This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2012, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Midvale • After slow starts to the season and coming off deflating losses last week, Westlake and Hillcrest needed a victory Friday night to realistically stay in the Region 7 race.
The Thunder got it.
Gavin Williams and Stockton Rentfro passed for first-quarter touchdowns, and Westlake's defense dominated as the Thunder rolled to a 22-7 win over the Huskies.
Westlake improved to 2-4 overall and 1-1 in the region, while Hillcrest dropped to 2-4 and 0-2. The Huskies have been outscored 78-14 in their Region 7 losses.
The Thunder overcame the shock of losing senior running back Daniel Nugent on their fourth play of the game.
Nugent was injured after losing 3 yards on a sweep. He remained on the field for 20 minutes while being treated for a leg injury. He then was transported to the hospital in an ambulance.
When play resumed, Westlake completed a 13-play, 92-yard drive and grabbed a 6-0 lead on Williams' 13-yard touchdown pass to a wide-open Tyler Diaz.
After a Hillcrest fumble, the Thunder quickly made it 12-0 when Rentfro took a handoff from Williams and threw a 23-yard touchdown pass to Austin Fotheringham.
The Huskies stayed close by driving 65 yards in nine plays on their next possession. Sophomore quarterback Tanner Thompson scored on first-and-goal from the 1 with 1:08 left in the first quarter.
When Curtis Willits converted the extra point, Hillcrest trailed 12-7.
The Thunder nursed their narrow lead into the third quarter, when Westlake used a roughing the passer penalty and a 24-yard pass from Williams to River Sanderson to reach the Hillcrest 5.
Jed Murri powered up the middle for a touchdown on a first-down play to bump the lead to 19-7 with 6:15 left in the third quarter.
Willets' 34-yard field goal made it 22-7 with 10:31 remaining, and Westlake rode its defense the rest of the way. —