Jakob Arnarsson is an ASU Cronkite School of Journalism student assigned to cover Westwood High School for AZPreps365.com.

CHANDLER - It didn’t take long for Westwood to lose control of the game. In fact, it took no time at all. 

Westwood junior quarterback Gavin Gleave fumbled the very first snap of the game, giving Basha possession within the red zone. The next play saw Basha senior running back Noah Roberts bounce a run outside, breaking several arm tackles before scoring the first touchdown of the game.

Two plays. Ten seconds. 7-0.

It was only a taste of what was to come.

Basha would score 41 unanswered points in the first half in an eventual 48-7 victory at home over Westwood on Friday, Oct. 9. It was the opening game of 6A Southern Region play for both teams.

Despite the lopsided score, Westwood came off the field confident in its ability to move the football. The Warriors rushed 144 yards, mostly employing a split-backfield formation in an attempt to maintain possession while keeping the clock moving. 

“We showed that we can move the ball and can do some good things on an obviously elite opponent,” Westwood head coach Brandon Large said. “There were some self-inflicted mistakes that cost us early in the first half. But I hope our guys think and see that they can compete.” 

At the heart of their approach was senior running back Keshawn Barkus. Last season, Barkus led the 6A Conference in rushing yards. Against Basha, the Warriors again leaned on him as their workhorse. He finished with 17 combined touches. 

“Having a guy like that definitely makes you feel like you have a chance,” Large said. “He’s a stud and a great kid.”

Westwood’s ability to move the chains against a team of Basha’s caliber gives the Warriors something to build on. Basha entered not only as defending regional champions but also as the defending AIA Open Division state champions.

While Westwood (3-3, 0-1 Southern) found ways to move the ball, Basha (4-2, 1-0) showed how quickly it turns opportunities into points. 

Its second score came on a blocked punt returned for a touchdown. Before the offense took its second snap, Basha was already up 14-0.

Basha senior quarterback Jake Rogers completed several passes of 30 yards or more, including all three of his touchdown throws. He finished with over 250 yards passing, all in the first half. 

It was exactly the performance head coach Chris McDonald wanted from his squad. Basha began the season losing two of their first three, including a 40-7 loss to Pinnacle. 

“When you play a tough schedule up front, we didn’t come out of it unscathed, but we survived it,” McDonald said. “Hopefully, those tough games propel us into the second half of the season.” 

While Basha returned to form in the first half, Westwood refused to give in after the halftime break. It began the half by recovering an onside kick. The ensuing possession led to a passing touchdown of over 30 yards from Gleave to senior wide receiver Bassett Ward.

Westwood reciever Bassett Ward celebrating with his teammate after his touchdown catch. It was the Warriors only score of the game. (Jakob Arnarsson photo/ AZPreps365)

“We came out with the mentality of we’re gonna try and be physical and execute and do things the right way in the second half,” Large said. “I thought our guys did a good job of that.”

While Basha reinforced its standing among the state’s top teams, the Warriors will look to build off the experience to help them continue their charge for their second consecutive playoff appearance after ending a 12-year postseason drought last season.

“I think we’re moving in the right direction as a program,” Large said. “It was a goal of mine when I first got here to become a consistent playoff team. We made a big step in that last year, and just trying to keep making strides there.”