WILLIAMSPORT — A big play with its back up against the wall, pushed Westfall over Adena 28-14 Friday night.
The Warriors had fought back from a 21-0 deficit to be one touchdown from tying the game as time was winding down. On Westfall’s side of the field and facing fourth down, Adena tried a trick play as quarterback Ethan Elick handed off to Joey Francis and went out on a route as Francis threw him the ball.
Westfall’s Quinn Eberly wasn’t fooled on the play and stepped into the passing lane to grab the ball and returned it 60 yards for a score. That gave the Mustangs a 28-14 lead with 2:25 left in the game.
That more than made up for a miscue Eberly had earlier in the game.
Leading 21-7 early in the fourth quarter, the Mustangs had a bit of a drive going when Eberly had a 14-yard run but lost the ball with the Warriors recovering. Adena turned the ensuing drive into a touchdown to pull to within seven points.
“He owed me one,” Westfall coach Logan Stepp said. “When I came to him on the sideline (after the fumble), he’s emotional about it and I said, ‘Buddy, you’re going to get me that back. I have no doubt in my mind you’ll get me that ball back.’ And he did, and he obviously took it to the house.
“The kid is everything you want. I mean, he’s a leader, he’s tough, he’s passionate, he cares. He’s a wide receiver playing quarterback for his team that’s writing history right now.”
The game started a little slow for Westfall with a three-and-out but when the Mustangs got the ball back, they moved down to the Warriors five on three runs from Joey Wright. Wright carried the ball again but lost control and Adena recovered the loose ball in the endzone.
Westfall’s defense held and the Mustangs’ offense was back on the field as the first quarter was about over.
Wright opened the possession with a 34-yard run and Eberly followed with a 22-yard pass to Kaden Mercurio that got the ball down to the five again. Three plays later it was Eberly scoring from a yard out.
The Mustangs pulled off an onside kick with Mercurio recovering.
After picking up a first down, the Mustangs started going the wrong way as two penalties and a sack had Westfall facing third-and-31. But Eberly connected with Wright who went 49 yards for a 14-0 Westfall lead, which is where the scored stayed until halftime.
Westfall opened the second half with possession and turned it into another touchdown with Wright covering the last two yards to put his team up 21-0.
Adena, which had only 71 yards of offense in the first half, responded with some big plays.
A 22-yard third down pass gave the Warriors a new set of downs and two plays later Grant Rawlings broke through on a 46-yard scoring run to make it 21-7.
Following that score, the teams traded punts and then the Mustangs lost the aforementioned fumble to set up an Adena scoring drive that finished with Fisher Schaaf scoring on a 14-yard run.
After losing their lead in the second half in a loss at Zane Trace last week, the Westfall defense held the Warriors in check much of the night to get back in the win column.
“I think the hardest games in the world are the games after a loss like we had last week,” Stepp said. “You put so much time, you put so much energy, you put so much passion into a game like last week, and then you lose it, and you come out here and you’re trying to regain all that. We kind of had a little, I don’t want to say hangover, but a little hangover from the loss.”
Joey Wright ended up running for 168 yards on 19 carries to lead the Mustangs. Eli Wright had 57 yards on six carries.
The passing game accounted for 81 yards as Eberly was just 3-11. He had one interception, but it was on a fourth down play in the endzone.
On the strength of his 46-yard scoring run, Rawlings led Adena with 86 yards on nine carries.
The Mustangs (5-2, 3-1) sit one game away from the top spot in the SVC standings as they prepare for a trip to Huntington (4-3, 2-2) next week.
“Their quarterback is really good. And I’m trying to find out how he’s so good, but he kind of just makes things happen for his team,” Stepp said. It’s similar to Quinn. If he gets out of the pocket, he’s going to make a play.
“Their defense is solid. They have a lot of really good athletes. They have a couple of dudes that are getting recruited to go play college football. So, it’ll be a tough game.”
Westfall 28, Adena 14
By Quarters 1 2 3 4 F
Adena 0 0 7 7 14
Westfall 0 14 7 7 28
Second Quarter
WF — Quinn Eberly 1 run (Carson Deskins kick), 10:51.
WF — Joey Wright 49 pass from Quinn Eberly (Carson Deskins kick), 8:43.
Third Quarter
WF — Joey Wright 2 run (Carson Deskins kick), 8:35.
AD — Grant Rawlings 46 run (Blake Caudill kick), 5:47.
Fourth Quarter
AD — Fisher Shaaf 14 run (Blake Caudill kick), 7:24.
WF — Quinn Eberly 60 interception return (Carson Deskins kick), 2:25.
TEAM STATISTICS
AD WF
First downs 14 15
Rushing yards 38-180 40-231
Passing yards 73 81
Comp.-Att.-Int 9-18-1 3-11-1
Total yards 253 312
Fumbles 4-0 3-2
Penalties-Yards 4-27 9-75
Punts-Ave 2-30 3-40
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING – Adena — Hunter Williams 4-7, Ethan Elick 14-53, Grady Hayden 2-2, Fisher Schaaf 6-32, Grant Rawlings 9-86, Joe Francis 4-0. Westfall — Joey Wright 19-168, Quinn Eberly 13-0, Eli Wright 6-57.
PASSING – Adena — Ethan Elick 9-17-0-73, Joey Francis 0-1-1-0. Westfall — Quinn Eberly 3-11-1-81
RECEIVING – Adena — Fisher Schaaf 4-29, Grant Rawlings 2-6, Joey Francis 1-8, Colton Garrison 2-30. Westfall — Joey Wright 1-49, Kaden Mercurio 1-22, Waylon Moore 1-10.
