By Adam Beadle
Multimedia Staff
As the clock winded down in the fourth quarter, senior cornerback Marcus Newman kept his eyes on the ball, which paid off.
Newman hauled in what would be Cesar Chavez’s fourth defensive takeaway of the night, the second interception, and sealed the 28-8 win for the Champions over 6A Fiesta region foe Westwood.
After going 0-5 in region play last season, the Champion's two forced fumbles and two interceptions were key in avenging their 38-6 loss to the Warriors a season ago and improving to 5-2 on the season and 2-0 in region play.
Finding ways to force turnovers early, Westwood fumbled on its first offensive drive. Capitalizing, sophomore running back Pharis Jenkins found an open hole and broke free for a 56-yard touchdown run down the sideline.
“It was huge getting a stop that first series on defense,” head coach Chandler Hovik said. “To have that huge run by Jenkins, it was a great combination between him and Myles Johnson. Our offensive line was awesome tonight.”
Failing to find any momentum offensively, Westwood used two of its timeouts in the first quarter, both before failing to convert on fourth and short.
In the second quarter, Cesar Chavez continued its great play on both sides of the ball, getting into the backfield and sacking Westwood junior quarterback Elliot Reed twice.
When the Champions returned on offense, Westwood was finally able to put pressure on sophomore quarterback Mason Penrod and force Cesar Chavez into a third and 26. However, an unsportsmanlike penalty on the Warriors would again put Westwood in a bad position.
Taking full advantage, the Champions drove the ball down the field as Penrod connected with senior wide receiver Nevin Reed on a quick 2-yard out route, giving Cesar Chavez a 21-0 lead right before halftime.
While the defense was pivotal in giving the offense the chance to capitalize on opportunities, Reed returned the favor on offense and would finish the game with close to 100 yards receiving and two touchdowns.
“That dude is leading 6A in receiving for a reason,” Hovik said. “That is the silent assassin right there.”
Finally, Westwood would start to come alive in the second half.
Reed found junior tight end Preston Leavitt on a 10-yard touchdown pass after a good defensive stand to force the Champions to go 3-and-out offensively. Subsequently, Westwood would recover an onside kick after the score, but the effort in the third quarter would not be enough for the Warriors to walk away with a victory.
With the hot start to region play, Hovik is excited about walking into Mesa next week.
“To be 2-0 right now, we get to go to Mesa for their homecoming, it’s going to be tough man, but we’re excited for the challenge,” Hovik said. “You know Mountain View down the road, Tolleson to finish it out, we have to play really good football to have a chance against any of those dudes, but our guys are really looking forward to it.”
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