RECAP: Football beats Millard South, picks up first win of the season

For the Westside varsity football team, all that matters is 1-0, which is the team’s record in district games.

After losing its first two games, the team picked up a 21-13 victory over ranked district opponent Millard South thanks to a gritty defensive performance that highlighted the unit’s playmaking ability, which has seen Westside force almost three turnovers a game including three in this one.

In the first quarter, after Westside’s first two drives ended in a three and out and a missed 41-yard field goal respectively, Millard South was driving the ball down field, getting to the Westside 30-yard line, before senior defensive back KaVon Neelon forced the first of the turnovers. On first and 10, Millard South quarterback Jared Renken (13-34 for 148 yards) took a shot for the end zone. Neelon sealed off his receiver, turned and made an athletic grab in the end zone to keep Millard South from scoring and give Westside possession (video at 44 seconds in the highlight video).

Westside would turn that momentum into points two drives later. With 10:24 remaining in the first half, Westside completed a four-play, 64-yard drive when junior Mitchell Hagan (9-21 for 164 yards and two touchdowns, no interceptions) found junior Alex Lindquist (five receptions for 125 yards and two scores) wide open in the middle of the field for a 46-yard touchdown on second down and four to put the Warriors up 7-0.

On the ensuing Millard South drive, Neelon made another big play. After an interception by junior Jack Connelly was negated by a roughing the passer penalty, Neelon picked off a Renken pass near the middle of the field before finding daylight down the left sideline and sprinting in for a touchdown (video at 2:17 in the highlight video) to put Westside up 14-0 with 7:37 remaining in the first half.

“[Neelon’s interceptions] were big early,” head coach Brett Froendt said. “Obviously it gave us a lot of momentum. He played a fantastic game as did the whole defense.”

Westside was not done with second quarter scoring. After a Millard South three and out, Hagan and Lindquist connected for another touchdown (video at the 1:20 mark of the highlight video), this one a 49-yard strike that found Lindquist wide open on the left side of the field. With the score, Westside went up 21-0 with 3:28 remaining.

“Obviously [Hagan and Lindquist] hooked up pretty well,” Froendt said. “We had the play open and it was just a matter of the timing and Mitchell hooked up the timing really well. [Lindquist] ran the right pattern and, again, they finished the play.

The touchdown would be Westside’s last score of the game and all the defense needed to seal a Westside victory.

Millard South put up its first points of the game when it completed a seven-play, 74-yard drive with a 17-yard touchdown run by Adam Estergaard off of a “Statue of Liberty” trick play, making the score 21-7 heading into halftime.

Millard South would score the final points of the game on its second drive of the second half. After a short Westside punt gave Millard South the ball at Westside’s 38-yard line, Millard South’s Tyrus Shuler (19 carries for 85 yards and a score), who was stepping in for injured Millard South starting running back Tanner Woitzel, would carry the ball 34 yards on third and six for the score, breaking a couple Westside tackles before finding space in the middle of the field. Westside blocked the extra point, making it 21-13.

Westside would follow the Millard South touchdown with a 59-yard drive to the Millard South five-yard line resulting in a missed field goal.

Millard South had two more scoring opportunities, one ending in a goal-line stand for the Westside defense and one in the final two minutes of the game, in which Millard South converted two fourth downs (one thanks to a Westside penalty) before junior Braxton Anderson intercepted Renken at the Westside 16-yard line on fourth and 10 from the Westside 36 to end the game.

“[This win gives us] a lot of confidence, obviously,” Froendt said. “We needed this win bad and now we’ll get some more confidence to roll.”

Froendt was pleased with the team’s ability to maintain its composure in this game, something the coaches had said was a problem for the team in the first two weeks.

“We’re really proud of the guys for making improvements on the mental toughness, and that’s what it’s all about,” Froendt said. “We’re getting some mental toughness.”

The win moves both Westside and Millard South to 1-2 on the season. Westside moves on to face Lincoln Northeast Friday, Sept. 19 at Phelps Field. Check Westside Wired on Friday for a preview of the game.

CRAZE Magazine’s Post Game Report