INJURY BOWL: Westwood Overwhelms Gladstone

Click the thumbnails to see photos and videos, and to hear player spotlight interviews with Gladstone's Max Wilson and Marcus Racine. Also click to hear post-game comments from Braves Coach Craig Ness.

GLADSTONE---The Westwood Patriots football team beat the Gladstone Braves, 42-15, Friday night, in a high school game featuring two teams with short benches caused by injuries.

Westwood got two touchdowns and a pair of two-point conversions from Karter Scherer, and the Patriots offense forced four second half turnovers.

Both teams were playing without their injured quarterbacks. Gladstone was still trying to find a signal-caller in the wake of Trevor Thorbahn's season-ending knee injury, with senior-rookie Austin Pepin filling in. And Westwood played with senior Tristan Miller under center after starting juniot QB Ethan Marta got injured for a second straight season.

In the end, the Patriots controlled much of the game, especially at the line of scrimmage, and their running backs ran hard, even after contact. Westwood was able to move the chains on short third down situations, while the Braves struggled in that category.

And Westwood (2-3) went home with a big road win, heading into their showdown next week with the Negaunee Miners. And as for Gladstone, it was a step backward, after least week's encouraging win in Hancock. And now the 1-4 Braves wlecome the powerhouse Menominee Maroons next Friday night for Gladstone Homecoming.

"They took it to us," Gladstone Coach Craig Ness said. "They wanted the game more. I got outcoached. We got outplayed. We got out-physicaled. We got "out" whatever you want to say. So, on Momday, I'll challenge the kids to come in (to practice). We've got Menominee coming in. It's Homecoming. It's here. No travel. No excuses."

The Braves got a big fourth down stop on defense in the first quarter in the red zone when they stopped a run, and Andy Howes recovered a fumble just inside the 20 yard line. The Braves offense couldn't take afvantage, though, and after Westwood took over at midfield, the Patriots smartly drove dowmfield and scored on a four-yard run by Scherer to make it 6-0.

Gladstone gathered some brief momentum, though, when Austin Pepin found a very wide open Casey Alworden for what turned out to be a 51-yard touchdown pass, as Alworden managed to get into the end zone near the left pilon. Luke Inghram's kick gave the Braves a 7-6 lead.

That lead didn't last. The Patriots drove down the field, with Miller hooking up with Cody Lauila for a key 15-yard pass on 3rd-and-8 from the Gladstone 25 yard-line. Two plays later, Miller was in the end zone for a siz-yard touchdown run on a double fake. Then, Miller found Laurila in the end zone for an old-school dump off pass for the two-point conversion.

That gave Westwood a 14-7 lead at halftime, and the Patriots got the ball first to start the third quarter. And they went on a 76-yard drive, capped off by Scherer's second TD run of the game, making it 20-7. Westwood used nearly six minutes off the clock on that drive.

That started a downward spiral for Gladstone. When the Braves got the ball back, Pepin's pass was intercepted and taken all the way back to the Gladstone five yard-line. Two plays later, Louis Salmi scored the touchdown run, and a bullet pass from Miller to Scherer in the back of the end zone gave Westwood a 28-7 lead with four minutes left in the third quarter.

Gladstone was able to drive into the red zone after a short kickoff, but three straight incomplete passes from the 19-yard line gave Westwood control. This time, though, the Patriots sputtered on offense, with a snap going over Salmi's head for a 14-yard loss to the five yard line. Then, on third and long, Miller was intercepted by Nehemiah Blair.

This time, Gladstone took advantage, with Pepin finding Holy Name Catholic School junior Mason Sierpien for a 15-yard pass along the sidelines. Jack Savard then rumbled into the end zone for a nine-yard touchdown run, and Pepin's two-point pass to Savard made it 28-15.

At that point, there was still almost eleven minutes left to play in the game.

But from there, it was all downhill for the Braves. Westwood went on a 55-yard drive to ice the game on a Miller-to-Laurila ten-yard touxhdown pass, followed by a two-point run by Salmi. And it got even worse for the Braves when A.J. Pizziola intercepted a Pepin pass and easily strolled into the end zone for a pick-six touchdown from 38 yards punt.

And Gladstone's final possession? Yep, a fumble, as Evan Woelffer juggled a exchange with Pepin in the final two minutes. By that time, though, the game was essentially over, and the Braves watched their record fall to 1-4. Westwood is now 2-3 on the season.