By RICHIE HALL
INDIANAPOLIS – Westfield football coach Jake Gilbert didn’t sugarcoat it after his team narrowly lost the Class 6A state championship game Saturday night at Lucas Oil Stadium.
The Shamrocks went at defending state champion Center Grove and stayed with the Trojans for the entire game. Center Grove ultimately won 27-21, beating Westfield in the 6A final game for the second year in a row.
“This is a devastating loss,” said Gilbert. “I know the average person’s like, ‘Oh, wow, you played Center Grove really well!’ We came here to win. So we are devastated, but super proud of our kids.”
In last year’s 6A title game, the Trojans dominated, leading the ‘Rocks 38-7 at halftime, and eventually winning 38-14. This year was different. Westfield not only showed it could compete with Center Grove, but came close to dethroning the Trojans, who completed a second straight 14-0 season with the victory.
In fact, the Shamrocks led at the end of the first quarter. Center Grove scored the first touchdown of the game, grinding its way down the field. Westfield pushed the Trojans to fourth down twice during the drive, but Tayven Jackson eventually punched it in from the one. Mario Chalmers blocked CG’s extra-point try.
The Trojans held the ‘Rocks to a three and out on their next drive, but Center Grove fumbled the next play. Chalmers recovered, and Westfield began a touchdown drive. The Shamrocks worked their way down to the CG 36, then Maximus Webster threw a 21-yard pass to Nic Depasquale. That put Westfield at the 15, and that was all Micah Hauser needed, as he rushed into the end zone from there. Caleb King made the extra-point kick. That would make the first-quarter score 7-6.
Center Grove answered with a long drive of its own, absorbing a sack from Charles Dager to move the ball to the Shamrocks’ two. Caden Curry ran the ball in for the touchdown, with Nolan Foley’s extra-point kick good. Center Grove was back up 13-7.
Westfield struggled in its next drive, but recovered quickly and made its way to the end zone. The drive contained three big plays, starting with a 35-yard pass from Webster to Ian Bruch to get the ball into Trojans’ territory. Webster then found an opening to make a 10-yard rush to the Center Grove 25, and Hauser took care of business from there with another run to the end zone. King again kicked the extra point, and the ‘Rocks were back on top 14-13.
The Trojans answered with another drive, this one culminating with a 30-yard touchdown pass from Jackson to Harrison Stomps. Westfield made one last push, which included a 36-yard throw from Webster to Jackson Wasserstrom, but a field goal was no good, and the Trojans led 20-14 at halftime.
Center Grove got the ball to start the second half, and scored on its opening drive. Micah Coyle finished it with a five-yard run into the end zone, and another Foley kick put the Trojans up 27-14.
Westfield got the ball down to Center Grove’s 40 before punting, but the Trojans fumbled the punt return and the ‘Rocks recovered. Three plays later, Hauser punched it in from the one-yard line. King made his third kick of the game, and Westfield was within 27-21.
But that would be the last score of the championship. Center Grove tried to start a drive, but it ground to a halt after a Popeye Williams sack on third-and-11, which forced the Trojans to punt. Both teams then exchanged punts, which gave the Shamrocks the ball with 6:30 left.
Starting at its own 23, Westfield worked its way down the field, with Webster making runs mixed in with the occasional short pass. The ‘Rocks got down to the Trojans’ 11, but Center Grove’s Owen Bright made an interception to stop the drive. The Trojans then got two more first downs to seal the game.
Webster, who is headed to Ball State University next year, finished the game 19-of-33 for 226 yards.
“He just wills us to victory,” said Gilbert of his quarterback. “We’ve seen it in different ways and different games.” Gilbert said Webster is one of “the most special kids and leaders I’ve ever been around.”
Wasserstrom made seven catches for 105 yards. Hauser led the Westfield rushing with 65 yards and the three touchdowns, with Webster running for 56 yards. Hauser also led the defense with 10 tackles. Popeye Williams had nine tackles, including two for a loss. Dillon Thieneman and Tyler Dikos each had eight stops.
Westfield senior Will Strahm won the Phil N. Eskew Mental Attitude Award for Class 6A football after the game.
“I’m extremely honored and blessed,” said Strahm. “Not very many people can say they’ve won this award and it’s truly a blessing just to be here with all my teammates. It’s been a journey. Since about fifth and sixth grade, all these seniors, man. It’s been awesome.”
Wasserstrom, Hauser, Williams, are all seniors for the Shamrocks as well. Gilbert said the senior class “set the tone and moved the needle in our program where it needed to be.”
“When we elevated to a 6A program, we had to do things in a 6A way to compete out here against a team like that. Those guys (Center Grove) are ranked seventh in the country, well, we had to get to work. We weren’t just tough tonight, we’re tough people. We weren’t just hard workers tonight, we have worked hard for a year since we left here last year to be ready to win this game. We didn’t come here just to take part, we came here to take over. And I hope that showed. Our kids competed their butts off in my opinion. We’re really dinged up. It’s a physical game. I thought both teams laid it all out there.”
Gilbert gave credit to the Trojans as well, saying “they played their butts off, too. They do it right. That’s who we’re trying to become, obviously. I thought both teams left every ounce out here that they possibly could. We were just maybe one play short.”
The Shamrocks finished the season 12-2 for the second consecutive year.
CENTER GROVE 27, WESTFIELD 21
Score by Quarters
Westfield 7 7 7 0 – 21
Center Grove 6 14 7 0 – 27
Team Stats WHS CG
First Downs 20 20
By Rush 6 14
By Pass 12 5
By Penalty 2 1
Rushes-Yards 28-126 49-211
Yards Passing 226 152
Comp-Att-Int-TD 19-33-1-0 12-14-0-1
Fumbles-Lost 2-1 4-3
Penalties-Yards 7-59 9-67
Punts-Average 4-26.8 2-37.5
Scoring
First Quarter
CG, 6:18 – Tayven Jackson 1-yard run (kick blocked)
WHS, 1:33 – Micah Hauser 15-yard run (Caleb King kick)
Second Quarter
CG, 8:56 – Caden Curry 2-yard run (Nolan Foley kick)
WHS, 6:17 – Hauser 25-yard run (King kick)
CG, 3:21 – Harrison Stomps 30-yard pass from Jackson (Foley kick)
Third Quarter
CG, 7:20 – Micah Coyle 5-yard run (Foley Kick)
WHS, 3:42 – Hauser 1-yard run (King kick)
Westfield individual stats
Rushing: Hauser 15-65, Webster 11-56, Trevon Hatchett 2-5.
Passing: Webster 19-33-226.
Receiving: Jackson Wasserstrom 7-105, Ian Bruch 4-48, Nic Depasquale 3-32, Gabe Aramboles 3-25, Hauser 3-16.
Tackles (Solo-Assist=Total): Hauser 5-5=10, Popeye Williams 6-3=9, Dillon Thieneman 5-3=8, Tyler Dikos 3-5=8, Charles Dager 3-3=6, Alex Wolf 3-2=5, Trevon Hatchett 4-0=4, William Goodvine 0-4=4, Dalen Blanding 0-3=3, Evan Cannon 2-0=2, Ryan Clayton 2-0=2, Blayze Dezelan 1-0=1, Aramboles 1-0=1, Coleton Vondersaar 0-1=1, Vance Farrar 0-1=1, Jayden Bernavil 0-1=1, Magwire Graybill 0-1=1, team 1-0=1.