Westlake is preparing for their first league matchup of the season on Friday. After each having a week off, they and the Rio Mesa Spartans will shake off the rust and duke it out at 7:00 p.m. The two teams are strolling into their games after big wins in their previous games.
Rio Mesa will face off against a team with plenty of momentum: Westlake extended their winning streak to five two weeks ago. The Warriors claimed a resounding 41-6 win over Venice. The final result isn't all that surprising considering the Warriors' considerable advantage in MaxPreps' California football rankings (they are ranked 190th, while the Gondoliers are ranked 439th).
Multiple players turned in solid performances to lead Westlake to victory, but perhaps none more so than Demanie Bell, who picked up 92 receiving yards and two touchdowns, and also rushed for 123 yards and one score on only nine carries. Ford Green was another key passer, throwing for 301 yards and five TDs while picking up 12.5 yards per attempt.
Wins are hard to come by when you can't run the rock, something Westlake proved: they limited Venice to a paltry 2.7 yards per carry. While two picked up at least seven total tackles, Owen Rockabrand stood above the rest. He picked up a sack and made seven total tackles (4.0 for loss). Westlake didn't have any issues in that department, having averaged 8.6.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Rio Mesa). They took their matchup last Friday with ease, bagging a 41-12 victory over Oxnard. The win continues a trend for the Spartans in their matchups with the Yellowjackets: they've now won five in a row.
Westlake better keep an eye on Alec Fontyn. He was instrumental in Rio Mesa's win, rushing for 66 yards and three scores on only seven carries, while also throwing for 170 yards and one touchdown. A healthy portion of that aerial production (98 yards to be exact) went to Silas Petty.
Westlake's victory bumped their record up to 5-0. As for Rio Mesa, their win (their first of the season) made their record 1-4.
Friday's contest might be decided in the trenches. Westlake has been excellent on the ground this season, having averaged 174.8 rushing yards per game. It's a different story for Rio Mesa, though, as they've been averaging an even more impressive 90 rushing yards. How will they fare against such a dominant running game?
Westlake ended up a good deal behind Rio Mesa in their previous matchup back in October of 2024, losing 37-20. Will the Warriors have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
