Football Preview: Westfield Shamrocks vs. Fishers Tigers
Westfield has enjoyed the comforts of home their last three games, but now they'll head out on the road. They will venture away from home to face off against the Fishers Tigers at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Westfield knows how to get points on the board -- the team has finished with 31 points or more in their past five games -- so hopefully Fishers likes a good challenge.
Westfield is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Friday. They were the clear victor by a 35-13 margin over Zionsville. Considering the Shamrocks have won six matchups by more than 19 points this season, Friday's blowout was nothing new.
Carsen Melvin went supernova for Westfield, rushing for 89 yards and two touchdowns. Melvin's longest rush was for an incredible 79 yards. Broc Parker also helped with two touchdowns in total.
Westfield was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 202 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 162 rushing yards in five consecutive contests.
Westfield didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off two passes before the game was over. The picks came courtesy of Drew Law and Deacon King.
Meanwhile, Fishers faced Hamilton Southeastern in a battle between two of the state's top teams on Friday. Fishers came out on top in a nail-biter against Hamilton Southeastern , sneaking past 44-41. Winning may never get old, but the Tigers sure are getting used to it with their third in a row.
Fishers' success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Jonanthony Hall led the charge by picking up 194 receiving yards and two touchdowns, while also punching in a touchdown on the ground. Hall's receiving production has been exceptional recently as that marked his third straight game with at least 136 receiving yards. Ryan Thembulembu was another key rusher, rushing for 150 yards and two touchdowns.
Westfield's win was their ninth straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 10-1. Those victories were due in large part to their defensive effort, having only surrendered 11.7 points per game. As for Fishers, their record now sits at 7-4.
Everything came up roses for Westfield against Fishers in their previous meeting back in October, as the squad secured a 46-12 victory. One of the biggest obstacles the team faced in that game was Thembulembu, who rushed for 73 yards and a touchdown, and also threw for five yards and a touchdown. Now that he's got a second chance to win this matchup, will Westfield still be able to contain Thembulembu? There's only one way to find out.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
