By Owen Ziegler
Community Contributor
Halloween night brought a festive atmosphere to the packed den. Students donned various costumes, although the Westwood jerseys dominated the scene. The fierce 5-2 Wolverines faced against the 3-4 Ashland Clockers. With the spookiness in the air, Ashland seemed intimidated by the sea of green, giving Westwood the early advantage. Captains Drew Donegan, Charlie Toole, Dante Martucci, and Mario Vinci, led the team on Senior night, and hopefully towards a 3rd straight playoff appearance. To start, a short ceremony celebrated the work of the many seniors, who were accompanied by their families and friends. The players and fans were determined to give the seniors a memorable night.
The 1st quarter proved the teams to be equals, with defensive excellence through the game from Sophomore Brendan Cengic, Senior Dawson Rose, and Senior Ben Rosa, among others. Westwood couldn’t keep up with Ashland, who scored a touchdown midway through the first quarter. The team looked as if they lost their energy, as they were favored against Ashland. But, for the remainder of the quarter Coach Brad Pindel kept the team from giving up more points.
In the second quarter, Ashland scored again, extending their lead to 14-0. Westwood’s chances seemed slim, but they found their spark in Sophomore kick returner Konstantino Giannopoulos, who displayed remarkable speed and maneuverability. He returned the kick across the field, finally being pulled down just 20 yards from the end zone. This electrifying play sparked the animal inside Westwood, one hungry to win. With the spark, Senior Captain Dante Martucci pushed into the end zone, bringing the score to 14-7. As well, Jack Holland continued to shine, delivering an excellent pass to Charlie Toole, who evened the score at 14-14.
The third quarter was decisive for the fate of the game, and the players, coaches, and fans knew it. Konstantino again proved to be an X-factor as he gave us another run, giving the offense a great field position. Going back and forth for almost the rest of the quarter, fans were on the edge of their seats, eager for anything to happen. All that fighting was worth it, as Captain Dante Martucci smashed his way across the goal line, breaking the tie, and finishing it with a Gronk-esque spike, but the refs, hoping to save the game called 2 fouls on the play, a personal foul and something about “unnecessary celebrations”, resetting the ball and calling back the TD. Even with the reset of play, the Wolverines showed they deserved that touchdown, when QB Jack Holland walked his way into the end zone, creating his own play, and showing his scrambling ability.
As the fourth quarter began, Westwood held a 21-14 lead. The start of the quarter was slow, marked by a defensive stalemate. The first moment of interest, sadly, Ashland intercepted a almost-touchdown pass. But, with about two minutes left in the game, Captain Drew Donegan made a pivotal play, snatching a pass out of the air and shifting the momentum back to Westwood. Holland knew he had to capitalize, and he did, putting the ball into Thomas Warren’s hands, as he caught a beautiful 32 yard pass, right into the back of the endzone. That TD made the score 28-17, and the game looked to be finished, but not for Mario Vinci, and the Wolverine defense. Mario broke through the offensive line and slammed into the Ashland Quarterback, the fans were in awe at the amazing play. But wait! The ball was loose, it bounced down the field and Vinci scooped it up, running his way into the endzone. Fortunately, there were no penalties for "unnecessary celebrations," allowing the joy of the moment to resonate throughout the stadium.
With the final score at 35-17, the Wolverines secured a triumphant victory on senior night, showcasing their resilience and teamwork. The electrifying plays not only honored the seniors but also gave Westwood a place in the playoffs for another year. As the fans cheered and the team celebrated, it was clear that this Halloween night would be remembered as an amazing moment for the Wolverines.
