Burnette catches game-winner vs. D-W

Giles Amos had coverage. Austin Burnette did not. So, the senior quarterback of two state championship seasons, Ryan Fitzpatrick, knew where to throw the football.

The open Burnette hauled in Fitzpatrick’s 37-yard game-winning touchdown pass with 8:31 to go in the fourth quarter. With that, the Westfield Hornets defeated arch rival Deerfield-Windsor of Albany 28-25 in a new-look Marvin Arrington Stadium Friday (new bushes, new scoreboard with new screen, and new signs commemorating all the program’s region and state titles).

That touchdown represented the fifth lead change in this thrilling contest where Deerfield-Windsor coach Allen Lowe tried all kinds of offensive looks. But that offense only touched the football one more time after falling behind in the final period, did not get a first down and basically conceded things on a punt to the Westfield 15-yard-line.

Fitzpatrick didn’t have great rushing numbers ­– losing a host of yards to sacks in the first half – but in a 13-play clock killing series he carried the ball five times for positive yardage before taking two victory-formation knees.

Through the air, Fitzpatrick was 6-for-9 for 171 yards and three overall touchdowns. Both of Reagan Waller’s catches went into the end zone for a combination of 101 yards.

Fullback Josh Jenkins did something quite familiar to Hornet fans. Even without the gigantic presences on the offensive line of the last two seasons, on Friday he took a trap run and raced 76 yards for a first-half touchdown. That was a big bulk of his 118-yard rushing game.

But that wasn’t all Jenkins could do, for the visiting Knights had issues in its own running game getting around the edges. Jenkins, plus Austin Doyle, often met the Deerfield-Windsor backs on those corners. Doyle, in fact, was the one who cut down Howell Logan outside for a third-down loss on the final Knight drive.

Deerfield-Windsor had a total of 169 yards rushing while quarterback Tyler Lowe, a senior, threw for 97 yards (seven completions) with one touchdown.

Several players, not just Jenkins, impacted the game playing both sides of the football. Junior Cameron McCook of Deerfield-Windsor made the first impressions, first at defensive tackle. He penetrated the line of scrimmage to stop Westfield’s opening drive on three-and-out. McCook then lined up in Lowe’s backfield and broke tackles on the dive for 17 yards.

Never doing the same thing twice, Lowe kept the ball for 14 yards around the right edge, then tossed to Garrett Jones for a rush up to the Westfield 12. Three plays later, from the 1, McCook powered his way to six points. A PAT by Lanier Freeman put the score at 7-0 Knights with the first quarter halfway gone.

Westfield was on the brink of falling into a deeper hole due to penalties on the ensuring series and a sack for McCook on Fitzpatrick’s play-action. It was 3rd-and-28 on the Hornet 24 when the trap call went to Jenkins. A low risk play for sure, but a high reward for the home team and Jenkins sprinted past the secondary untouched. Griffin Elmore tied the game on the PAT 7-7 at 3:03.

Deerfield-Windsor found moving the football much more difficult, even with Lowe’s first completion of 21 yards on the DW 49. On the next snap, officials ruled a fumble on the outside run, and Westfield recovered on the 41.

Into the second quarter, the Knights gave up the lead when the big boys of this year’s Hornet roster – John Walker Moore and Blake Holcomb – joined end Zack Johnson in corralling Lowe for a loss and 4th-and-18 from the DW 16. A bad punt snap went out of the end zone, a safety for Westfield and 9-7 advantage (9:42).

More issues Westfield caused the visitors during the quarter include Amos’ 50-yard punt to the Knight 15 and Jenkins’ tackle on the handoff to Jones for a three-yard loss. Penalties set them up 3rd-and 10 on the 27, and Matthew Moore got Jones on an outside catch at the 31.

Westfield didn’t need all of the four minutes left in the half, or the two timeouts. Fitzpatrick was sacked on the DW 49 for 2nd-and-14, but then Waller slipped out open to catch the short throw and speed downfield to score at 2:45. Elmore added a second PAT for 16-7 Westfield.

The Knights did not have a timeout, but managed the clock well to gain first downs on Logan’s 13-yard run and Charles Crosby’s 16-yard catch on the Hornet 37. McCook bullied his way ahead for 12 more, and Lowe hit Trey Young on the fly on the 7.

Burnette broke up Lowe’s pass in the end zone, and Doyle stopped the QB on the 4 inside the final 10 seconds. With 2.6 on the clock, Freeman made a 21-yard field goal, so at the half Westfield led 16-10. The Knights would essentially get two drives in row by winning the coin toss and deferring.

It wasn’t much of a drive thanks to Nick Wendland’s 70-yard kickoff return to the Hornet 10. Two plays later, McCook had his second touchdown run (four yards), and Freeman broke the tie (17-16 DW).

At 8:54 of the third, the lead was back in Westfield’s hands at the conclusion of a 75-yard drive. From the Hornet 48 on 2nd-and-4, Waller ran the deep go route and hauled in Fitzpatrick’s throw for his second touchdown. The try for two points failed, so the score stayed 22-17.

Johnson was big on ending D-W’s next drive without a first down, but as the Hornets gave possession back on a punt to the 20, Deerfield-Windsor manufactured a scoring drive in 11 plays. One big play had Derek Davis catch a go route of 31 yards to the Hornet 5.

Thanks to Gavin Edmondson, inside linebacker, the Knights were faced with fourth down on the 4. Aiden Murphy rushed Lowe, but he got the football away to Wendland at 1:48. Lowe added two on the run, his team now leading 25-22.

Westfield went two series in the third period without a first down, but to start the fourth the defense came through, Lowe sacked back-to-back by Moore and Johnson.

The punt went to the Westfield 48, and Fitzpatrick ran twice to the Knight 37. It was on 2nd-and-11 when he connected with Burnette to win the game.

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