South Lakes Beats Westfield For Historic 250th Win, Heads To Playoffs

By BRIAN McNICOLL

South Lakes High quarterback Christian Wyatt threw for one touchdown and ran for 121 yards and another score, and the defense came up big after a late turnover to lead the Seahawks to a 23-20 victory Friday night at Westfield.

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The Seahawks finished the regular season at 9-1 overall, 4-1 for second place in the Concorde District and will play host to Washington-Liberty next Friday in the first round of the Region 6B playoffs.

The Seahawks recorded the 250th victory in school history and the first in 10 tries at Westfield thanks to a next-man-up approach that helped overcome the absence of the Seahawks' top running back and slot receiver. Wyatt carried the ball 20 times – the most in a game all season – and scored on an 11-yard scramble to his left to put the Seahawks up 23-13.

South Lakes Defense Holds Off Westfield's Late Rally

Then after a big kickoff return set up a touchdown that brought Westfield within three with 2:49 to go, the Bulldogs got the ball back near midfield on an interception with 1:08 left.

But David Landeryou and Dominic Covington each broke up passes for South Lakes, and pressure from Sebastian Valencia and the South Lakes defensive line kept the Bulldogs from converting on their other two attempts, as the Seahawks took over on downs and ran out the clock.

"It was complimentary football," said Valencia, a senior and the team's leading tackler. "We've been doing it all year … taking care of each other."

The Seahawks were without James Smith, who has rushed for nearly 900 yards, and George Zarechnak, third on the team in catches. Calvin Lucier started in place of Smith, but it was another senior back – Sean Ventura – who made news.

After Westfield moved in front 13-9 on a touchdown early in the fourth quarter, the Seahawks got good field position thanks to a pooched kickoff. On second-and-1 at the Westfield 49, the Seahawks handed off to Ventura, who picked his way along the line to the right before being thrown for a five-yard loss.

After Wyatt bailed him out with an 11-yard run for a first down, the Seahawks turned to Ventura again. "We were just trying to make up the yards he lost the first time," Hescock said. "Then he goes and busts one."

Sean Ventura's 47-Yard Touchdown Run Sparks Comeback

Indeed he did. Ventura shook a tackle at the line of scrimmage, took a big step forward then emerged almost untouched for a 47-yard touchdown run. Ventura, who had 108 yards and one touchdown on the ground all season coming in, put his team back ahead for good.

"I was given an opportunity because my man [offensive guard] Will Barton made a hole for me," said Ventura. "And when he makes a hole for you, then you can just run right through, which is what I did. I've been preparing for this for a long time."

Sean Ventura's 47-Yard Touchdown Run Sparks Comeback

As for Zarechnak, a combo tight-end/wide receiver, Lucier, Joey Kister and Andrew Hodson all made catches in the game, and Dylan Zschunke had some huge catches.

Zschunke gave the Seahawks a chance to score shortly before halftime with a 12-yard reception in the middle of the field that gave South Lakes first down on the Westfield 18. The Seahawks reached the four before having to settle for a field goal attempt on the last play of the half. The other catch netted nine key yards early in the drive that produced Ventura's touchdown run.

The passing game took on the look of backyard football at times with Wyatt scrambling and buying time and his receivers looking for soft spots in the Westfield secondary to get open. This was perfect for South Lakes' receiving corps, where Nick Picarellli (8 catches-77 yards) and Joshua Dagbe (5 catches-91 yards) are used to doing whatever it takes to get open, and Zschunke, the youngest of three brothers all of whom have been receivers for South Lakes, had the instinct. "No one was really covering me [on the first catch], so I just kept audibling, moving around, trying to get to a place where I was open," he said.

Seahawks Receivers Step Up Despite Missing Key Starter

It was also perfect for Wyatt, whose speciality is the ability to extend plays with his feet and throw deep. The Bulldogs put a thick canopy on the Seahawks' deep game. They also stepped in front of one of Wyatt's bubble passes to the sideline, returning a throw intended for Joshua Dagbe into an interception, 40-yard return to the South Lakes 20 and eventually to the second of Westfield kicker Evan Yun's two field goals.

That left Dagbe, Picarelli, Zschunke and others to roam the middle looking for open spots, and Wyatt to buy enough time to make the Bulldogs pay.

Wyatt And Dagbe Connect On Key Scoring Drives

That's how the Seahawks got their field goal that opened the scoring. Wyatt scrambled to buy time for Dagbe to find space, and Dagbe converted a short pass into a 62-yard gain to the Westfield 9. Three plays later, James Marburg booted one through from 27 yards out to make it 3-0.

That's also how the Seahawks got their first touchdown. Wyatt scrambled before settling on Dagbe over the middle for an 18-yard gain on the march, then shopped for what seemed like hours before finding Dagbe in the middle of the end zone for a 3-yard score that made it 9-0.

In all, 11 of Wyatt's carries were for five yards or more and six went for first down yardage.

"They weren't the best quarterback defenders," said Wyatt. "I had opportunities most of the night."

South Lakes 23, Westfield 20

Scoring Summary

First Quarter

SL — James Marburg 27-yard field goal

Second Quarter

SL — Joshua Dagbe 3-yard pass from Christian Wyatt (kick failed)

Third Quarter

W — Evan Yun 31-yard field goal

W — Yun 32-yard field goal

Fourth Quarter

W — Zeke Barnes 41-yard pass from Aaron Preti (Yun kick)

SL — Sean Ventura 47-yard run (Xander Lennon kick)

SL — Wyatt 11-yard run (Lennon kick)

W — Jordan Sorg 7-yard pass from Preti (Yun kick)

Team Statistics

Individual Statistics

Rushing — South Lakes: Christian Wyatt 20-121, Sean Ventura 4-43, Nick Picarelli 3-2, Calvin Lucier 2-0. Westfield: Casey O'Neal 16-59, Xzavier Miller 5-43, PJ Sutherland 5-7, Aaron Preti 1-3.

Passing — South Lakes: Wyatt 18-of-29, 199 yards, 1 TD, 2 INT. Westfield: Preti 11-of-24, 145 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT; Sutherland 0-of-1.

Receiving — South Lakes: Joshua Dagbe 5-91, 1 TD; Picarelli 8-77; Dylan Zschunke 2-21; Andrew Hodson 1-5; Joey Kister 1-2; Lucier 1-3. Westfield: Jordan Sorg 5-40, 1 TD; Miller 2-32; Jordan Gay-Johnson 2-21; Barnes 1-41, 1 TD; Kerem Karaman 1-10.