Westfield versus Centreville could be one of Northern Virginia’s best games
Plus updates on Bullis, Bell and Wootton
Moments after his team won its seventh game of the season Friday, a 56-0 rout of Oakton, Westfield Coach Kyle Simmons looked ahead and told players he didn’t think motivation would be an issue this coming weekend.
That’s when the Bulldogs will host undefeated Centreville in another rendition of one of Northern Virginia’s best rivalry games. The schools are close in proximity, the players often know each other and there’s always talent on both rosters. As Simmons puts it, Centreville is the program that has given Westfield “the most trouble” in his time as head coach.
Westfield enters the game like Westfield has entered most games during the past three seasons: undefeated and looking good. Despite a 17-15 scare against Madison on Oct. 5, Simmons said he’s happy with his team, especially on defense. Running back Eugene Asante has spent time adjusting to a new assignment at linebacker but figures to be a big part of the Bulldogs’ offensive attack against Centreville.
Quarterback Noah Kim, of course, also will be key. “It’s always true: if he’s not playing well we’re in a little bit of trouble,” Simmons said.
At 7-0, Centreville is off to its best start since a 2013 season in which it went undefeated and won a state championship. The Wildcats are averaging nearly 40 points per game, and Coach Chris Haddock said he’s happy with how many playmakers have emerged.
“We’ve spread the ball around really nicely,” he said. “We have had a lot of kids getting the ball and making plays. Makes it hard for the defense which is always a good thing.”
Centreville’s defense has also been solid. If it can create turnovers in addition to quieting the Bulldogs, the Wildcats could push for an upset on the road. So far this season, Haddock has liked the aggressiveness of that unit.
“They’ve really done a nice job of wanting to get to the football,” he said. “They’ve just been flying to the football, creating turnovers and taking a lot of pride in doing a good job.
-Michael Errigo
