Two dominant backs in Keshawn Barkus and Rio Arnett are getting ready to go toe-to-toe. The Westwood Warriors will venture away from home to face off against the Mesa Jackrabbits at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Westwood will aim to continue their three-game streak of scoring more points each game than the last.
Westwood will bounce into Friday's contest after beating Valley Vista, who they had gone 0-4 against in their four prior meetings. The Warriors took down the Monsoon 51-32 on Friday. The victory was some much needed relief for the Warriors as it spelled an end to their three-game losing streak.
Varis Carling
| 10/03/25 vs Basha | 2 |
| 09/05/25 vs Desert Ridge | 4 |
| 09/19/25 vs McClintock | 4 |
| 09/26/25 vs Desert Vista | 4 |
| 10/17/25 vs Perry | 4 |
One reason for the win was Westwood's imposing defensive line, which managed to get into the backfield for eight sacks. Latravion Fricks and Apaiata Tengei were the leaders of the group effort as each produced three apiece. Varis Carling also set a new season-high mark in total tackles with six.
Meanwhile, Mesa faced Basha in a battle between two of the state's top teams on Friday. The Jackrabbits fell 41-33 to the Bears. The defeat continues a trend for the Jackrabbits in their meetings with the Bears: they've now lost three in a row.
Westwood will need to focus on slowing down Kingston Anetema, one of several Mesa players who made an impact when they last played. He picked up 116 receiving yards and two touchdowns. Anetema didn't just play on offense: he also made five total tackles (1.0 for loss) and defended two passes in addition to snagging an interception. Mesa also got help from Caleb Tafua, who showed off his sure hands for 108 receiving yards.
Special teams played a big role in the game for Mesa, adding 15 points to the final score. All came from Evan Romero: he went 4-for-4 kicking field goals for 12 points, and 3-for-3 kicking extra points for an additional three.
Mesa didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off two passes before the game was over. The picks came courtesy of Anetema and Kameron Williams. Another thorn in Basha's side was Ezekiel Estep, who made 17 total tackles (1.0 for loss) and defended two passes.
Mesa's loss was their first in the region, dropping their region record down to 2-1 and their overall record down to 5-4. As for Westwood, the win was their first on the road , bumping their record up to 4-5.
Friday's matchup might be decided on the ground. Westwood has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 258.2 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Mesa struggles in that department as they've been averaging 176.2 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's game turns into a tough fight on the ground.
Westwood came up short against Mesa in their previous meeting back in November of 2024, falling 34-28. Can the Warriors avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
