Westwood 33 Newton 22
October 31, 2025
Westwood scored 20 points in the first quarter and played well the rest of the way to beat Newton, 33-22.
First Quarter: Westwood opened the game and drove 59 yards on seven plays, scoring when Steve Klein burst through the middle for 10 yards for a 6-0 lead. The big play on the drive was a jet sweep run by Nick Klein for 26 yards to the 10, three plays earlier. Newton came back on a six-play drive, scoring on a 4-yard run by Nick Kurilko to put the Braves ahead, 7-6. They stayed on the ground with runs Evan Cotter for 26 and 18 yards, and an 11-yard run by Jaden Roberts. Westwood came right back on a kick return by Nick Klein to the Newton 35. Steve Klein ran for six yards, followed by a 16-yard pass from Bruno Vega to Tyler Hanson to the 13, followed by a Steve Klein touchdown. Newton’s next drive ended in a fake punt, but an option pitch to Kurilko came up one yard short of the first down, and Westwood took over on Newton’s 41. The Cardinals needed one play, a touchdown pass to Hanson that gave the Cardinals a 20-7 lead with 54 seconds left in the quarter.
Second Quarter: Steve Klein intercepted to end a Newton threat and set Westwood up on their 42. But the Cardinals turned it over on downs, followed by Newton doing the same with Westwood starting on Newton’s 40. Steve Klein ran 12 yards to the 28, followed by two Vega runs to the 16. Again, Westwood’s fourth-down run by Steve Klein fell one yard short.
Third Quarter: After exchanging punts, Newton threatened after a Matt Ellsworth pass to Ethan Whitesell gained 26 yards to their 43. Two plays later, a fumble was recovered by Westwood nose guard Noah Perez, and it took six plays for the Cardinals to score on a 1-yard touchdown by Vega. The key play was a 17-yard run by Steve Klein on the previous play.
Fourth Quarter: Newton went on a 12-play drive that bridged the quarters and scored on a 2-yard run by Kurilko. The score was set up on the previous play, a 32-yard pass to Hunter Wolfe. Westwood consumed nearly six minutes on the following drive and scored on an 18-yard run by Anthony Greco. Newton closed the scoring on an 8-yard pass to Whitesell with 1:36 left.
Comments: Westwood’s 20 points in the first quarter gave them the cushion against a Newton team that played hard throughout the game. The Cardinals played consistent football on offense, with only two plays exceeding 20 yards. Steve Klein rushed for 75 yards, Vega for 54, and the Cardinals overall for 225. Vega passed for 91 yards and a touchdown. The Cardinal defense made good adjustments after Newton’s opening drive, which went 70 yards on six plays. The next five Newton drives totalled 66 yards (19, 15, 6, 2, and 24), and that was the difference when it came to opening a 27-7 lead.
Newton was resilient. They could have mailed it in when they were down, but they kept playing. They made Westwood earn their yards, and the offense scored two touchdowns in the fourth quarter. They are a well-coached team, but did not make the key plays to win the football game.