by Moses Leos III
A consistent Westwood Warrior offensive attack overwhelmed the Lehman Lobos in a 42-14 season opening loss Friday at Shelton Stadium.
Lehman, however, suffered a much more significant loss during the contest when starting quarterback Jacob Zamora exited the game with an apparent shoulder injury in the first quarter. The extent of Zamora’s injury is unknown at this time, Lehman head coach Todd Raymond said.
Westwood, led by quarterback Will Jennings, leapt out to a 14-0 lead after a quarter of play.
Jennings, who threw for 267 yards and a pair of touchdowns, was efficient through the air, completing 10 of 15 passes.
Lehman struggled to corral Jennings, who regularly had time in the pocket. It allowed him to spread the the ball around to his wide receivers, who regularly found open space in the Lobo defense.
Eight Warrior wide receivers finished with at least one reception, with three finishing with more than 50 yards receiving.
Westwood continued their onslaught, obtaining a 13 yard second quarter rushing touchdown by Prince Ugwu before the Lobos rallied back.
A momentum-shifting 86-yard touchdown run by wide receiver Tyler Henderson on the ensuing drive pulled the Lobos back into the contest, as they trailed 21-7 in the second quarter.
Henderson, along with running back Bryan Mendoza and backup quarterback Dominick Martinez worked to keep the Lobo offense afloat following Zamora’s injury.
The trio combined for 346 of the team’s 396 total yards in the contest. Highlighting the effort was Henderson, who rushed for 186 yards and a pair of touchdowns on the night.
But the Lobos were unable to capitalize on their newfound momentum. Lehman couldn’t halt the effectiveness of the Westwood offense, which was successful for the majority of the evening.
Westwood led 35-7 at halftime, and then expanded their lead to 42-7 via a 38-yard touchdown run by Jennings.
The Lobos’ struggles with maintaining momentum was a theme throughout the course of the game. Ball control was problematic for the Lobos, as they committed six fumbles, losing three of them.
Penalties were also an issue for Lehman, as the Lobos had 12 penalties for 110 yards.
Martinez went 5 of 14 for 34 yards passing and had 43 rushing yards. Mendoza rushed for 84 yards in the game.
