The Funding Zone
 
SAFR: Safer Through Science
 
Centre WISP

Bishop Guilfoyle Rallies for Win Over Westmont @BGMarauderFball @westysports

Tagged under: District 6, Gameday Hub, News

| October 3, 2021


The Marauders of Bishop Guilfoyle overcame a sluggish first half to defeat the Westmont Hilltoppers 35-14 on a beautiful Saturday afternoon in Johnstown at Trojan Stadium.  Westmont is getting a new state of the art football field with lights that is under construction and therefore they are playing their home games at Johnstown High School’s home field.

The opening quarter highlights pretty much belonged to the Hilltoppers of Westmont as they missed a 27-yard field goal after the first of Nate Valente’s two interceptions in the first stanza.  Valente returned the ball thirty yards to the Guilfoyle 30 and then a 15-yard penalty was tacked on.  That gave Westmont the ball at the BG 15.  But three plays only netted six yards and thus the field goal attempt.

Stuffed!

After a scoreless first period, both teams found the end zone twice in the second quarter.  The Marauders started the scoring by going on a 7-minute, 16-play drive culminating in QB Karson Keisewetter’s two-yard run.  Deven Wyandt added the first of five extra points and Bishop Guilfoyle had a 7-0 lead with 8:08 left in the half.

Westmont answered with a quick 80-yard, two-play drive.  Following Brayden Dean’s run for 9 yards, QB Eli Thomas found Gavin Hockenberry all alone behind the BG secondary for a 71-yard touchdown.  Landon Glover’s first of two PATs tied the game at seven.

Hockenberry 71 yd touchdown catch and run! He is being chased by Cooper Rother.

When Guilfoyle subsequently failed to convert a fourth down and two, Westmont regained possession at the Marauder 44.  With 1:31 left before intermission, Dean plowed in from a yard out and Westmont had the lead 14-7.   BG head coach Justin Wheeler said, “that was one of the worst halves of football we’ve played, but to their credit, they bounced back.”  To Westmont’s credit they came to play and were helped by Valente’s interceptions and the rest of a defense that was playing well and shutting down the Marauder offense.

Then it happened.  The pivotal moment when the character of the game changed.  BG kicked it up a notch and went into their two-minute drill driving the ball 76 yards in less than a minute to score with 29 seconds left in the half when Patrick Reilly caught a short touchdown pass from Keisewetter to tie the game going into halftime.  “That drive was big for us,” Wheeler stated, “it gave us some confidence and the momentum knowing we were going to get the ball to start the second half.”  Glover’s 51-yard field goal as time expired fell short, but a personal foul penalty on Westmont after the play was marked off to begin the third quarter.

Kicking off from their own 25, the Hilltoppers, in essence, allowed the Marauders very good field position because after the return BG had the pigskin at the 48.  From there BG embarked on a 4-play drive, scoring when Keisewetter scurried in from 13 yards away.  Guilfoyle now led 21-14 and would not relinquish the lead the rest of the day.

Guilfoyle’s defense put the clampers on Westmont’s offense in the third and fourth quarters allowing a total of 16 net yards and 3 first downs, one of which was on a penalty.  The Hilltoppers never got past midfield in the second half of play either.  “We changed a couple of things at halftime and allowed the defense to call things since they were right there seeing what was going on,” stated Wheeler.

Keisewetter intercepted a pass late in the third quarter and returned it over 25 yards to the Westy 8-yard line.  On the first play of the fourth quarter Keisewetter called his own number again to score his third touchdown of the contest.  A little bit later the Marauders sacked Thomas for a 17-yard loss on a fourth and ten at the Westmont 32.  BG took advantage of another short field as Cooper Rother hit pay dirt on a 15-yard run to close out the game’s scoring.

Karson Kiesewetter had a big day!

Keisenwetter netted 62 yards rushing and the three touchdowns.  He also threw for 98 yards and a touchdown.  Bishop Guilfoyle’s placekicker/punter Deven Wyandt has a tremendous leg.  He was easily making 50-yard plus field goals in warmups.  When he was told to kickoff deep, he boomed those kicks high and deep into the end zone.

Devan Wyandt is a weapon!

Next week Bishop Guilfoyle (4-2) travels to Chestnut Ridge (3-3) and Westmont (2-4) travels to Forest Hills (2-4).

Follow PA Football News on Twitter @PaFootballNews

 
 
GoRout
 
Rainbow Lettering
 
Turf Tank
 
x