Westfield beats Marshall in a nail-biting finish

It was the first Friday night since fall 2019 that fans could pack the stands at Westfield High School to watch varsity football, and the gridiron action did not disappoint. 

A close game for four quarters concluded in a nail-biting finish, with the Westfield Bulldogs successfully defending their home turf against the Marshall Statesmen in overtime. 

Following a somber moment of silence for the 20th anniversary of the September 11 attacks, kickoff came just after 7 p.m. with the Statesmen receiving. After an uneventful first drive forced Marshall to punt, the Statesmen quickly recovered the ball when the Bulldogs fumbled during their first set of downs. A touchdown by Marshall put the Statesmen in the lead for a score of 7-0. 

Westfield nearly tied it up before the end of the first quarter after a longshot end zone pass was called back due to an offensive penalty. As the Westfield marching band jammed to the tune of “Livin’ On a Prayer” to start the second quarter, the Bulldogs punched it in for a touchdown. The score remained 7-7 at halftime.

Meanwhile, a jubilant Westfield student section known as the “Dog Pound” was filled to the brim, with students eager to exile peers whose enthusiasm was lacking. “You better cheer, and if you don’t you should leave because we don’t want you,” a student shouted from within the crowd early in the game. Another student near the front brandished a sign facing toward fellow students that read “Get Loud Or Get Out.” 

Westfield students Sophia McMurrer and Avery Sawyer, who were among several students sporting leis and aloha shirts for the Dog Pound’s “Hawaiian Out” theme for the night, told the Fairfax Times they were thankful to be back following the easing of pandemic restrictions. “The year off was terrible,” Sawyer lamented, both noting that their newfound senior status and return to football games enabled them to revive traditions. “We’re seniors now, and it’s fun to be in the front and yell at all the freshmen,” McMurrer said.

A handful of Marshall students traversed the county to support their team as well with a theme of red, white, and blue colors, who similarly said that the return to normalcy has been liberating. “It’s a big relief,” sophomore Rania Hamed said. “It actually feels like we can be a Marshall community again,” added sophomore Tallulah Drivet.

After the start of the second half, a huge touchdown run by Westfield running back Jahmari Nelson put the Bulldogs in the lead, though a botched extra point attempt left the score at 13-7. A steady Statesmen march culminated in a touchdown early in the fourth quarter, but after Westfield blocked Marshall’s extra point, the game was again tied for a score of 13-13. 

The end of regulation came down to the wire, as a Statesmen touchdown with just under seven minutes remaining gave the Bulldogs a narrow window to tie the game back up. A foul by Marshall breathed new life into a scoring drive for the Bulldogs, which resulted in a Westfield touchdown with just over a minute remaining and a tie game once again for a score of 20-20. Two big consecutive plays by Marshall then put the Statesmen in striking distance, but an offensive penalty with seconds left on the clock pulled them back. The two teams then prepared to battle in overtime.

Marshall began with the ball but was eventually forced to attempt a field goal that was no good. That put the Bulldogs in a confident position since either a touchdown or a field goal would clinch the game. It ended up being the former, as Nelson carried the ball into the endzone for Westfield, prompting an ebullient roar from the Dog Pound. The final score was 26-20, making both teams 2-1.

As the crowd petered out, Frank Giancola, who has helped run concessions at Westfield since 2002, said the return of the football season has been “awesome.” He noted that the resumption of football games and concession sales restored a critical funding source for the booster club that supports the school’s athletic programs and that a haul from one home varsity football game can bring in anywhere from $3,000 to $7,000. “We have a great time here,” Giancola said.

Westfield principal Antonio DiBari, who assumed his role in March, said that everyone was ecstatic to be back following some initial apprehension about how the return to in-person activities would work. He said students and faculty have been “phenomenal” with mask-wearing in classrooms, one of several key steps that makes the return possible. “It’s good to have them back,” DiBari said. 

At halftime, he had prophetic words for the Bulldogs. “We’re generally a second-half team,” DiBari reasoned, sounding cautiously optimistic. “I’m excited, I think we have a good shot.”  

Here’s the roundup for week three of Friday night lights in Fairfax County:

Annandale at Lewis 

The Annandale Atoms defeated the Lewis Lancers, who was narrowly spared a shutout loss. The final score was 42-2. Annandale is 1-2 and Lewis is 0-2.

Langley at Oakton 

The Oakton Cougars continued their winning streak with a victory over the Langley Saxons. The final score was 34-15. The Cougars are 3-0 and the Saxons are 0-3.  

West Potomac at Colonial Forge 

The West Potomac Wolverines suffered their first loss of the season to the Eagles of Colonial Forge. The Eagles climbed to a lead of 21-3 at halftime and held on until the end. The final score was 34-17. West Potomac is 2-1 and Colonial Forge is 1-1. 

Washington-Liberty at Chantilly 

The Chantilly Chargers won out against the Washington-Liberty Generals. Chantilly’s victory started a winning streak for the Chargers and extended a losing one for the Generals; Chantilly is now 2-0 and Washington-Liberty is 0-3. The final score was 37-6.

Centreville at Mount Vernon 

The Mount Vernon Majors were shut out on their home turf by the Centreville Wildcats. Despite several promising plays, the Majors failed to capitalize on any of their drives. The final score was 42-0. The Wildcats are 2-1 and the Majors are 1-2.  

McLean at Edison 

The McLean Highlanders edged out the Edison Eagles for their first win of the season. The final score was 16-13. McLean is 1-2 and Edison is 0-3 

FCA at Thomas Jefferson 

The Jefferson Colonials defeated the FCA Bucks. The final score was 27-14. The Colonials are 2-0 and the Bucks are 0-2.

Robinson at Justice  

The Robinson Rams trounced the Justice Wolves. The Rams opened up a comfortable lead with three touchdowns in the first quarter and stayed in control for the remainder of the game. The final score was 57-0, making the Rams 3-0 and the Wolves 1-2  

Woodson at Wakefield 

The Woodson Cavaliers fell to the Wakefield Warriors 28-14. A bruising first half for Woodson resulted in an insurmountable lead for the Warriors, who held the Cavaliers to two touchdowns in the second half. Woodson is 0-2 and Wakefield is 1-2.  

Hayfield at Falls Church 

The Hayfield Hawks bested the Falls Church Jaguars. A scoreless first quarter gave way to a gradually widening Hayfield lead lessened only by a single Jaguars touchdown in the third quarter. The final score was 27-7. Hayfield is 1-2 and Falls Church is 0-3.

Yorktown at Madison  

The Madison Warhawks shut out the Yorktown Patriots during their second home game of the season. The final score was 41-0. Both teams are 2-1. 

The South Lakes Seahawks were scheduled to play at Herndon, but an outbreak of Covid-19 among the Hornets forced the game to be postponed.

Fairfax, Lake Braddock, West Springfield, and South County had a bye week. Fairfax is 2-0, Lake Braddock is 1-1, West Springfield is 2-0 and South County is 1-0.