Westover edges Pelham in high-scoring season opener

PELHAM — Friday night’s matchup between Pelham and Westover quickly turned into a shootout that came down to a final big play. In the end, Westover was able make that play and leave Pelham with a 35-28 win.

After a Pelham miscue on a crucial fourth down gave Westover the ball back with 3:42 left in the game, the Patriots looked like they were about to add to their 35-28 lead and put the game away for good when Pelham came up with a stop. A penalty on the Patriots pushed them back to the Pelham 13, and then the Hornets were given new life when the defense forced and recovered a fumble with 45 seconds left on their own 20.

Pelham went to the passing game and saw a play ruled dead just as the receiver broke free and was making his way upfield. Pelham head coach Dondrial Pinkins said it was an unfortunate call but that his team has to make sure not to put itself in such a position in the future.

With time ticking down, Pelham’s Kendrick Patterson aired it out and it was picked off.

Westover head coach Octavia Jones said the defense was able to wear Pelham down as the game wore on.

“We didn’t really have to make any adjustments,” he said. “The key thing was, with their numbers, they had so many guys going both ways, we knew at some point they were going to get a little bit tired.

“They kind of got tired in the second and early third and when they started getting momentum later in the game, that’s when they got their second wind … but the big thing is our guys fought and fought, finished the game and got the W.”

Scoring in the contest got started in the opening minute with Pelham connecting on a field goal. Westover answered with a 95-yard touchdown run by Jonathan Mock, which Jones said jump-started the offense.

“That was really big. We knew coming into this year and having so many guys on the offensive side of the ball that hadn’t played before that it was going to take some time for them to jell,” he said. “They came out and jumped right on them and I really appreciated those guys for doing that.”

A pass interference call on Westover aided Pelham’s next possession. Patterson made the Patriots pay, finding Javoris Williams for the 39-yard score. After the PAT, Pelham reclaimed the lead 10-7 with 7:01 left in the first.

The two teams continued to trade blows in the first half. A 30-yard touchdown run by Mock for Westover was followed by a Pelham interception that led to a 1-yard touchdown run for Patterson.

Westover scored twice more before the first half ended and went into the break with a 28-16 lead.

Pelham came out in the third and were out of sync, struggling to move the ball as easily as they did in the first half. Pinkins said many of their offensive issues were self-inflicted.

“Had a couple guys go down to cramps and injuries, but a lot of our mishaps tonight were self-inflicted,” he said. “I don’t think it’s anything that they did to take away what we were doing. We just weren’t executing.”

A nearly 50-yard pick six by Pelham’s Dewaun Jones closed the gap as the Hornets trailed by six with 3:42 left in the third, but they were never able to get any closer.

Pinkins said he’s both optimistic and frustrated by the fact that his team was unable to capitalize on the opportunities they created.

“Hopefully, it’s a lesson learned,” he said. “We’ve got to show up every game ready to play. We can’t use the excuse that we’re young, regardless of what the roster shows. We’ve got to come out here ready to play, and our coaches have to put us in the right position.”