Westfield High Weekly Sports Recap

Bulldogs boys’ basketball team has winning week

The boys’ basketball team improved to 3-1 with wins against 44-31, and , 66-58 this past week. C.J. Hill, who averages 11 points-per-game, tallied 21 points against the Seahawks, including six from behind the arc. And senior forward Quentin Basil added 10 points and went 3 for 3 from the stripe for Westfield.

“It’s a fairly experienced group but we have some young kids on the team also,” said Coach Doug Ewell. “We have four returning starters but we usually try to keep it senior-dominated.”

The Bulldog defense dominated the Generals on the boards and held them to just 31-points and out-rebounded the Seahawks, helping the team pull out the victory. However, the Bulldogs lost a heartbreaker to on Friday, Dec. 9. Westfield came within two-points shy of staying undefeated, 50-48. Ewell said his offense has more speed this year and he feels confident in his tight defensive style of play.

“This year we’re trying to pick up the offense as opposed to years past,” he said. “And we play 75-percent man-to-man and we’re a full-court team.”

Westfield travels to on Tuesday. Tip-off is at 7:30 p.m.

Girl’s basketball squad looking strong

Westfield High’s girls’ varsity basketball squad has started its 2011 season bursting onto the scene in the Concorde District. The Bulldogs hustled to a 3-0 start, defeating , and before losing its lonely game of the young season to last Friday, 45-32.

Defense seems the strong suit this season as has allowed just 29 points-per-game. Coach Patrick Deegan's offense has scored more than 40 points-per-game, including a season-high 52-points at on Dec. 6, in the team’s third win, 52-32. Guard Lauren Hayden leads the Bulldogs in scoring with an average of 11 points-per-game and has hit 17 of 24 free throws, so far this season. Meanwhile, center Jules Abruzzo leads Westfield’s frontcourt having scored in double figures in three out of the four games played, including 10 against McLean and 13 versus .

Westfield hosts on Dec. 13 at 7:30 p.m.

Swim and Dive teams win big

The Westfield Bulldog boys and girls Swim and Dive teams came both came up huge in the first meet of the 2011-12 season. The Bulldogs traveled across Route 28 to Herndon on Dec. 2 to face the in the pool. The boys handled the Herndon Hornets 171-144, while the girls breezed past them, 184-116.

Wrestling team off to solid start

The Westfield varsity wrestling team officially took to the mat in its regular season on Dec. 2 against Hopewell High in The Blue Devil Invitational in Richmond. Twelfth-year coach Chuck Hoskins said he only brought eight of the 14 weight classes with him because many football players who wrestle were still playing in the postseason at the time. However, the Bulldogs finished fourth as a team and crowned three champions at the meet: Brett Campbell at 120, Derek Arnold at 138 and Frank Aiello at 152.

“I was very pleased with their performance because there was stiff competition.” Said Hoskins. “Frank Cox High, who was last year’s state champion, was there. Also St. Christopher, who is one of the best schools from the area, was there along with several teams with good individuals as well.”

Hoskins welcomed back the football players for the team’s second meet at Salem High for the Sun Devil Classic on Dec. 9-10. The Bulldogs filled 11 out of the 14 weight classes for the competition and placed third in the tourney. Although Westfield is only two weeks into the 2011-12 season, Hoskins said the quality of competition has been outstanding.

“At this point were only in our second week of the season matches but we’ve wrestled 9 of the top 10 teams in the state and we’ve already seen the teams we need to see,” he said.

The coach has been at the helm since the school opened in 2000 and has coached five consecutive state champions over the past five years, including Bo Donahue at 140-pounds in 2011. Hoskins said his favorite accomplishment however, is having more than 20 wrestlers earn All-Met honors throughout the years.

The Bulldogs are looking forward to hosting the defending state champion Robinson Rams for the first time since the school opened. The Rams will visit on Jan. 4 along with in a three-way meet.

Westfield travels next to The University of Delaware for The Beast of the East Tournament, which kicks off at 8:30 a.m. on 12/17.

Correction: An earlier version of this article incorrectly identified the head coach for the Westfield girls' basketball team.