In a fast-paced bout of renewed aggression, the Warriors faced their most anticipated rivals of the season, the Cedar Ridge Raiders, for an intense  Homecoming game on Friday Sept. 19. What began as a slow start morphed into a high-tension game with the Warriors pouring in power, strategy, and confidence to swiftly rack up points on the board. Although the teams remained neck and neck the majority of the game, the Raiders brought a last-minute surge of forceful offense that led to a disheartening Warrior loss 31-40. 

The night’s game held high tensions as the Warriors looked for an opportunity to bounce back from their crushing Mcneil loss. While the Warriors may not have claimed victory in the end, they exhibited newfound coordination, technique, and targeted growth on both offense and defense, putting up a valiant fight against the Raiders. 

“We proved today that we have all the talent there, we have all the might and the energy, all the juice,” Jack Kelley ‘26 said. “It’s just the small things we got to work on week in and week out, whether that’s special teams, some small mistakes on defense, some small mistakes on offense, but altogether, we’re there. We got a playoff contending team.”

Starting on offense, the Warriors begin their drive at their own 25 yard line, pushing swiftly past a robust Raider defense to claim a first down despite the commendable opposition. Assessing the season so far, offense has consistently displayed powerful aggression, however, this aggression alone wasn’t enough to win against a technique or strategy-oriented team. A turning point in the Warriors’ efforts, this game saw that aggression transformed into proactive plays that displayed how the Warriors were targeting their areas of growth and executing them on the field. For example, while the Warriors often relied on rushing plays — falling short on successful passes to enable movement down the field — last night, the Warriors showcased back-to-back complete passes, making good distance. 

“Our run game was very good today,” Zeke Brock ‘26 said. “We were able to carry the ball and we were able to play physical on offense. Some things we need to work on [though] are just finishing our games. We start out kind of slow and we just need to be able to start out fast.”

Defense also demonstrated massive growth from their shaky play against the Mavericks last week. They came back with a renewed sense of confidence and power, posing a solid line of defense against incoming Raiders. However, while Warrior defense pushed the Raiders consistently to third downs, the Raiders offense persevered and earned the first touchdown of the evening. With Warrior offense now on the field, they made steady progress, consistently making first or second downs. However as they inched closer to the end zone, Raider defense began testing offensive limits, by forcing the Warriors to third and fourth downs. However, the Warriors thrive under this pressure — a trend that stays consistent throughout the game. Cooper Waits ‘26 remains clear-headed, a quality that enables him to break through Raider defense, and prompt a facemask penalty on the Raiders. This earned the Warriors an additional 15 yard gain, and boosted their confidence as they peered closer to their endzone. However, with both teams still struggling to find solid footing against each other, the rest of the first quarter bleeding into the second saw both teams’ defense posing unavoidable barriers and both offenses getting pressured into incomplete passes.  

“[In terms of] strengths, I think we did a good job maintaining a flat line in terms of just keeping our composure,” Kelley said. “[If] something bad happened, we got back up and were ready to play. [If] something good happened, we didn’t get our heads up in the clouds, we were ready to play. [In terms of weaknesses], just small details, and that just comes with practice.”

With the Warrior offense shaky on the first and second downs, they riskily moved down the field in on-and-off bouts of rushing breakthroughs and occasional passes. However, the Raiders eventually capitalized on one of those weak first downs, intercepting the ball and winning a second touchdown. With the score not at 14-0, the growing point disparity triggered vigorous determination in Warrior offense; taking a strategy-first approach, the Warriors began using seamless fake passes and diversions that seemed to work until they lost that advantage to overly-rushed passes. However, the Warriors remain persistent, clearing through the defensive line with consistent third downs. Inching closer to the end zone, Warrior offense brought back their newfound complete passes, with Weston Franz ‘27 repeatedly making good catches. However, the Warriors began to fumble the ball, losing yards on the play. This forces them to go for a field goal on fourth down, getting their first points up on the board and bringing the score to 3-14. 

Continuing this bout of newfound strategy, the Warriors return on offense after the Raiders mirror their opponent with a field goal of their own. Exhibiting fluid teamwork to drive the ball effectively down the field, Colten Case ‘26 makes a huge run for Warrior offense, with Drew Norrell ‘26 catching a risky long pass, and Waits scoring an exceptional first down that brings the Warriors to the edge of the end zone. This series of bold movements is continued by a mighty touchdown by Wade Allen ‘26, and a powerful kick by Josh Jack ‘26, eliciting loud cheers from the student section. The Warriors finish off the second quarter with defense also ending strong, only allowing lateral, out-of-bounds Raider movement. 

“We just changed our mentality and had a lot of fire under our defense,” Brock said. “That was able to keep us closer in the ball game and make it more of a competitive game. Our goal was to beat [the Raiders] physically and [keep] that sharp physicality on offense and defense, and to beat them with our power.”

Returning from halftime, the Warriors continued their momentum, with defense successfully cutting off incoming Raider offense with a new strategy of repeatedly swarming the ball carrier. With defense relatively consistent in their efforts, it was now up to Warrior offense to tip the scales in their favor. Maps Mehis ‘28 makes an admirable, long-range catch, shooting down the field to close in towards the end zone. Gaining the advantage over their counterparts — Raider offense, Warrior offense took over the play and immediately scooped the ball to weave past defense. Executing a smooth blocking maneuver, this allowed Warrior offense to claim their second touchdown, again by Allen. 

“My 60 yard touchdown was [definitely] a highlight for me,” Allen said. “We’re a physical team, and we just [have] to carry that on every game.” 

The remainder of the game sees a rapid series of both teams putting their best foot forward, surging past one another to gain the lead. While Warrior defense only enabled Raider movement in small increments, the Raiders managed to tumble into their third touchdown of the night. This move was quickly mirrored by Warrior offense, with a long run by Allen and an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on the Raiders bringing the Warriors closer to the targeted end zone. Culminating this effort, Waits swiftly passed the ball to Norrell, who swooped into the end zone to claim yet another Warrior touchdown.  With the score now at 23-27, the Warriors continued this momentum with an action-packed interception by Finn Chaney ‘26, who, spurred on by the boisterous cheering from the student section, shot into the end zone to mark another Warrior touchdown, and giving the Warriors their first lead of the night. Both offense and defense were on incredibly solid ground now, meshing power, technique, and confidence. However, the Warriors lost their lead almost immediately to a touchdown by the Raiders due to a shaky Warrior kicking team. 

“We ran the ball really well today, in the second half [especially], we turned it on, and later on in the game we did a nice job of getting stops,” Allen said. “We just struggled on special teams. We got to work on how we pass the ball and we need to work on special teams.”

With the Warriors now mourning the loss of their lead, offense becomes pressured into regaining it, losing some of their tactic in return for sheer aggression. However, this only resulted in incomplete passes, and the ball fumbling out of bounds. Meanwhile, the Raiders managed to score yet another unprovoked touchdown, surging past Warrior defense in a quick rush to the end zone. This growing point disparity paired with a ticking clock prevented Warrior offense from making any more significant progress, eventually falling short to the Raiders 30-41. 

“I thought we did amazing,” Josh Jack ‘26 said. “We didn’t give up, and I’m just excited for [Homecoming]. I saw a lot of people I know [show out here].”

The varsity football team will face off against the Hutto Hippos in their next home game on Thursday, Oct. 2.

Butting heads against their district rivals the McNeil Mavericks, the varsity football team fell short on Friday, Sept. 12, suffering their second loss of the season 70-45. With defense weakening throughout the game on both sides leading to a massive point buildup, it was up to the offense to take the lead — and while the Warriors put up a valiant effort in the first half, the Mavericks swept in to claim a victory on their own Homecoming game. 

“[Overall], I feel like we did all right, but we just need to be better [about] fixing some [little] things up,” Canon Olofson ‘27 said. “We just need to have better discipline, [which we plan on fixing] by watching film and listening. We [definitely] have things to work on, and we’re building up to get better.”

The Maverick’s first touchdown was within the first minute of the game, setting the tone for the rest of the evening. However, the Warriors were determined to put up a strong fight. They strategically played out the first few minutes of the quarter, making a field goal to get some points up on the board. This maneuver gave the Warriors some confidence, with offense advancing their game and gaining the lead with a run and touchdown by Wade Allen ‘26. With McNeil now on offense, the Warriors continued their powerful defensive tactics seen in their game last week against Austin High. They pushed back strongly against incoming Mavericks, with Dre Kyles ‘28 playing a pivotal role in cutting off the opponent’s attempts at a pass down the field. But this high aggression from the Warriors resulted in a foul, delivering a significant blow to the Warrior’s defensive success for the remainder of the game. 

“They were a great team — we knew that coming in, but we didn’t come off strong from the get go, and that kind of came back to bite us,” Maps Mehis ‘28 said. 

Although the Warriors continued to get struck down with many flags thrown at them, they  continued to maintain their composure and focus on the task at hand. According to Mehis, this will help the Warriors supplement their strategic training with a positive mindset shift that will earn them holistic success in the future. 

“We had a major talk about staying classy — there were some [hard times] in this game, [but] we got to keep up what we’re doing, keep proving that discipline,” Mehis said. “It’s not about the game really, it’s about our behavior, during the play, after the play. I thought we did all right with that tonight, but we can always get better, especially if we’re playing an unclassy team — if that ever happens down the road.”

While defense continued to make powerful efforts, they no longer contained the same degree of aggression seen earlier in the quarter and in past games. This allowed the Mavericks to move easily down the field with consistent first downs. Their offensive drive culminated in a touchdown, passing McNeil the lead again and bringing the score to 14-10. With Warrior offense now on the field and trying to fill in the gaps left by defense, the Maverick’s own defense finally found their footing, creating an unbreakable line and preventing the Warriors from sneaking through gaps.. Warrior offense consistently lost a few yards, with their offensive drives being pushed to fourth down. 

“Offensively, we [ended up] executing pretty well — it was a little shaky at the start, but we got it together pretty well,” Allen said. “[The biggest] challenges were just getting the run game and getting beat deep over the top — if we can fix that, we’ll be successful this season.”

Both Warrior offense and defense were on incredibly shaky ground. While the Warriors impressively pushed the Mavericks to begin their offensive drive from their own one-yard line, this success was quickly trumped by the Mavericks’ record-breaking play: a 99 yard run down the field on first down, earning McNeil their most popular touchdown of the game. Failing to recover from this blow, Warrior defense continued to enable easy points for McNeil, with the Mavericks scoring yet another touchdown off a run just shortly after. 

“Things like defense — its definitely different [from playing as a freshman last year]. There are a lot of similar guys, so we all bring good chemistry and we’re all good friends, [but] we just have to have [a lot] more teamwork on the field,” Mehis said. 

With defense now strongly hit, Warrior offense had to work overtime to make up for the loss.. But, their continued inability to successfully pass the ball lead to continuous runs instead. This resulted in the Maverick’s offense getting the upper hand as McNeil defense quickly read the Warriors running plays and was able to shut it down swiftly. The first quarter ends with yet another McNeil touchdown.  The second quarter opens to see the Warrior offense beginning to build sporadic momentum. Mehis seamlessly gains 12 yards on first down, weaving around Maverick defense efficiently to run the ball closer to their end zone. This progress is matched shortly by Drew Norrell ‘26 shooting down the field to score a much-awaited Warrior touchdown. The play was largely possible by the team’s cohesion, with the O-line successfully tackling incoming defense, allowing for Norrell to gain access to a clear path.

“A specific weakness [of this game] was that we just need to be more focused,” Mehis said. “We need more discipline [with] those small things — Westwood teams [are known] for their discipline, so we need to [work on that]. Personally, I just need to [focus on] the small things, because those can always come back to bite us. There’s never something you can’t get better on — you can always [improve] on something.”

Hopes of a rejuvenated Warrior defense are brought down after the third quarter kicks off to the Mavericks making easy progress down the field. While the Warriors certainly were obstacles in the Mavericks path to the end zone, they failed to successfully tackle any of the incoming offense, leading to McNeil’s first touchdown of the second half, Leading to a  41-17 McNeil lead. With the Warriors now on offense again, they began making decent progress in their drives, with Mehis instrumental in finally moving the line of scrimmage into the opponent half. As a determined Warrior offense faced off against a staunch Maverick defense at third down and seven, the Warriors claimed the minor victory by moving for a touchdown. A quick series of high-powered runs followed, with yet another Maverick touchdown, and then another Warrior one — made possible by a persistent Allen who drove the ball into the end zone. 

“For the team, we want to [strategically] keep the other teams under 30 points, and a personal goal: I want to rush for a 1000 yards and have 10 touchdowns,” Allen said.

The game now in the final stretch, Allen and Mehis singlehandedly continued the Warriors offensive attempts, with Allen bringing the Warriors to third down and one, and Mehis sweeping in to claim yet another Warrior touchdown with a hand off and run to the endzone. Following this, the Mavericks claim yet another touchdown due to complete, long passes paired with a scattered Warrior defense. Then, Weston Franz ‘27 scored a touchdown for Westwood, a feat quickly mirrored by the Mavericks after a commendable 63 yard run. The final quarter saw Warrior offense making powerful attempts, hinting towards a possible comeback, but without the simultaneous support of defense, a recovery slowly seeps out of grasp. The Mavericks end their Homecoming game with a touchdown and two-point conversion, raising the final score to a mighty 70-45. 

“Given that we executed well later on in the game, on offense we scored a lot of points and we [were able to] bring it back into a close game,” Allen said. “Our defense was struggling in the run game, so they just got to start filling the gaps, and that’s how we’re going to win games [in the future].”

The varsity football team will return next Friday, Sept. 19 to play their own Homecoming game against the Cedar Ridge Raiders.

Neck and neck in a close game, the JV Orange football team played in a tight match against Austin High on Thursday, Sept. 4. After a nail biting game and a failed two point conversion the Warriors fell just short, the final score was 12-13.

“Im proud of what our defense has achieved today,” Head Coach Derek Ward said. “What we need is to improve our offense and get more practice in. I think we have made steady improvement, but what we need to do is keep going” 

The first quarter started off slow with strong defense by both teams. Due to the diligent defense on both sides of the field no points were scored and few runs were successful throughout the second quarter. Vishnu Nair ‘28 made a heroic interception for the Warriors at the 36 yard line, however not much was done with it due to the thick defense laid down by Austin. The first quarter ended with a score of 0-0.

“We had no momentum at the start of the game and to be honest,”Anthony Page ‘26 said “ I think that’s our main issue.”

In the second quarter the trend continued with very few yards gained offensively due to strong defensive plays made by the Maroons. Bad playmaking and communication by Austin High  along with good coverage by the Warriors allowed for the clock to run down without any points sneaking onto the board. As the time dwindled down in the first half, both teams slowed momentum not adding any more points to their score. The final score of the second quarter remained 0-0. 

“What we need is more starting momentum, we caught up later in the game but we need to get up and go, put something on the board early,” Page said.

The third quarter started with high hopes for the Warriors as they managed to slow the Maroon offense and push them to the 4th down. However, the Maroons slipped through and were able to score a touchdown after a pass was left uncovered by the Warriors; bringing the score to 6-0. With the extra added pressure as the third quarter was coming to a close, the Warriors huddled together to muster up a game plan to begin their comeback. The final score of the third quarter was 6-0.

“We had great momentum in the fourth quarter but we as a team need to pull together the momentum [earlier],” Page said.

Coming out of the third quarter, with no points on the board, the Warriors swapped energy to work together beginning their run. Even with the Warriors best defensive efforts, Austin High managed to push through it and score on the Warriors again making the score 13-0. A good interception made by Noah Doyle ‘27 allowed the Warriors to gain possession of the ball. Charging forward with the recently gained momentum, a 53 yard pass by Blaine Kimble ‘27 to Page allowed the Warriors to score their first points of the night, making the score 6-13.

“I think we need to do better as an offense,” Andrew Lee ‘28 said. “Honestly I don’t think we’ve had enough practice this far into the year to really determine team composition.”

Moving into the second half of the fourth quarter, hungry for the win, the Warriors gained possession of the ball thanks to a fumble by Austin High, and were able to score again thanks to a 26 yard pass from Kimble to Doyle. This brought the score to 12-13. The Warriors needed a two point conversion to win, however the pass was unsuccessful ending the game with Austin High at a one point lead.

“I think we put it all out on the field” Nair said “and at least in the last quarter, put a good amount of effort into the game”

The JV orange team will face off against Mcneil in a thrilling match up, Thursday Sept. 11, at the Warrior Bowl.

Renewing the long-lasting tradition of shutting down the Austin High Maroons, the varsity football team conquered their first victory of the season on Friday, Sept. 5. Coming back stronger than ever after last year’s shocking upset, the Warriors wielded a consistent defensive line along with a powerful offense to defeat the Maroons 39-9. 

“We played great [today]. It was so much about teamwork — we all had fun doing it,” Maps Mehis ‘28 said. “[Especially] because it was one of my first home games [at Kelly Reeves], it was a great experience, a great atmosphere, [and] I think we did really amazing.”

Starting off slow in the first quarter, Warrior offense loses possession of the ball right from the outset to a speedy Maroon interception. However, Warrior defense easily makes up for the mistake by building a sturdy defense line restricting any significant Maroon movement on the next possession. Warrior defense maintained aggressive consistency when blocking the Maroons throughout the game. This enabled the Warriors to push the Maroons to fourth down and prevent them from scoring. While the Warriors defense worked to hold Austin High, the Warriors offense was dealing with some strategic struggles in getting the ball down the field. This stalemate eventually breaks with a long 25 yard drive by Drew Norrell ‘26, a move that culminated with a touchdown by Mehis. The energy on the field now shifts as the offense begins gaining momentum, and the defense gets a safety to add an extra two points to the board.

“As a team, we did great running the ball and sticking with it,” Mehis said. “We played the whole game and finished all the way through, [and] we didn’t have any slow points — if we needed to bounce back from something, we bounced back from it. Honestly it was just a great night, in the air, on the ground, on defense.”

With the Warriors now finding their footing on the field, the second quarter commences strongly with the Warriors on offense, and Mehis securing a commendable 74 yard drive and touchdown. Following in the defense’s footsteps, Warrior offense began exhibiting their own consistency in power and strategy. Despite the Warriors energy build on both ends of the field, the second quarter also saw massive penalties build up against the Warriors. Instead of choosing to risk running, the Warriors decided to play it safe and go for a successful field goal, bringing the score up by three. 

“This is my fourth varsity season, [and I’ve progressed a lot] by just learning the new places,” Norrell said. “Because we got new head coaches, it’s been a little hard [to adapt], but we’re all getting it down real well.”

However, while the offense certainly started maneuvering down the field weaving through aggressive Maroon defense, the Warriors failed to connect on long passes, instead relying on short, rapid ones followed by long runs down the field. This gap prevented them from making any more touchdowns the rest of the quarter. As the Maroons did what the Warriors couldn’t and began inching closer to the end zone via long passes, Warrior defense was also pushed to shift strategy. Relying more on aggressive, moving tackles than maintaining a confining defensive barrier. By shifting defensive strategy, the Warriors were able to keep the Maroon’s score to an ultimate minimum, bringing the first half to 19-0. 

“[A challenge] was that they stacked a lot of guys in the box on us today, so we’re going to have to figure out how we’re going to get bodies on bodies [in the future],” Wade Allen ‘26 said. “Besides that, we didn’t have too much trouble…it was a pretty sweet ride.”

Moving into the second half, the Warriors come back with a renewed energy and determination to secure those long passes they’ve been falling short of.  First Possession back after halftime the Warrior offense begins to make steady progress, ending their offensive drive with a 50 yard pass to Norrell, who ran the ball into the end zone and captured the Warrior’s third touchdown of the evening. While offense begins to see the start to steady success as the game matures, defense once again demonstrates how they served to be the foundational backbone behind the night’s victory: putting an end to a dangerously long drive by the Maroons, Logan Miller ‘26  intercepts the ball to then run it down field, staving Austin High from reaching within close range of the end zone. Towards the end of the quarter, the Maroons finally put themselves on the board with a field goal, bringing the score to 25-3. 

“We started out really slow, [but] we threw the ball well, I caught the ball well, [and was able to run] a lot of yards after the catch, [so] I think we all spread the wall pretty well,” Norrell said. “Everyone’s happy, and it’s definitely going to improve next week.”

Starting off the final quarter strong, Warrior offense launches a powerful drive across the field, with Mehis running the ball into the end zone for a touchdown. However, the cheers from the team and stands are cut to a halt with a face mask penalty, resulting in a 15 yard penalty at first down. Offense is now struggling, not due to lack of power or strategy, but rather due to heightened aggressiveness causing a series of penalties. 

“[Being on varsity] is definitely a lot different [than previous years],” Mehis said. “It’s a big step — the competition is [definitely] better, but you can’t let [that] get to you, you still have to plan it out [well] on who you’re playing, it doesn’t matter who [it is].”

After a few timeouts on both sides, the Warriors return focused and with strong footing in this final stretch. Defense ends the Maroons offensive drive quickly to regain possession for the Warriors. On offense, Cooper Waits ‘27 scores a quick touchdown to advance the Warriors lead even more. An interception by Cam Green ‘26 gives the Warriors back the ball to attempt yet another touchdown to add to the night. With a quick throw and long run by Weston Franz ‘27, the Warriors earned their fifth and final touchdown of the game.  Up by 36, Warrior defense eases up a bit, allowing for more Maroon movement on the field, a feat that results in the sole touchdown for Austin High. After stalling to burn the remainder of the game clock, the Warriors were able to claim their first victory of the season 39-9. 

“The crowd was great [today so] we fed off the energy and we scored a lot of points,” Allen said. “We ran the ball very well [today], we threw it well, our defense played great and those are the keys to success.”

The varsity football team will return next Friday, Sept. 12 to play against the McNeil Mavericks in their own homecoming game.

“[This season was] brutal because half of our team failed [classes] which was very challenging [in games],” William Chubick ‘28 said. “It was tough on the team [only having about 25 players],”.

After winning the coin toss, Vista Ridge kicked off giving the Warriors the ball to start the game. Beginning the game with a long fight with a first down run, Arjun Parthipan ‘28 set the tone. However soon the Warrior momentum was cut short by a fumble that gave VIsta the ball near the 50. After a strong three-and-out  from the Warrior defense, they regained possession at the Vista Ridge 40 yard line. Unfortunately, again, The Warrior offense fell short, forcing them to punt. After another failed drive led by bad snaps, the Rangers ended the quarter 0-0.

“[To prepare for games] we practice our form and technique [in the]weight room,” Parthipan said. “I like stretching [with the team] before games.”

Coming back onto the field strong with possession the Warriors quickly put points on the board with a run from Parthipan. Successfully punching in the two point conversion, Chubick made it a 8-0 game with 11 left in the half. Leading the attack, Jack Brandes ‘28 and Joseph Kasey ‘28 worked together making a number of strong tackles through the quarter, preventing any movement by the Ranger offense. As the second quarter ran down Vista Ridge attempted to make gains but were shut down re-asserting the Warriors domination going into halftime.

[It’s a team effort when making a touchdown as] the receivers block and the O-line to block, which was pretty helpful for my rushes,”  Parthipan said.  

Making significant headway for the first time in the game, Vista Ridge came out of their huddle and made it to the Warriors’ 12-yard line. Now in the red-zone, the Warrior defense forced a fumble at the six, again, denying the Rangers attempts at the lead. After a series of gains started by Nikita Shitikov ‘28, the Warrior offense held the ball for the rest of the quarter, choking out Vista’s defense. Soon, breaking multiple tackles, Akim Boychenko ‘28 gained 11 yards to end the third quarter with the Warrior offense in Ranger territory.

[This season was] really good, I’m going to miss my coaches, and my teammates,” Sam Nicol Barbosa ‘28 said. “In the last game we really wanted to finish strong and win, which is what we did and we are really happy about it,”.

Determined to keep their lead in the fourth quarter, the Warrior offense, led by Brown, weaved a 52-yard run for the Warriors’ second touchdown, soon running in their point after, the Warriors set the game 16-0. Low snaps from Vista that coupled with an impressive performance from Warrior defense line continued to hinder the Rangers’ offense. With only four seconds to go the Warriors intercepted the final pass in the endzone, ending the game 16-0.

The Warriors ended their season strong with a win and reflected on all that had happened in this eventful season. For the Warriors that decide to continue playing football at Westwood, the JV and Varsity teams have tons of talent joining the team next season. 

As the Warriors kicked off the game, they were quickly faced with adversity. Wasting no time, the Rangers quickly scored a touchdown. Soon the Warriors, going into their first offensive drive, scrambled to get back the points, but the Rangers were not letting up. As the Rangers’ defense stayed solid, the Warriors fell behind, ending the first quarter 7-0.

“I definitely thought that we had the chance to win from the start, but we made a couple of mistakes that sadly cost us the game,” Jesus Vasquez ‘26 said. 

Rolling into the second quarter, the Rangers continued to drive. Fortunately for the Warriors,  a few missteps and solid pass coverage prevented another Ranger touchdown and forced a field goal, setting the game 10-0. The Warrior offense, led by Caiden McDonald ‘26, pushed through Vista’s defense toward the end of the second quarter, scoring their first touchdown of the game; although missing the point after attempt, the Warriors put the game in reach at 10-6.

“Another one of my favorite movements was when Kenneth [Putnam ‘26] blocked the extra point,” Coach Wesley Moss said.

The Warriors, shined through during certain moments through the third quarter, stopping Vista’s advancements on defense and managing to find some progress on offense. Despite the Warriors efforts, the Rangers continued to build their lead over the Warriors by driving down and scoring in the final moments of the third quarter, leaving the score a 23-6 heading into the fourth.

“[Colby] Spoonts ‘27 has the best hands on Jv,” Shane Holder ‘27 said.

In the last quarter, The Warriors put their best foot forward and raced against time to shorten the Ranger’s lead. With about 4 minutes left, the warriors secured another touchdown leaving the game at 23-12. But this was not it for the Warriors, as the clock ticked down, the Warriors continued to play meticulously, executing their gameplan. Even with all the odds against them, they pushed through. But, Unfortunately, as the game reached its end the Warriors lost 23-12.

“Though the season didn’t go the way we planned, I was proud of how we played as a team,” Coach Wesley Moss said. “If they have aspirations to play on Varsity the next year that they need to work hard during the off season to show they deserve to be up there.”

The Warriors ended this season with a total of 2 wins and 8 losses. During this season the Warriors exponentially improved in many ways, from play execution and playing as a whole instead of individuals. Even though they faced tough losses, they used them to refine themselves. 

“Relentless effort was what defined our game,” Aeb Whitley ‘25 said. “We started to slip up and miss our cues, but it was all made up for with relentless pursuit.”

The game did not start well for the Warriors, as a three and out appearance gave the Rangers the ball at the 50 and an easy chance for early points. But soon, the Warrior defense, led by Caius Coy ‘25, found a foothold, holding them to 30 yards and forcing a field goal, with the Warriors still in striking distance. Unfortunately for Westwood’s sideline, the offense found no reprieve as two other failed drives gave Vista the ball. But yet again, the defense did not let it slide, as two more shutdowns ended the quarter 3-0 with Vista Ridge in the lead.

“Our defense came ready to play tonight,” Coach Dezmun Williams said. “Their first drive we gave up three, but we stalled them out for the next three [as] they didn’t expect us to play as physically as we did.”

The second quarter is where the Warriors found their groove as the first two drives for the offense resulted in a touchdown by Drew Norell ‘26, one of which an unguarded slant over the middle that demolished the Ranger morale. These two drives, followed by strong tackles and quick pressure by the defensive line, prevented Vista from retaliating, setting the game 14-3 with seven left in the half. This streak did not stop here, as a 20-yard rushing touchdown by Xavion Sutton ‘25 that began with two broken tackles put the Warriors up 17 on the Rangers. These athletic drives and robust stops ended the half with the Warriors up 20-3.

“One of our sayings is, ‘Train for war and fight to win,’” Coach Williams said. “And this week we trained for war and we had to fight to win and I was excited to see it.”

The Warriors faced a rough start in the second half as the teams began to fight each other, before and after the plays, causing repeated personal fouls on each side of the ball. The most prominent of which gave Vista the ball on Westwood’s 46, allowing them to bomb it into the redzone on the first play of the half, putting them 20-10 with the Warriors on their back foot. But soon after, the game was 20-17 as the Warriors fumbled the returning kick on the 30, allowing another deep pass down the sideline, putting the game back into the reach of the Rangers. The early touchdowns changed the Warriors’ game as their offense began to falter due to continued unsportsmanlike conduct calls for the Warriors; these missteps gave Vista an opportunity at the lead. And so they led with another pass to the end zone after two penalties and a few missed tackles gave them the field position. Now, with the game 24-20 as the Rangers scored their 21st unanswered point of the third quarter, the Warriors had to come back, and do it soon. Starting their drive with short passes to the outside, down field blocks by the wide receivers, bracketed the Rangers, earning Westwood’s second chance at victory. Following these clutch blocks and heavy hits, the Vista secondary could not keep up with Norell as another catch over the middle put the Warriors at the one. Eventually jamming it in after some struggle, the Warriors re-took the lead 27-24.

“We just came out short in the second half,” Whitley said. “We let up and felt our way through when we should have continued to push and keep going.”

Moving into the final quarter of the season, the Warriors’ seniors were fired up and ready to end the game with a win. Trudging down the field, Sutton, averaging five yards a carry throughout the fourth, assured that the Warriors had a way to move the ball. However, this was rarely necessary as Westwood continued to block the best they had all year, creating space and giving the ball carriers a chance to make a move. Soon, these moves accumulated in another big pass over the middle that deepened the Warriors lead 34-24, putting one more nail in the Rangers’ coffin. Despite the offense’s increasing victory and energy, the defense never let up, despite their fatigue. Following big hits by Wade Allen ‘26 that left Vista Ridge reeling, Whitley stopped all Vista’s momentum with a clutch interception, giving the Warriors the opportunity to score and end the game once and for all. Unfortunately for the Warriors, a mix of penalties and sacks by the Rangers gave them the ball at the 45. In a continuation of the Warriors’ negative momentum, the flags began to add up as the Rangers continued to take big shots for a touchdown that put them in the red zone. However,  the Warriors, with a series of broken blocks, near TFLs, and covered passes, soon forced another field goal out of the Rangers, putting the game nearly out of reach one last time. 

“It’s a pride thing for us,” Coach Williams said. “[When] you’re playing for these seniors’ [futures], playing for these coaches, it’s important to everyone [on the team].”

In the final drives of the game, the Warriors saw their chance and attempted to take it by calling a series of trick plays and short passes that hinged on yards after catch fell short of a first down. This misfortune on the Warrior offense put it all on the defense one last time. With two minutes left all the Warriors had to do was prevent a touchdown and force them to take as long as possible. However, as fatigue soon set in on the defensive line, each player was running on fumes with little energy to break through the line, but the d-line persisted, maintaining pivotal pressure to the Vista backfield. But soon, their exhaustion took hold as an uncontested pass over the middle of the field scored the Ranger’s final touchdown they needed.When all hope was lost, Whitley, pushing all he could towards the place kicker in an attempt to block the kick, rushed him. This skewed the PAT as the Rangers missed the final point they needed to tie the game, giving the Warriors the ball while they were still in the lead. With that, the Warriors secured their win 34-33 over the number three team in the district, proving their devotion and sending the crowd home with their heads high.

“I think our off-season will be a good one as a lot of our young guys have experience now, so [i’m excited] to see our [majority] junior and senior team next year,” Coach Williams said. “Unfortunately, we are losing some key pieces with this senior class, but all in all, the seniors this year have laid the concrete to the house we are about to build.”

This was the Warriors’ final game of the season. However, this is not the end of their efforts, as the juniors and sophomores will continue to push and strive for a better season in the years to come.

The Warriors didn’t waste any time on the field as they bulldozed past the Tigers, scoring a touchdown early in the first half, they secured their lead and planned on maintaining it. 

“Watching our defensive line brings relentless pressure all game,” Coach Wesley Moss said.

The Warrior defense was at a season-high high, constantly intercepting passes, and forcing the Tigers onto their back foot. Soon, the Warriors’ defense began to falter as quick run plays broke through the offensive line, eventually scoring to bring the score 7-6 with the Warriors in the lead. However, this wasn’t enough to disturb them as the Warriors stayed in the zone.

“We adjusted some blocking schemes that proved pivotal in our scoring drives,” Coach Moss said.

At the half, Coach Wesley Moss gathered the players to give them one last piece of advice to guarantee their victory in the second half. The Warriors soon retook the field at the beginning of the third with one goal in mind, stay ahead.  The Warriors jammed another in and scored another touchdown, more than doubling Stony Point’s score at 13-6. 

“Watching our O-line dominate their defensive line was the best moment in the game,” Coach Moss said.

The offensive stayed consistent with their effort, not letting any signs of fatigue show, even under pressure from the Tigers’ defensive line.  The big takeaway from the game was the definite shift in improvements on both sides of the ball, hyping the players and the crowd throughout the game. 

“This was a good win to break away from the losing skid,” Coach Wesley Moss said.

The Warriors will go to Vandegrift to face off against the Vipers on Thursday, Oct. 31.

To start the game with possession Round Rock scored quickly. After a failed drive by the Warriors, the Dragons retook possession. However, due to some good pressure and a clutch flag on the Dragons, the Warriors held them 6-0 in the first quarter.

“[To improve before our next games] We just watch the film, see what we did wrong, and try to fix that for our next one,” Ryder Yendle ‘28 said.

Coming back onto the field with the ball the Warriors looked to make it on the board with their first drive of the second quarter. However, the Warrior punting streak continued as a short run on third ended their drive. In a stark shift in momentum, Ty´Ron McGowan ‘28 picked off the dragons, preventing any further touchdowns. However, despite this defensive advantage, the Warrior offense could not seem to get the ball rolling as a false start and a slew of mistimed rushes gave Round Rock the ball with 39 seconds left in the half, ending it 6-0 with the Dragons still in the lead.

“[I] just played my heart out and did anything I could [with so little time left on the clock], it’s all for the team,” Christian Rodriguez ’28 said. 

The Warriors entered the field with their heads high ready to continue the fight. So the defense did just that as the defense continued to stop the Dragons short of a first down. However, even with these stands, the Dragons still managed to punch one in, putting the game 12-0. Soon, with 3:33 left in the quarter Arjun Parthipan ‘28 blasted through the defensive line for a 50-yard gain, but again, a holding penalty early in the play called it back, forcing another punt by the Warriors. 

“Coach told us just to give it our all and win or lose we were playing well [during our time out],” Ryder said. 

Entering the fourth quarter, they made sure to keep their defense strong as Liam Schussler ’28 tossed a Dragon out of bounds preventing their third touchdown of the game. But, the same pattern continued as the offense could not seem to find a foothold as the defense fought with all they had, eventually falling short, ending the game 18-0 as the Dragons scored a final time in the final moment of the game.

“I think we played very well for missing quite a few people and having only 22 players on the field,” Ryder said “I think some people gave it their all and weren’t too happy with the outcome but overall I think we played well for the circumstances,”

The Warriors will go up against the Stony Point Tigers on the road on Thursday, Oct. 24, starting at 5:00 p.m. in one of their last games of the season.