By Moses Leos III
For the first 11 plays Friday, things seemed as if they were starting to fall into place for the Lehman Lobos.
Lehman’s defense forced a three-and-out, resulting in a punt in the game’s first series. On offense, passes were crisp and precise, while run plays were executed to near perfection. Most of all, the Lobos held momentum.
But a series of unfortunate events, including an injury suffered by quarterback Jacob Zamora, foreshadowed Lehman’s game-long struggles as it fell to the Westwood Warriors 42-14 at Shelton Stadium.
As the extent of Zamora’s injury is not yet known, head coach Todd Raymond and his team push on as it continues to improve on the field.
“When we’re locked in and we’re clicking, we’re good,” Raymond said. “We have to build on it.”
Lehman’s early successes on offense were spurred by Zamora, who guided the Lobos into Westwood territory on their first offensive drive of the game in the first quarter.
Issues with ball security, which was a persistent issue for Lehman, however, reared its head. A fumble following a lengthy pass play ended the Lobo drive and zapped momentum.
Lehman’s luck continued to turn south on the ensuing drive, as Zamora suffered a shoulder injury and didn’t return.
Lobo senior running back Bryan Mendoza said it took the team “a while” to refocus after Zamora’s departure. Getting back on task and attempting to recover was the team’s goal.
“We had to pick each other up and get ready,” Mendoza said. “Just because Jacob is out, it doesn’t mean anything. We have to keep pushing.”
The Lobos turned to senior quarterback Dominick Martinez, along with wide receiver Tyler Henderson, to fill the void.
Raymond said the moment was a challenge for Martinez, who attended Westwood two years ago.
Despite some miscommunication errors, Raymond applauded Martinez’s effort in attempting to continue to generate momentum.
Raymond also lauded Henderson’s play, as he showed “what he’s capable of.” Henderson rushed for 185 yards and made both of Lehman’s touchdowns, highlighted by an 86-yard touchdown run in the first quarter.
But the Lobos were stymied by an equally charged Westwood defense, which limited their abilities to gather movement. Hindering the Lobos was the inability to maintain possession. Raymond said the team had to “quit running certain plays” due to ball security issues. Lehman committed six fumbles in the game, losing three of them.
On the opposite side, Westwood’s offense thrived against a Lehman defense that was unable to stop them.
Led by quarterback Will Jennings and running back Prince Ugwu, Westwood compiled 463 yards of total offense. The Warriors exacted most of their damage through the air, as the Warrior pass attack gained 295 yards.
Raymond said the game plan was to keep Jennings in the pocket, in order to limit his play making ability.
“(Jennings) is a slippery kid. We thought we got pressure on him and he slides through there,” Raymonds aid. “They don’t drop the ball either.”
Westwood led 14-0 after a quarter, then expanded its lead to 35-7 at halftime.
Taking care of the little things, such as limiting turnovers and penalties is the focus for Raymond as the team readies for its game against McCallum Thursday. The Lobos committed ten penalties for 110 yards.
“Our margin for error is small,” Raymond said. “When we’re taking care of details, we’re pretty good. But when we can’t take care of those details, it’s pretty evident.”
