The Trojans Can’t Stop Bethel’s Run Game As They Fall 49-14 On Homecoming
A packed Weston High School Stadium and energized student section greeted Bethel (entered 4-1, 2-1 League) as the Trojans (entered 0-5, 0-2 League) took on the Wildcats for their homecoming Friday Night Lights matchup on October 23rd.
Bethel got the scoring early, with a 6 yard rush to put them up 7-0 with 7:59 left to go in the first quarter. The Trojans, however, answered almost immediately, taking over at their own 35 yard line. Senior Alex Mandujano broke free on a short passing play and scored a 70 yard catch and run touchdown just 12 seconds after Bethel began the scoring. Max Lang converted the extra point to tie the game at 7-7, while the home crowd erupted.
Taking over after Weston’s touchdown, from the Trojans’ 4 yard line after a few plays, the defense allowed a Bethel rushing touchdown to put the Wildcats back on top by 7. Bethel’s defense proved resilient, reading Weston Head Coach Dave Drais’s calls while limiting Weston’s offense to limited run and pass plays.
On the other side of the ball, the Wildcats’ offense continued to find success on the ground, while their defense began to limit Weston’s opportunities to establish a consistent rhythm. Switching sides of the field after putting together more substantial rushing attempts, Bethel led an explosive drive to give them position on the one yard line, where they scored to make it 20-7 as the attempted extra point struck the right side of the goalpost and ricocheted away.
The Trojans executed on a first down drive with just over 11 minutes to play in the half, but quarterback Jack Olsen ‘28 was intercepted on the next play to give Bethel another opportunity to add to its lead. The Trojans defense stepped up this time, holding Bethel to a punt, but the Wildcats quickly scored 2 more rushing touchdowns (a 31 yard receiving touchdown, and an inception turned touchdown to give Bethel a 42-7 lead) with 30 seconds left in half after a successful 2 point conversion. With only a few seconds left in the half, Olsen connected on a promising passing play that gave Weston a final opportunity to make something happen before halftime. Bethel’s relentless defense, however, brought the drive to an end with a sack near midfield.
At halftime, the fans were met with floats commemorating the present, future, and past, driven by the Class of ‘30, ‘29, ‘28, and ‘27, while the Class of 1976 led a celebratory lap around the track.
Weston received the kickoff to begin the second half, where they were stopped at the 31 yard line. Senior Lucas Schafer led off with a 29 yard run, bringing the ball to the Wildcats 41 yard line as he cut and ran through the Wildcat defense. Olsen followed with an impressive 23-yard completion to Ben Walsh, moving Weston closer to the end zone and creating a promising scoring opportunity. Olsen then contributed with another effective run, carrying the Trojans to the 10-yard line. After working their way down the field through a combination of rushing and passing plays, the Trojans found the end zone once more to cap off an encouraging drive. Lang added the extra point, bringing the score to 42-14.
Packed stands at Weston High School. Photo Credit: Micah Soloshatz
Bethel broke through a couple of Trojans on the next few drives with more dynamic run attempts, eventually scoring yet another rushing touchdown to make it 49-14. Olsen, getting back in the flow of the game, completed a few long passes to quickly move into Bethel territory before the end of the third quarter.
As the game progressed through the fourth quarter, the Trojans failed to score after a few more rushing attempts. Olsen’s 3rd interception of the game closed the night for Weston, as they would eventually fall to Bethel 49-14, improving their record to 5-1 overall and 3-1 in league play. Weston, meanwhile, fell to 0-6 overall and 0-3 in league play, still searching for its first win of the season.
Tomorrow, the Trojans play Bassick at home (6:30 PM start). We hope to see you there!
Weston High School Stadium, Postgame. Photo Credit: Micah Soloshatz