West High Trojan football faced off against the Liberty at 7 p.m. Aug. 25, to open the football season. With the Trojans seeded 10th in 5A, there were high hopes for this new team and a competitive edge. When cross-town rivalry is thrown into the mix, it adds even more spirit to the game.
The game kicked off with back-and-forth play between Liberty and West, but with around six and a half minutes left in the first quarter, the Bolts came through with a touchdown followed by a successful extra point attempt.
With the first quarter coming to a close and the Trojans trailing Liberty, quarterback Jack Wallace ’25 threw the ball to wide receiver Isaiah Loveless ’24 to score a touchdown. Followed by a successful extra point, the Trojans tied the game 7-7.
West came out strong out of the half with a pick six with a little over 9 minutes remaining by Santana Miller ’24, but this strength didn’t last long with their returning kick being ran back down to West’s end zone by Liberty. However West turned around this error and the defense came up strong with blocking the extra point. Now the Trojans led by one point.
With 1:56 left in the first half, Liberty came around with a touchdown and a 2 point conversion sending West to the drawing board hoping to come back to their touchdown deficit.
Halftime was made up of a performance by the West dance team, the Trojan marching band, and the fan favorite drumline. All three performances brought back an electric energy to the crowd.
Straight out of the half, Juju Manson ’26 scored a touchdown which tied the game 21-21. The rest of the third was filled with strong cheers from both crowds and a high competitive spirit. Football players and even athletic director BJ Mayer were seen hyping up West’s student section. With 4 minutes remaining in the third quarter, Liberty attempted a field goal, but had no luck. This left the game tied before the 4th quarter and left the stadium is a high energy buzz.
With the 4th rolling around, both teams were trying to battle for the Principal’s Bell. Each attempt was answered by either’s defense, until there were 8 minutes remaining. In this 8th minute Wallace heaved the ball down the field to send the crowd into a roar. Loveless made a fantastic catch and completed another touchdown and the Trojans made the extra point. Liberty returned it with another touchdown leading to a tied game with little time left.
With 2 minutes remaining Wallace came together to throw a well executed final pass down the field to the 5 yard line. This would give the Trojan’s the win if they were able to convert this. With 1:52 remaining, Wallace performed a trick play and passed the ball into the end zone to Ashton Honore ’24. West won the game, the cross town rivalry, and the Principal’s bell.
