Westfield’s John Toomey, left, carries the ball against Holyoke. (Photo by chief photographer Frederick Gore)
WESTFIELD – Friday Night Football – what’s that?!?
Thanks to the mosquito threat, lack of football fields in the City of Springfield, and now rain, the Westfield High School football team will play its fourth Saturday afternoon game this season.
The threatening rains forced the postponement of Friday night’s football game against Minnechaug. The two teams will now meet Saturday afternoon at 4 at Bullens Field.
For Westfield, it has already been a topsy-turvy season.
In the opener, Westfield traveled to Mansfield only to be turned away, 49-15. In the meantime, mosquitoes carrying West Nile and the EEE viruses swooped into the country and forced several cities and towns to eliminate evening start times. But the buzzing sound that rang the Bombers ears was the arm of Amherst senior quarterback Justin Carey, who threw for 214 yards and three touchdowns in a 46-14 win for the Hurricanes in Week Two. In that game, Quinn Barbeito rushed for two TDs and nearly 100 yards on just nine carries.
The following Saturday, Westfield lost to Holyoke 26-15. Bombers’ senior quarterback Jake Toomey, who rushed for two TDs in the season opener, rushed for a 71-yard score, and connected with Barbeito on a 30-yard TD pass.
Westfield’s Quinn Barbeito, left, carries for the touchdown as Amherst’s Isaiah Davis-Toledo hangs on during a game earlier this season. (Photo by chief photographer Frederick Gore)
Toomey topped those efforts in Week Four, rushing for two touchdowns and throwing for another in a 30-20 loss to Putnam at Central High School. The Bombers fell to 0-4.
Westfield put a screeching halt to its four-game losing streak to begin the season with a 51-14 blowout victory against host Agawam as football returned to Friday nights. Toomey again scored two TDs (one rushing, one throwing), but it was Barbeito who really impressed fans, scoring three touchdowns (two rushing, one via air). Fullback Ben Geschwind also added a pair of rushing TDs.
Last week, the schedule was not so kind to the Bombers.
Westfield played its second straight Friday night football contest, but the outcome proved to be a bit different. The Bombers fell at East Longmeadow, 49-6.
Westfield, whose record is currently 1-5, will attempt to bounce back again Saturday.
Notes: Several games were rained out Friday. Check thewestfieldnews.com for the latest updates as changes are made.
