On Friday November 22nd, dedicated West High football fans anxiously watched game two of the CIF Playoffs unfold. The West High Warriors took on the Palmdale Falcons. The Palmdale Falcons weren’t the only thing standing in the way of the Warriors advancing to the next round of the playoffs, the weather conditions also proved to be a challenge. The piercing cold wind and slippery wet Astroturf stood as an obstacle for the players.
West started out the game strong when they took an early 7-0 lead. Zach Heeger (12),the quarterback threw a 12-yard pass to wide receiver Kurtis Guelff (12) for a touchdown. However, Palmdale retaliated and ended the half with a lead of 14-10. Palmdale was a strong and solid opponent, but West already expected that every team that made the CIF playoffs would be tough to beat. They knew that they would need to prepare differently and more intensely then previous league games. “I knew it wasn’t going to be an easy game to win” Noah Stewart (12). However, in the second half the Warrior defense held Palmdale to only 100 yards. “They were a solid team and got two big plays in the first half but our defense came up big in the second half to shut them out” said Warrior linebacker Isaac Fuentes (11). The Warriors finished the game with a 17-14 victory.
While the Warrior defense came out on top, the offense was not playing together like they usually do. Fuentes said in terms of moving forward, the team needs to, “eliminate turnovers, that is our biggest concern. If we do that, we will come out with a win next week against Hart.” Varsity cheer member Courtney crooks (11) stated, “[the warriors] just need to keep doing what they are doing and play their best and stay focused.” Friday’s game was close in score, but in the end the Warriors came back and brought game two of the CIF playoffs to an exciting end.
