The Westside Warriors varsity football team stays undefeated after taking down St. Thomas Aquinas Friday, October 16. Westside powered through the game and put up a total of 49 points and held St. Thomas Aquinas to six points which were scored in relative garbage time. Westside started off early in the first quarter with a 59-yard and a 60-yard rushing touchdown from quarterback Cole Payton. Westside’s fast start was sustained throughout the game.

Up 21-0 at the half, Westside couldn’t feel truly comfortable with their lead. Aquinas was not a stranger to coming back from big deficits. Two weeks ago they came back to win against Shawnee Mission Northwest high school after trailing by 21 at halftime. 

“[Aquinas] has come back in a few games, 21-0. They have been in that situation. We just had to put the nail in the coffin,” said junior, defensive-back Tommy Connelly.

Connelly did his part in keeping the lead. Connelly, forcing two fumbles, one being returned for a touchdown by Avante Dickerson. Along with Connelly, the whole defense stepped up with keeping Aquinas flexbone style offense under control. They held Aquinas to under 250 total yards. On the other side of the ball, Cole Payton expressed that their win will help to go into the playoffs.

“It means a whole lot. Even though they are out of state and doesn’t really go towards points or anything like that, a huge momentum boost is going into the playoffs,”  senior Cole Payton said. 

With eight straight wins this season and their win over Aquinas they maintain their spot as number one under the Omaha World-Herald Rankings but drop to the two seed for the NSAA rankings. Westside and Bellevue West are the teams to beat in the playoffs and both will get a first-round bye in the playoffs.