Pinewood outlasts Westfield: Hornets fall in GISA semifinals

Coach Rob Fitzpatrick and the Westfield Hornets hosted the third round of the GISA State AAA Playoffs in Perry at The Westfield School. The Hornets hosted the 10-1 Pinewood Patriots from Bellville, Georgia. Unlike the Hornets, the Patriots went undefeated in their respected region, with a 4-0 record. The Pinewood Patriots have won four out of five road contests during their 2021 campaign. Though the Pinewood Patriots are a great road team, The Westfield Hornets had an exceptional home record. Currently, the Patriots are 6-1 at home and 4-1 on the road this season. The Pinewood Patriots have allowed 209 points on defense this season. The high scoring Westfield offense scored 400 points this season.

The Hornets’ defense has continued to make huge strides; furthermore, the Hornets allowed 315 points on defense this season. Hunter Kirkley, Porter Faulk, Ryan Powers and Noah Blackmon led the Westfield offensive attack. These stat patterns have helped the Hornets score 38 points per game. Penalties were a factor for the Westfield Hornets, as they were flagged 11 times throughout this playoff game. After a tight first quarter, the Westfield Hornets crossed into the end zone once in the second quarter. On the other hand, Pinewood would score two touchdowns in the second quarter. These quick touchdowns would give the Pinewood Patriots a commanding 18-14 lead, as both teams headed into halftime.

The Hornets’ offensive attack, with Faulk, Powers, Kirkley and Blackmon, would eventually slow down in the second half. The Westfield Hornets scored once in the third quarter and trailed 26-20 at the start of the fourth quarter. The Pinewood Patriots scored the final touchdown of the game, which put the game out of reach, as the clocked struck triple zeros. The Westfield Hornets fell short in round three, 32-20. The Patriots allotted 407 yards of total offense in only 52 plays. Westfield’s offense totaled 353 yards in just 50 plays. The Westfield Hornets were zero of three on fourth down conversions and were only two of 12 on third down conversions. Pinewood had 330 yards of rushing offense, but Mic Wasson had 34 carries for 221 yards rushing against the Westfield Hornets defense.

Stat leaders for the Westfield Hornets include Porter Faulk, who had 11 carries for 39 yards. Faulk was also very active in the passing game out of the backfield. Porter Faulk had three receptions for 26 yards and setup a Hornets touchdown. Also active in the Hornets win was Hunter Kirkley. Kirkley was 22 for 34 passing; Hunter Kirkley threw for two touchdowns, 310 yards and three interceptions. Hunter Kirkley was not his normal self in the Hornets running game, as he allotted for seven carries, four yards and a rushing touchdown.

Ryan Powers and Noah Blackmon were very active for the Westfield Hornets offense. These two athletes combined for 18 receptions, 268 receiving yards and two touchdowns. Ryan Powers led the Hornets with seven receptions, 111 yards and two touchdowns. These stat patters helped Westfield control the flow of the game with a 20-minute time-of-possession. Ending their season, the Westfield Hornets have recorded 18 passing touchdowns, 29 rushing touchdowns and their elusive offense averages 356 yards per game. The Westfield defensive front has come up big all regular season. The Hornets’ defense has recorded 10 sacks, eight interceptions and recovered 11 fumbles this season.

Hunter Kirkley finished 111 of 182, and he has thrown for 1,977 yards, 23 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. Faulk and Kirkley are the leading rushers for the Hornets. Faulk has rushed for 1,048 yards on 132 carries. Kirkley has rushed for 706 yards on 98 carries. Ryan Powers and Noah Blackmon are leading the Westfield receiving core. Powers has 758 yards receiving, while Blackmon has recorded 52 receptions for 921 yards.

The Westfield Hornets are one of the three Houston County football teams who suffered a loss in the post season. The Perry Panthers, lost to the Cedartown Bulldogs, 39-25. The Northside Eagles lost to the Langston Hughes Panthers, 48-7. The “War-Town” Demons won their quarterfinal matchup against the Jones County Greyhounds 49-21. The Demons are now the only football team in the county left standing. On Friday, December 3, The Warner Robins Demons, State Semifinal playoff game, as well. The Demons will face the Creekside Seminoles in Friday night.

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