Second half shutout of Dekaney solidifies Mustangs undefeated regular season
Spring – Dekaney and Westfield have recently clinched playoff spots and this game between the two only held one significant baring, seeding. So why not relax each team’s starters in favor of next week’s playoff game? At least the random sports fan may have viewed it in that manner.
But not so for the two Spring schools, located less than two miles apart. This community rival had to be settled. With bragging rights at stake and the Mustangs undefeated season hanging in the balance, there was no other way around it.
Junior quarterback Courtland Greenwood rushed for two touchdowns and threw for another and Westfield’s second half shutout of the Wildcats earned it an unblemished record through the ultra-tough district, 13-5A, by a score of 28-14 Thursday night in a live telecast game at George Stadium.
For Westfield (10-0), the win caps an undefeated regular season in one of the state’s toughest district. Its next test, Conroe in the Bi-District round, next week at a time and place to be determined.
The three Spring schools (DeKaney, Spring and Westfield) share the district with the Klein schools, including Klein, Klein Collins, Klein Forest and Klein Oak with the addition of the Humble Schools, Atascocita and Kingwood to round out a stout collection of competition.
Greenwood willed his way through a tough Wildcat defense, making sure Westfield wouldn’t suffer another disappointing moment, after last season’s playoff loss to DeKaney. Green took over the quarterback duties after starter; William Dedon broke his leg in the third quarter of the Kingwood game.
The score doesn’t indicate the close moments of the game. Westfield held a seven-point lead, 21-14 with under six minutes to play. While Dekaney lined up in punt formation, disaster struck when the Wildcat’s center snapped the ball over the punters head into the end zone. The punter gave chase to the ball, but wasn’t able to gain control of the loose ball as Mustang’s Jason Reid pounced on the loose ball for the touchdown, which gave it a two touchdown lead following Louis Sanchez extra point kick with 5:10 left.
The defending state champs threw the first punch after forcing the Mustangs three and out. A short punt led to a 40-yard scoring drive, capped on Hines 6-yard strike to receiver Linell Bonner with 6:27 to go. Kevyn Dimas drilled the extra point to give DeKaney a 7-0 lead.
Then, Westfield marched 67 yards on its next possession. The drive was highlighted when backup quarterback Courtland Greenwood found Tevin Lewis on a deep post pattern down at the Wildcats 29, a 23-yard pickup. Running back Emmit Raleigh grabbed a screen pass and rumbled down to the one-yard line where greenwood punched it in, tying the game after Sanchez extra point kick.
Westfield’s defensive lineman Jamikal Potts and linebacker Paul LeBlanc came up with big stops to forced Dekaney into a punting situation. Potts stopped running back Demarcus Felton after a two-yard pickup and on third and eight; LeBlanc dropped Felton at the 45, forcing the Wildcats to punt.
Greenwood led an attack with another 23-yard completion to Dexter Garrett, which placed the ball in DeKaney’s territory at the 39. Raleigh had two carries that moved the ball to the four-yard line. The first, a 24-yard rip up the middle to the 17, which watched a personal foul, tacked on nine yards, advancing the ball to the eight. Then to the four, Raleigh carried. His next carry resulted a in a one-yard loss, when linebacker Cody Perdue jolted in dropped the power back behind the line of scrimmage. That was temporally, as receiver Jordan Jones grabbed a five-yard touchdown pass from Greenwood to give the Mustangs its first lead of the game, 14-7.
However, it wasn’t long before the Wildcats marched 73 yards tying the game at 14. Quarterback D’Juan Hines and running back Felton took turns grinding out yards sprinkled with a couple passes to gain the Westfield’s nine yard line. Two plays later, Hines tossed a nine-yard touchdown pass to tight end Ricardo Barnett. Dimas’ kick tied the game.
On the ensuing kickoff, Dekaney’s bid to catch the Mustangs asleep, fail when Westfield recovered an onside kick at the 34. From there, much like the Wildcats, Greenwood and Raleigh carried the load, until Greenwood bounced up the middle of DeKaney’s defense into the end zone from 24-yards out, leading 21-14. The Wildcats suffered another self-inflicted person foul, helping Westfield on the drive.
The Mustangs entered halftime leading, 21-14 after linebacker Paul LeBlanc and defensive lineman Potts sacked Hines twice.
In the second half the Mustangs shut down Dekaney and didn’t allow any points.