'll have updates here and via my Twitter feed @ hatfieldsports all afternoon...

 

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A good start for the South Lakes defense. Now, can their fast-paced, hurry-up style offense strike first and take the lead?

 

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The Westfield defense gets the South Lakes offense off the field quickly and then their special teams unit puts the Bulldogs in position to grab an early lead...

 

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Kyle Simmons goes to the flea-flicker early and sophomore QB Noah Kim continues to shine for the undefeated Bulldogs.

South Lakes cannot afford to go 3 and out and allow Westfield to build on this momentum.

 

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Facing a 3rd & 1 from their own 45, South Lakes hands it off to one of their two standout running backs Albert Mensah (the other is Spencer Alston) and the Westfield defensive line sniffs it out immediately. Nolan Cockrill, a 1st Team All-State performer last year, and Darby Macon send him backwards a yard.

South Lakes punts it away on 4th & 2. Taylor Morin returns it 32 yards near midfield. So good field position again for the Bulldogs.

 

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Even the near misses for Noah Kim are well thrown passes. He's 4 of 7 for 61 yards and a touchdown so far. He nearly hit Bizzet Woodley for a 2nd TD as well.

 

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The third offensive possession for South Lakes began with an illegal shift. It was followed by Israel McClain and Aron Dishun making a tackle for a loss of 5. Then on 2nd & long, QB Devin Miles is sacked. Pass is incomplete on 3rd & 21.

Westfield begins their fourth possession at their own 45-yard line, leading 7-0 late in the first period.

 

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Westfield goes 3 & out as the South Lakes defense has dodged a couple bullets after the Bulldogs have been given decent field position.

In fact, after a 4 of 4 passing start by Bulldogs QB Noah Kim, they've had five straight incomplete passes.

South Lakes gets the ball back with 1:09 in the opening period from their own 20 after the punt lands in the end zone for a touchback.

The Seahawks have to get something going offensively. On their first three possessions, they had just 7 total yards and have yet to pick up a first down.

 

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The dominant group to this point has been that Westfield defensive line with Nolan Cockrill, Davonte Roberts, Dakota Beach and Darby Macon giving the South Lakes o-line fits.

 

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Westfield makes special teams special again.

 

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Kim's scramble really set that up as Sage Beuchert-Irvine and Chris Logan made a couple of really nice tackles for loss for the South Lakes defense on RB Eugene Asante.

In case you haven't heard, this 10th grade triggerman for the Bulldogs is a really gifted football player.

 

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Another 3 and out for South Lakes. This high-powered Seahawks offense averaging 48.1 points per game entering today's game has yet to move the chains through five possessions. Westfield has the formula to stop them it loks like.

 

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The South Lakes defense has kept them in the game. The special teams is giving them a chance to pull closer. Now, it's on the offense to do its job and move the chains for the first time this afternoon to get points on the board.

 

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South Lakes moves the chains on 2nd & 3 from the Westfield 24-yard line as Albert Mensah powers ahead for a gain of 7. After Darby Macon's tackle for loss on first down, the Seahawks go to the air Dagbe - who is having one heck of a half - capitalizes on his opportunity in the middle of the field...

 

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Westfield tried a screen to Sean Goodman, who is unable to haul in the backwards pass and #2 Kojo Kumi-Darfour is there for South Lakes to hop on the loose pigskin.

 

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Facing a key 3rd & 11 from the Westfield 39-yard line with 3:29 before the break, the pass is incomplete.

So South Lakes will probably punt this away and try to pin the Bulldogs deep before the break, only trailing 14-7.

 

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The South Lakes defense has improved from last year. Now the question becomes can the Seahawks do something offensively before the break? They have just under a minute and pretty good field position at the Westfield 37 thanks to the 17-yard punt return from Spencer Alston.

Both teams have been a bit shaky at times in return coverage today.

 

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South Lakes starts the series with trips left from the Westfield 37, but they don't keep Nolan Cockrill away from QB Devin Miles. He goes down on the sack.

After the spike, the Seahawks convert the 3rd & 13 on a completion from Miles to RB Spencer Alston. Alston then gets 12 yards on a screen pass. However, a face-mask penalty pushes them out of field goal range before the break.

 

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Stats coming in a bit...

 

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Some numbers at the break...

Westfield 14:
Noah Kim - 10-17 for 104Yds. 2-0TD/Int. ratio
Eugene Asante - 8Car. 0Yds.
Bizzet Woodley - 3Rec. 49Yds. TD
Taylor Morin - 3Rec. 33Yds.
Joe Clancy - 2Rec. 12Yds.
Gavin Kiley - 1Rec. 10Yds. TD
Aron Dishun - 7 Tackles (3 Solo), 0.5TFL

Bulldogs - 30 plays for 98 total yards (10-17 for 104 pass yards; 13 rushes for minus 6 yards); 4 penalties for 25 yards; 1 turnover on lost fumble


South Lakes 7:
Devin Miles - 7-13 for 63Yds. 1-0TD/Int. ratio
Spencer Alston - 6Car. 16Yds; 4Rec. 36Yds.
Albert Mensah - 6Car. 12Yds.
Joseph Dagbe - 2Rec. 24Yds. TD; 3 Tackles, PBU
Koji Kumi-Darfour - 5 Tackles, 1.5TFL, Sack

Seahawks - 27 plays for 87 total yards (7-13 for 63 pass yards; 14 rushes for 24 yards); 4 penalties for 33 yards; 0 turnovers

South Lakes gained 69 yards in the second period.

 

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Already a better start to the 2nd half for South Lakes than we saw in the first half. They get another first down on a 10-yard run from Spencer Alston. The Seashawks are nearing midfield.

 

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Tough break there for South Lakes and once again that Westfield d-line makes its presence felt.

 

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Coach Kyle Simmons and his Bulldogs have come out looking to assert their running game after a half in which they had minus yards on the ground.

Their first six plays to begin the second half - all runs.

 

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Excellent job by the Westfield offensive staff to use the run to set up the pass and Kim fires it to his hot receiver today - Woodley.

Westfield spreads it around to several different options. In fact, five different players have caught a pass on their 11 completions with six separate guys targeted.

 

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Gives the South Lakes offense a little bit of life. Will say that Albert Mensah has gotten stronger it appears as this game has gone along.

In fact, Mensah just ripped off a 13-yard run down to the Westfield 32.

 

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It has really been the Albert Mensah story in the 3rd quarter with 7 rushes for 39 yards in that period. Big 4th down coming and I'm not sure they can chunk off more than 3 yards on this one.

 

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Was there any doubt the Westfield defense would rise to the occasion? Not here.

 

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Might've been the dagger.

 

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That offensive backfield for Westfield has led them to a 12-0 start this season. Barring a crazy comeback, it'll be 13-0 and the Bulldogs will be hosting either C.D. Hylton or Woodbridge next week in the State Semifinals.

They're inching ever closer to a three-peat. We have three other teams in VHSL Football - Highland Springs in Class 5, Salem in Class 4 and Appomattox in Class 2 - in realistic pursuit of that feat as well.

 

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So what has triggerd the breakout for Eugene Asante? Part of it from my vantage point was putting in Nolan Cockrill as the lead blocking back. They've also thrown Sean Goodman in there. They're doing a better job of getting a hat on the linebacker and Asante is getting more daylight to run.

 

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South Lakes is stopped on 4th down. Nolan Cockrill has been in on at least four stops behind the line of scrimmage. South Lakes was forced to pass on 4th & 8 from their own 30 and it fell incomplete.

So Westfield takes over, up comfortably 27-7 with 2:25 remaining.

 

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Westfield - now 13-0 overall - has won 22 consecutive games dating back to last year. Their last loss was to Briar Woods, 35-34 in overtime, on October 7th of 2016.

 

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Let's go through the numbers...

Final Stats:

Westfield Bulldogs 27: (13-0 Overall)
Noah Kim - 11-19 for 115Yds. 3-0TD/Int. ratio; 7Car. 3Yds. TD
Eugene Asante - 21Car. 142Yds. (13Car. 142Yds. in 2nd Half)
Bizzet Woodley - 4Rec. 60Yds. 2TD's
Taylor Morin - 3Rec. 33Yds.
Joe Clancy - 2Rec. 12Yds.
Gavin Kiley - 1Rec. 10Yds. TD
Aron Dishun - 12 Tackles (5 Solo), 1.5TFL
Nolan Cockrill - 7 Tackles (4 Solo), 3.5TFL, Sack
Dylan Winesett - 7 Tackles (2 Solo)

Bulldogs - 52 plays for 262 total yards (11-19 for 115 pass yards and no intercepts; 33 rushes for 147 yards); 6 penalties for 47 yards; 1 turnover on lost fumble


South Lakes Seahawks 7: (11-2 Overall)
Devin Miles - 11-21 for 92Yds. 1-0TD/Int. ratio
Albert Mensah - 15Car. 59Yds. (9Car. 47Yds. in 2nd Half)
Spencer Alston - 11Car. 22Yds; 5Rec. 31Yds.
Joseph Dagbe - 4Rec. 52Yds. TD; 7 Tackles (3 Solo), PBU
Chris Logan - 10 Tackles (5 Solo), 1.5TFL
Donovan White - 7 Tackles (5 Solo)
Kojo Kumi-Darfour - 6 Tackles (4 Solo), 1.5TFL, Sack
Sage Beuchert-Irvine - 6 Tackles (3 Solo), 3TFL

Seahawks - 52 plays for 157 total yards (11-21 for 92 pass yards and no intercepts; 31 rushes for 65 yards); 4 penalties for 33 yards; 1 turnover on lost fumble


... Next up for Westfield will be Woodbridge, the Class 6, Region C Champs who doubled up C.D. Hylton 28-14. Westfield won the only previous playoff meeting - 42-14 - over the Vikings back in the 2007 State Championship game. The Bulldogs were quarterbacked then by Mike Glennon, who's now in the NFL with the Chicago Bears.