By RICHIE HALL
WESTFIELD – Two Class 6A powerhouses met at Westfield’s Riverview Health Stadium Friday night for one of many high school football scrimmages taking place across Indiana.
The Shamrocks hosted Ben Davis, and while it was a scrimmage, the players were playing and celebrating like it was a regular-season game. Meanwhile, second-year Westfield head coach Josh Miracle said there was “a lot of learning going on, too,” during the night.
“I think the effort is there,” said Miracle. “It’s just to continue the execution that we’re looking forward to cleaning up after watching the film.”
The Rocks bring back some very talented players to their roster this season. One student-athlete likely to get the most attention is senior Deacon King, who made a Division I commitment over the summer when he signed with Northern Illinois.
King was dominant on Westfield’s offense last year, gaining 1,440 yards and scoring 18 touchdowns. He also saw significant playing time on the defense, making 39 total tackles for the Shamrocks.
“Out of necessity, we really wanted to see it, and he stepped up to the challenge,” said Miracle. “And he’s been able to just be a workhorse on both sides for us.”
Junior Broc Parker also returns on offense; he totaled 399 rushing yards and scored five TDs on the ground last season. Parker is a capable receiver as well, as he made 14 catches last year, including one for a touchdown. King and senior Nick Fero each had eight catches last season.
Two quarterbacks saw playing time during the scrimmage on Friday: senior Aiden Grabowski and sophomore Cooper Melvin. Grabowski played in six of the Rocks’ 14 games last year and was 8-of-18 for 87 yards. Melvin also got some varsity time, appearing in three games.
“I think those guys have been battling well,” said Miracle. “Aiden and Cooper both got reps tonight, so we’ll go back and watch the film. And I think the good news is, you feel comfortable with both guys. They’ve done a fantastic job leading throughout our practices. We’ll see where Week 1 takes us and I think both guys will be ready.”
The defense also has a nice amount of leadership. Senior Alex Aramboles committed to Grand Valley State University over the summer, and he brings back 34 tackles from last season. Aramboles led the team in sacks last year with 10.5.
Several other impact players are back on defense as well. They include seniors Ja’Deon Smith, Isaac Weingart and Sam Houston State commit Cato June, along with junior Olumide Fapetu. Senior Job Mavrick, an Ohio University commit, will be a strong presence on the offensive line, as will senior Cash Ballard, who has received several Division I offers. Seniors Zane Newman and Alex Macdonald will bring experience on the defensive line.
Westfield begins its season next Friday by hosting Homestead, then travels south to Carmel for a Week 2 game before opening Hoosier Crossroads Conference play at Zionsville on Sept. 5.