La Plata and Westlake have several similarities, both teams are (1-2), both have not won since week one, and both lost close games last week that were decided on the final play.
La Plata began the season blowing out Crossland High School 48-6. The Warriors then went on to lose to Chopticon in week 2 after going to overtime and failing to score. La Plata then found themselves in a defensive battle against Northern, which took the lead with just under two minutes left in the fourth quarter. Down by eight, the Warriors appeared to lose but were gifted one more play by a Northern unsportsmanlike conduct penalty. Senior quarterback JT Phillips threw for a touchdown, making the score 8-6. Needing a 2-point conversion, La Plata attempted a quarterback sneak with Phillips that was stopped short of the goal line, giving Northern the win.
The Warriors have utilized two quarterbacks this season, senior J.T. Phillips and sophomore Da’mani Brown. La Plata has entered stats for the first two games and according to them, Phillips has thrown for 59 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. Brown has thrown for 359 yards, three touchdowns, and no interceptions. The Warriors’ rushing leaders are junior Christopher Pierce with 64 yards and three touchdowns, and junior Taylun Sanders with 63 yards and one touchdown. La Plata’s leading receiver is junior Nico Stout with 155 yards and two touchdowns.
Westlake’s season similarly began on a high note, decimating Friendly High School at home 38-0. The following week was a disappointing outing for the Wolverines, getting picked apart by North Point 26-6. Then last week Westlake lost to St. Charles High School for the first time since the teams began playing one another in 2014. The loss was handed to the Wolverines after a ‘hail mary’ on the last play. A photo depicting the play circulated on Twitter, showing the ball on the ground and that it should have been ruled an incomplete pass. As frustrating as it is, nothing can be done about it and the referee’s call is final.
Through three games, the Wolverines’ leading passer is senior quarterback Jalon Spencer, who is averaging 113 yards per game with 339 total yards, four touchdowns, and three interceptions. Westlake’s leading rusher is senior running back Curtonio Marshall, who has recorded 118 yards and one touchdown. The Wolverines’ leading receivers are seniors Nate Tyler and Kevin Hughley. Tyler has 123 receiving yards and two touchdowns on the season, Hughley has 128 receiving yards and only one touchdown. Defensively Westlake’s standout players are, 6’5”, senior defensive end Deshawn Holt, who has a pair of sacks and is committed to Maryland, and senior cornerback Devin Williams who has three interceptions on the season.
La Plata has not defeated Westlake in over a decade. The Wolverines are 14-0 in that time frame against the Warriors, and they hope to extend that streak to 15 straight wins. Last season La Plata went into halftime up 12-0, but Westlake scored 21 unanswered points, making the final score, 21-12.
The game will take place Friday at Westlake, with a 7 p.m. kickoff. Be sure to tune into TheBaynet.com to see highlights and a recap.
Contact Jerold at staffwriter@thebaynet.com.