It can be hard to translate regular season success to the playoffs, but Westlake had no problem doing just that on Thursday. Their defense stepped up to hand the Thomas Stone Cougars a 48-0 shutout. That looming 48-0 mark stands out as the most commanding margin for the Wolverines yet this season.
Westlake got their victory on the backs of several key players, but it was William Drakeford Jr out in front who rushed for 66 yards and a touchdown, and also threw for 96 yards and a touchdown while completing 84.6% of his passes. That's the most rushing yards Drakeford Jr has posted since back in September. Another back making a difference was Devin Cox, who rushed for 76 yards and two touchdowns on only seven carries.
Westlake was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 274 rushing yards. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Thomas Stone only rushed for 44.
Westlake didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off three passes before the game was over. It was truly a group effort as Jayden White, James Francis, and Arthur Pierre-Antoine picked up one apiece. Pierre-Antoine has been hot , having also posted six or more total tackles the last five times he's played. Westlake got some further help from Tacarri Copeland: he picked up a sack and made seven total tackles (2.5 for loss).
Westlake's win was their fifth straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 8-2. Those good results were due in large part to their defensive effort, having only surrendered 1.2 points per game. As for Thomas Stone, they are on a 20-game losing streak (dating back to last season) that has dropped them down to 0-10.
Westlake will square off against Potomac at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Westlake's defense has only allowed 9.6 points per game this season, so Potomac's offense will have their work cut out for them. Thomas Stone does not have any more games scheduled as of now.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
