After winning their first two playoff games, tonight the football team will host a semifinal CIF game for the first time in Westview’s history. As the No. 5 seed, the Wolverines will play the eighth-seeded Montgomery Aztecs in the Division IV semifinals at 7 p.m.
Two weeks ago, Westview won its first-round game 23-12 against Vincent Memorial at home. The quarterfinal game last week resulted in a close 18-14 underdog victory against the Mission Bay Buccaneers.
During the quarterfinal game against Mission Bay, quarterback Mason Walsh (12) scored three touchdowns, one passing and two rushing, earning him the honor of player of the game. While Walsh said that he performed well individually, he attributes much of his success to his teammates.
“Some of our key players were Mateo Bresenden (12) and his pass rush, Finn Nellies (12) with the game-winning touchdown, Langdon Mullica (11) with over 100 yards rushing, Logan Foster (12) and Lucas Hoy-Sing-Loy (12) both with a very strong defensive presence,” Walsh said.
The Wolverines had an efficient running game against Mission Bay with 244 total rushing yards on 5.8 yards per carry. Mullica averaged 6.8 yards per carry in his first 100-yard rushing game this season with 114 through the whole game. This also aided both of Walsh’s rushing touchdowns in the red zone.
With 6 minutes left in the fourth quarter, with the Wolverines down 12 to 14, on first down and goal on the 12 yard line, Nellies caught a touchdown from Walsh. Walsh rolled to the right side of the pocket and threw to Nellies, who was in the right side of the end zone, catching his second touchdown this season: the game-winning touchdown.
“It feels very rewarding to see all of the hard work we’ve put in for the last year pay off,” Nellies said.
Throughout the playoffs, Walsh has nearly equaled his passing touchdown total from the first 10 games. Walsh attributes his passing successes to the new additions to the team’s offense.
The wing-t offense is when the team is in a set with five linemen and a tight end in addition to a tail back and a full back to have maximum protection for the quarterback. This allows the quarterback to have a lot of time to look for passes, and opens up many opportunities for the team’s rushing offense for both the quarterback and the tailback.
Throughout the season, one thing that has remained a constant for the Wolverines is their pass rush, led by Bresenden, on the defensive line. During the quarterfinal game against the Buccaneers, Bresenden said that a major reason the Wolverines succeeded on offense was because the defense stopped the Buccaneers’ offense from sustaining many positive offensive drives. Most of this pressure came from the 4.5 sacks from Bresenden, which added to his total of 17.5 sacks on the season. The Wolverines have been able to develop better teamwork and abilities to work under pressure in the close games throughout the season together.
“We’ve been playing better together and it really showed Friday night,” Bresenden said. “From the season, toss-up games never really went our way. Early on, we struggled facing adversity but I think we really showed up on Friday.”
The Wolverines were able to adapt to both of their opponents as they used a more pass-dominated offense against Vincent Memorial and a running offense against Mission Bay. Bresenden said he felt that the offense will continue to succeed against Montgomery.
“Continuing to improve on what we do well is how we will continue to win,” Bresenden said. “Our best asset is our ability to play together, and all week, that’s what we will be focusing on.”
Nellies said that the team has confidence this season and knows that they can win against Montgomery if they continue to play with determination and passion.
“The team really leaned on each other through all of the struggles and the injuries,” Nellies said. “I think after all of the hardships, we’re here and we’re hungry and ready to do what it takes to make a run.”
The Montgomery Aztecs have a 9-3 record this season, with a seven-game win streak including their last two playoff games. The Wolverines said they will continue to play with their established strategies and stick to what has worked the last two games.
“We expect to go out there and dominate,” Nellies said. “The team is fired up from recent success and we believe in each other and our ability to come out and show out.”
Overall, the Wolverines said they have learned and adapted to the opponents they played in the past. The team’s winning mentality keeps them focused on the task they have set for themselves: winning CIFs.
“I expect our team to be physically dominant and play our best football yet,” Walsh said.
The game plan for the team remains the same: to keep doing what has gotten them this far.
“I expect the team to play together like we have been and to not get caught up when things don’t play out perfectly,” Bresenden said. “I think the biggest thing is to keep pushing for the win regardless of what happens before.”
