On Sunday, September 29, 2013 the (3 – 1) Westmont Wildcats Jr. Pee Wee football team played their Homecoming game in front of a filled Westmont High School stadium against the Bridgeport Huskies. This divisional game was pivotal as Westmont is all alone in first place in the Chicagoland YFL Blue Division. If Bridgeport were to win this game they would supplant Westmont as the first place team in the division. The Wildcats won the coin toss and elected to receive the ball. The strong Bridgeport defense shut them down in 4 plays. Luckily, it would be the Wildcat defense that would start the scoring for Westmont on this day as super star cornerback Daniel Janas would make an extremely difficult interception and return it 43 yards for a touchdown during Bridgeport’s opening drive. Westmont would miss the extra point giving them a narrow 6 – 0 lead. When the Huskie offense took the field a second time they were determined to score. However, the Wildcat defense was just too strong as defensive end Nicolas Gerbasi (3.5 tackles, 1 sack and 1 tackle for a loss of 7 yards), cornerback Joshua Lumpkin (6 tackles), linebacker Jonte Glanville (1.5 tackles, 1 tackle for a loss of 3 yards), defensive tackle Rahshon Murff (3 tackles) and nose guard Zach Gacek (3 tackles, 2 tackles for a loss of 3 yards) would shut them down.
Westmont’s high powered offense realized they needed to step-up their game and they did as quarterback Mason Pardy threw a perfect pass to tight end Janas for a 68 yard touchdown on the second play of their drive. Running back Eddie Mills (4 carries for 46 yards, 2 extra points) would plow throw the Huskie defense for the extra point led by the blocking of tight end Cameron VanHoegarden, offensive tackle Gabe Lischalk, offensive guard Nicolas Gerbasi, center Riley Dorsey and offensive tackle Zach Gacek giving Westmont a 13 – 0 lead. Gerbasi would later receive the team’s Tank award as the best blocker in the game. The Bridgeport offense would go on a sustained drive. While inside the Wildcat 40 yard line, the Huskie running back looked like he was going to have a big gain when Janas would take on a blocker, tackle the running back in the open field, force a fumble and recover it all on the same play. The Wildcat fans went crazy in the stands. Janas (2 interceptions, 1 tackle, 1 forced fumble and 1 recovered fumble) would later be named the team’s Hitman as their best defender in the game. On the Wildcat’s first play on offense the same team of quarterback Mason (3 – 3 passing, 170 yards and 3 touchdowns) and tight end Janas (2 receptions for 125 yards and 2 touchdowns) would hook up again for a 57 yard touchdown pass. As before, Mills would add the extra point giving the Wildcats a 20 – 0 lead late in the second quarter. Kicker Chaz Hunter (2 carries 8 yards, 1 extra point, 3.5 tackles, 2 tackles for a loss of 7 yards) would make a great onsides kick which VanHoegarden would recover. Quarterback Pardy wouldn’t let this opportunity go to waste as he would hit running back Mills for a shocking 45 yard touchdown pass on the first play of the drive on his record setting passing day. Pardy and Janas would combine to set 6 records for passing and receiving for their coach. Fullback Hunter would add the final touches on this drive with a fine 3 yard run for the extra point giving Westmont a 27 – 0 halftime lead. The Bridgeport Huskies went on a very long drive that would eat up all of the 3rd quarter. Alas, this drive would come up short as linebacker Elvin Simpson (5.5 tackles, 2 tackles for a loss of 4 yards), linebacker Mills (4 tackles), defensive tackle Trevor Hillard (1 tackle) and free safety Pardy (2 tackles, 1 deflected pass) would stop Bridgeport in the Westmont red zone. When the Wildcat offense took the field in the fourth quarter, quarterback Cory Kinnunen (10 carries for 17 yards) made a fine 8 yard run led by the blocking of running backs Amari Gilford, Cameron Wanda, and Corey Sartin with offensive tackle Jaylin Simms, tight end Camden Hubeny, offensive guard Seth Coyle, offensive tackle Ian Coyle and tight end Zane Thibodeaux. Unfortunately this would be the lone highlight of this drive as the following 3 plays all stalled out. However, it would take up the remaining time in the fourth quarter. Westmont’s 27 – 0 victory over the Bridgeport Huskies keeps their sole possession of first place in the Blue Division of the Chicagoland YFL intact. Head Coach David Marco said after the game, “It was great for our team to put on a solid performance for Homecoming; however, next week we play for a Blue division championship and I expect our players to raise their play for this game.” On October 6, 2013 the Westmont Wildcats Jr. Pee Wee team plays the always strong Chicago Chargers at Columbus Field at 2:00pm with a Chicagoland YFL Blue Division Championship on the line.
