Westwood kicked off their season on the road on Friday and hit a couple of potholes. They took a hard 41-27 fall against the Burbank Bulldogs. The loss was a bit of a surprise, as the Warriors came into the match with a sizable advantage in MaxPreps' football rankings in their respective home states (they are ranked 86th in Arizona, while the Bulldogs are ranked 384th in California).
When it comes to explaining why Westwood lost, don't look at Keshawn Barkus. Despite the final result, he rushed for 165 yards and two scores while picking up 7.9 yards per carry.
Even if they lost, Westwood's defensive line still kept up the pressure with three sacks. The team can thank three different players for their defensive prowess: Apaiata Tengei, Preston Atwood, and Xavier Lundy, who each picked up one sack apiece. Westwood got some further help from Tengei: he picked up a sack and made ten total tackles.
Burbank got their victory on the backs of several key players, but it was Deshawn Laporte out in front who threw for 362 yards and four TDs. Exodus Freeman was Laporte's top target, picking up 155 receiving yards and a pair of touchdowns.
The win got Burbank back to even at 1-1.
Looking ahead, Westwood will be playing in front of their home fans against Desert Ridge at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. As for Burbank, they will head out to challenge Galena at 7:00 p.m. on Friday.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
