No. 22 Westlake posts decisive win over St. Bonaventure

MOORPARK, Calif. - Westlake (Westlake Village, Calif.) running back Dashon Hunt called it nearly perfect. Quarterback Justin Moore said it was flat out fun. Coach Jim Benkert just said it was just "plain satisfying."

Whatever the description, Westlake's 35-14 win over St. Bonaventure (Ventura, Calif.) was surely decisive and complete.

The Warriors racked up 438 yards, including 180 yards rushing and two touchdowns by Hunt, their defense bent a lot but held at most opportune times and impressive 6-foot-3, 210-pound senior kicker Alex Ball was perfect on extra points and kickoffs. It all added up to the team's 10th straight win without a loss heading into the postseason along with an outright Marmonte League title.

To top it off, it was Benkert's 200th career win to go along with his 10th league title.



Something was very symmetrical and complete about the win for the nation's No. 22 team, according to the MaxPreps Xcellent 25 rankings presented by the Army National Guard.

Making it all the better is that it was played before about 8,000 fans at Moorpark College and a regional television audience.

Westlake very much looked like the best team in the state, as it is ranked No. 1 in the latest MaxPreps California Bowl Game Rankings. 
 
"Getting 200 tonight is definitely special," Benkert said. "But beating a team like St. Bonaventure is always going to be special."

Moore, like Hunt, looked special with 181 yards passing and 71 rushing while accounting for three touchdowns. Hunt said Moore's performance wasn't really that special at all. Not by Moore's standards.

"That's just Justin being Justin," said Hunt, a junior. "He's been doing that all year long."

The 5-foot-11, 175-pound junior quarterback completed touchdown passes of 7 yards to Connor Cook and 18 yards to Tyler McGhee, the latter the most important of the night, coming with 19 seconds left in the first half to give Westlake a 21-7 lead.



It came right after St. Bonaventure (8-2) had closed to 14-7 with an impressive 80-yard drive capped by a 2-yard run by Zachary Green (163 yards rushing, two scores).

St. Bonaventure, which had 398 yards, moved the ball all night but couldn't convert until Green's touchdown. The Seraphs had all the momentum, but Westlake's answer right before the half set the tone.

"That was the key point of the game," Moore said. "I told the team we had to answer."

It's been that way all year, said Hunt, who answered a dropped pass by Cook that looked like it was a long touchdown, by sprinting 70 yards for a touchdown with 4:54 left in the first quarter.

Hunt, who has committed to UCLA as a cornerback, broke through a gaping hole and then followed a great downfield block by receiver Bradley Wellman to score the game's first touchdown.

"After the drop, I could feel the energy from our crowd drop," Hunt said. "I knew I had to pick us up. I told the line before the play to open a hole and I'll do the rest. ... Our line was phenomenal all night and all year. I think all of them should go Division I."



Benkert agreed that his team's line has been superb all season. But it helps when blocking for a blur like Hunt, who is stronger than he looks at 5-9 and 175.

"(Hunt) is a dynamic football player," Benkert said. "He does it all."

Moore, who accounted for more than 2,600 yards and 22 touchdowns coming into the game, does it all offensively for the Warriors.

"He's special," Benkert said. "We put the ball in his hands and he makes something out of nothing. St. Bonaventure did a real nice job defending some things and he just wasn't going to be denied."

NOTES: Ball, who is extremely athletic, booted all six kickoffs into the end zone for touchbacks. ... St. Bonaventure didn't punt until late in the third quarter yet had just seven points and didn't commit a turnover. ... Johnny Stuart (6-5, 250) had two sacks for Westlake. ... A St. Bonaventure win would have caused a three-way tie for the Marmonte League title for the second straight year. "I'm glad we put that to rest," Hunt said. ... Asked what grade he'd give his team for the win, Moore said "An A-plus. Anytime you beat a team as talented, as well coached as St. Bonaventure, it's as good as it gets." ... St. Bonaventure coach Todd Therrien wasn't in a talkative mood after this one. "I thought the defense did a much better job in the second half," he said. "We need to get better." ... This was the seventh time the schools have faced each other and was Westlake's fourth win.
 
Westlake 35, St. Bonaventure 14

St. Bonaventure 0   7  0   7 - 14
Westlake            7 14  0 14 - 28

First quarter
W - Hunt 70 run (Ball kick), 4:54

Second quarter
W - Cook 7 pass from Moore (Ball kick), 9:44
SB - Green 2 run (Marquez kick), 3:31
W - McGhee 18 pass from Moore (Ball kick), 0:19



Fourth quarter
W - Hunt 4 run (ball kick), 11:56
SB - Green 11 run (Marquez kick), 9:16
W - Moore 1 run (Ball kick), 1:58