Westfield senior Billy Smith #7, Connor Laraway #8, Grant Williams #12, Brandon Affeldt #24, Anthony Nomakeo #25, DJ Moltenbrey #30, Will Gonet #36, Zach Girard #74, Kyle Whitehill #77, Bobby Paul #81 and Juan Maysonet #82, pose for a senior photo prior to last Thursday night’s game against visiting Central at Billy Bullens Field. Tom Pepek was absent from the senior festivities. The seniors last game will take place Thursday when the Bombers play the Cathedral Panthers on Thanksgiving morning at Springfield College. Kickoff is slated for 10:30 a.m. (File photo by chief photographer Frederick Gore)
WESTFIELD – Yes, Westfield High’s injured senior running back Anthony Nomakeo will be relegated to watching this Thursday’s Thanksgiving Day game from the sidelines for a second straight year. And so what if the annual turkey game features no playoff implications after the Bombers were eliminated from contention a week ago. It is still a bowl game of sorts.
“It’s always nice when you’re playing with a chance for the playoffs in late November,” said Westfield coach Bill Moore, whose team’s postseason hopes deflated with last week’s drubbing by Central. “We didn’t get in, but we can still be 5-5. And that’s something.”
With a win Thursday against Cathedral, Westfield (4-5, 3-4 AA) would be assured of a fourth season with a .500 or better record in the last 10 years.
“That would be a pretty big accomplishment,” Moore said.
Westfield has earned a few other accolades already this season.
The Bombers pounded Amherst 40-20 in the season opener; won an overtime thriller against Holyoke 28-20 in Week 2; limited Putnam to just six first-half points in a lightning-delayed, two-day affair the following week; held off Agawam 21-14 to improve to 3-1; kept the high-flying Minnechaug Falcons within striking distance in a 21-14 loss; earned some redemption with a 28-23 win over Northampton – the Blue Devils ended their winless seasons each of the last two years with victories against the Whip City.
But now none of it matters, so to speak.
“Any time you have a rivalry game like this, throw the records out,” coach Moore said. “We know it’s going to be a battle.”
So forget the fact that Westfield has won the last four games against Cathedral by an average margin of victory of 23 points per game, and won eight of the previous nine meetings with the Panthers. And disregard last season’s 38-0 thrashing by the Bombers.
It does not matter that Cathedral quarterback Tim Danehy has thrown nearly as many interceptions (12) as the team’s total touchdowns scored (15). And that the Panthers (3-7 overall) finished just 1-5 in the Suburban League.
There will already be one major difference from last season when the two teams step on the field this Thursday at Springfield College – Cathedral, who co-opted its team to accept students from Sabis, Holyoke Catholic, and New Leadership – now boasts more than 40 players. That is far cry from 2010 when the Panthers had just 17 dressed for the game.
“They are much improved,” Moore said of the opposition. “They’re biggest struggle has been to find a place to practice.”
With practice sessions nearly over, all that awaits is the teams’ final game. Kickoff is slated for 10:30 a.m.
SENIOR MOMENTS: Coach Moore said one of the biggest assets his team lost when Nomakeo went down was not the senior’s carries, but rather, the way he carried himself on the field.
“We have other backs, kids who can run,” Moore said. “He was a real difference maker in the huddle. Anthony held the other kids accountable. We miss that a little bit. He was more vocal.”
Moore also had some strong words to describe seniors Billy Smith (“tough, he takes a pounding and just keeps on getting up”), Connor Laraway (“dependable”), Bobby Paul (“plays two ways, he blocks guys on the offensive line then turns around and plays defensive end”), Kyle Whitehill (“the best blocker, the leader of the O-line”), Juan Maysonet (“he’s had some good games at defensive end”), Zach Girard (“he’s started every game at tackle”), and Brandon Affeldt (“the heart and soul of the defense … amazing, inspiring, athletic, plays with a passion and intelligence”).
The seniors and their teammates will have one more chance to make a lasting impression on their coach and fans Thursday.
Westfield-Cathedral Series History
1943 — Westfield 31, Cathedral 0 1944 — Cathedral 13, Westfield 7 1945 — Westfield 7, Cathedral 6 1946 — Cathedral 6, Westfield 0 1947 — Westfield 32, Cathedral 7 1948 — Westfield 30, Cathedral 0 1949 — Westfield 18, Cathedral 6 1950 — Cathedral 25, Westfield 12 1951 — Cathedral 20, Westfield 7 1952 — Westfield 19, Cathedral 14 1953 — Westfield 21, Cathedral 0 1954 — Westfield 6, Cathedral 0 1955 — Cathedral 22, Westfield 0 1956 — Cathedral 26, Westfield 19 1957 — Cathedral 27, Westfield 2 1958 — Westfield 8, Cathedral 0 1959 — Westfield 26, Cathedral 13 1960 — Cathedral 34, Westfield 0 1961 — Westfield 20, Cathedral 18 1962 — Westfield 28, Cathedral 22 1963 — Westfield 14, Cathedral 12 1964 — Westfield 14, Cathedral 6 1965 — Westfield 18, Cathedral 13 1966 — Cathedral 22, Westfield 0 1967 — Cathedral 11, Westfield 0 1968 — Westfield 22, Cathedral 12 1969 — Cathedral 12, Westfield 7 1970 — Cathedral 41, Westfield 15 1971 — Snowed out 1972 — Westfield 26, Cathedral 6 1973 — Westfield 24, Cathedral 10 1974 — Cathedral 42, Westfield 7 1975 — Westfield 22, Cathedral 18 1976 — Westfield 33, Cathedral 26 1977 — Westfield 28, Cathedral 7 1978 — Westfield 33, Cathedral 0 1979 — Westfield 34, Cathedral 7 1980 — Westfield 28, Cathedral 6 1981 — Westfield 20, Cathedral 0 1982 — Cathedral 13, Westfield 7 1983 — Westfield 19, Cathedral 6 1984 — Cathedral 24, Westfield 23 1985 — Cathedral 20, Westfield 7 1986 — Cathedral 20, Westfield 0 1987 — Westfield 19, Cathedral 0 1988 — Cathedral 14, Westfield 7 1989 — Cathedral 13, Westfield 6 1990 — Westfield 21, Cathedral 19 1991 — Cathedral 14, Westfield 0 1992 — Westfield 37, Cathedral 8 1993 — Cathedral 41, Westfield 24 1994 — Westfield 28, Cathedral 18 1995 — Cathedral 38, Westfield 0 1996 — Cathedral 16, Westfield 7 1997 — Cathedral 7, Westfield 6 1998 — Cathedral 26, Westfield 0 1999 — Cathedral 41, Westfield 7 2000 — Westfield 62, Cathedral 27 2001 — Cathedral 42, Westfield 0 2002 — Westfield 37, Cathedral 6 2003 — Westfield 20, Cathedral 17 2004 — Westfield 29, Cathedral 0 2005 — Westfield 47, Cathedral 20 2006 — Cathedral 26, Westfield 6 2007 — Westfield 27, Cathedral 0 2008 — Westfield 37, Cathedral 20 2009 — Westfield 28, Cathedral 0 2010 — Westfield 38, Cathedral 0
2011 – ?
