Westwood is on a four-game streak of home wins (dating back to last season), while Basha is on a seven-game streak of away wins (also dating back to last season): one of those streaks is about to end. The Warriors will host the Bears at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Keep an eye on the score for this one: the two teams posted some lofty point totals in their previous games.
On Friday, Westwood didn't have too much trouble with Desert Vista as they won 35-21.
The match pitted two dominant backs against one another in Keshawn Barkus and Kyler Drunasky. Barkus had a great game and rushed for 289 yards and three touchdowns. Meanwhile, Drunasky was balling out in the loss, rushing for 52 yards and one TD, while also picking up 87 receiving yards.
One reason for the win was Westwood's imposing defense, which managed to get into the backfield for three sacks. The team can thank three different players for their defensive prowess: Dax Clark, Apaiata Tengei, and Nate WIllis, who each picked up one sack apiece. Another thorn in Desert Vista's side was Clark, who picked up a sack and made nine total tackles (2.0 for loss).
Meanwhile, Basha faced Queen Creek in a battle between two of the state's top teams on Friday. The Bears put the hurt on the Bulldogs with a sharp 35-13 win. The Bears might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won three games by 22 points or more this season.
Basha had a senior duo take command as Brodie Vehrs threw for 270 yards and four touchdowns while completing 73.9% of his passes and Joshua Gaines gained 182 total yards and a touchdown.incredibly, Gaines got all that yardage with just one huge grab Another player making a difference was Noah Roberts, who gained 121 total yards and a touchdown.
Basha's victory bumped their record up to 5-0. As for Westwood, they now have a winning record of 3-2.
Friday's matchup might be decided on the ground. Westwood has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 319.8 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Basha struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 191 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's contest turns into a tough fight on the ground.
Westwood was dealt a bruising 66-7 loss at the hands of Basha when the teams last played back in August of 2023. Thankfully for the Warriors, Demond Williams Jr. (who threw for 340 yards and four TDs while completing 92.3% of his passes, and also rushed for 92 yards and a pair of scores) won't be suiting up this time. Will that be enough to change the final result? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.
