Westfield rocks a comeback

By RICHIE HALL

sports@readthereporter.com

WESTFIELD – It’s still early in the football season, but Westfield has already made a name for itself as the home of the Comeback Shamrocks.

For the second week in a row, Westfield overcame a deficit to beat a top-level team. The Rocks trailed 13-3 in the third quarter before scoring two touchdowns in the final 12 minutes and 1 second of the game to beat visiting Carmel 17-13 last Saturday at Riverview Health Stadium.

The game began last Friday with a large crowd at the stadium, but the weather had other plans. The contest was halted due to lightning in the second quarter, then was eventually postponed.

Carmel was leading 10-0 when the game was stopped. The Greyhounds got on the board when Lukas Krishtanmoorthy kicked a 25-yard field goal with 5:06 left in the first quarter. Carmel then scored a touchdown less than a minute into the second period: Quarterback Anthony Coellner sent a short pass to Nathan Williams, who ran down the field and turned it into a 43-yard touchdown score. Krishtanmoorthy kicked the extra point.

The contest resumed in the second quarter without any additional scoring, so the Greyhounds enjoyed a 10-0 halftime lead. Westfield began the third quarter with a long drive that took the Rocks to Carmel’s 9-yard line. The drive stopped there, but the Shamrocks got points out of it when Owen Wright kicked a 26-yard field goal with 5:06 left in the period.

“We had to manufacture our own energy. We didn’t know what things would be like getting back here at 6 (p.m.),” said Westfield coach Josh Miracle. “These guys stepped up and took it a little bit personal how we played last night. Just excited to see them getting back to playing Rocks football.”

The Hounds also came away with a field goal in their subsequent drive. Coellner’s 37-yard pass to Williams got them into the red zone, and Krishtanmoorthy put Carmel back up by 10 with a 32-yard field goal.

Westfield had the ball with 39.2 seconds left in the third, but that was all it needed. On 3^rd-and-5, Melvin threw a pass to Gabe Aramboles, who began running, evaded a tackle, then kept running until he reached the end zone. It was a 79-yard touchdown with no time left on the clock. Wright kicked the extra point, and the Shamrocks went into the fourth quarter trailing by only 13-10.

Westfield held Carmel to three-and-out to start the fourth, including a quarterback sack from Alex Aramboles, Gabe’s younger brother. (Alex weighs 215 pounds to Gabe’s 205, so you can’t say “little” brother.)

The Rocks struck quickly in their next drive. Melvin connected with Preston Pakala on a 33-yard pass, helping Westfield to the Greyhounds’ 12. Melvin then threw a pass to Mikeah Webster, who made an acrobatic catch just shy of the goal line. Webster punched the ball in from the one to score, and Wright kicked the extra point.

Westfield now held a four-point lead. Carmel blasted its way through the next drive, with Coellner completing four consecutive passes. Three of those throws went to Jacob Bellin, with the first pass a 41-yarder to get into Shamrocks territory. The Greyhounds made their way into the red zone, but Westfield’s Deacon King intercepted a 2^nd-and-12 throw in the end zone to halt the drive.

“I’m excited for him, because I just think he’s improving a ton as a football player,” said Miracle. “We’re asking a lot of him. You can see the growth from last year to this year.”

Carmel held the Rocks to three-and-out, so the Hounds got one last drive. Carmel made it down to the Westfield 26, but Alex Aramboles stepped up again, making a sack on 4^th-and-8. The Shamrocks had the ball back, and one more first down sealed the game.

Alex Aramboles finished the game with four sacks.

“I just go,” said Aramboles. “Don’t think, just go and play. I worked all summer. I would say that Westfield has probably the best o-line in the state. We’re getting it done every single day.”

Melvin went 13-for-20 through the air, totaling 196 yards. Gabe Aramboles had seven of those catches for 123 yards. Webster led the rushing with 54 yards and King totaled 53 yards.

Coellner completed 22-of-33 passes for 251 yards, with Belling catching nine for 108 yards. Craig Kepler totaled 51 yards rushing.

“We don’t feel good,” said Carmel coach John Hebert. “But I’m sure when we watch the tape, it’s going to be revealed what we needed to do. And that’s going to helps us down the road.”

Westfield is 2-0 and hosts Zionsville Friday to begin Hoosier Crossroads Conference play. Carmel is 1-1 and plays at Centerville (Ohio).