As the clock wound down to the final seconds of the game, the applause and cheers from families and students erupted in the stands on Saturday, echoing throughout the field. Moments later, helmets, sticks and gloves were thrown in the air as the Blue Devils claimed their second consecutive Group 4 State Championship.
Despite the rainy weather, Westfield proved to be unaffected, pulling off a 13-2 win over undefeated Kingsway. Senior Garrett Ferguson led the game with six points in total, five goals and one assist. After breaking the Westfield record for most goals in a single season just three games earlier, Ferguson scored his 80th goal of the season in the state championship game.
Coming from the North, Group 4 bracket, Westfield faced intense competition throughout the regular season. “We faced all of the private schools, including Seton Hall Prep, Delbarton and even Bridgewater-Raritan the other day,” said senior quad-captain Drew Pravlik. “Looking at their [Kingsway] schedule, we faced much tougher teams and have more experience in high-pressure games like this.”
Westfield won its first state championship last year with many of the same players, so the team had an idea of what needed to be done to get the repeat. Kingsway however had not been in a state final game in program history, giving Westfield an advantage. Pravlik said, “Coming in, we played our game and we knew they would make mistakes under pressure.”
Showing dominance early on, Westfield was up 2-0 only four minutes into the game. “We came out super hot, got a huge lead and carried it out the rest of the way,” said Ferguson. The Blue Devils ended the half with an eight-goal lead.
Westfield did not concede its first goal until the third quarter, but still continued to expose holes in Kingsway’s defense. Senior quad-captain and goalie Corey Gilford recorded five saves throughout the game, holding down the defense. Head coach William Wertheimer said, “Corey was hot in goal, our offense was finishing and our defense was stopping them.”
The Blue Devils finished the season with a record of 18-6, notably winning the Union County Tournament and putting an end to Summit’s 7-year title reign. Wertheimer is most proud of the grit and effort the team demonstrated this season. He said, “Whether it’s a day of working out or working on the field, these guys always give 110 percent and are ready to compete with anybody.”
As the senior class moves on, their absence will be missed by the entire team, who have shared countless memories together. “I’ve been playing with these guys for many years, so I’m going to miss them,” Pravlik said. “It’s awesome to win another state championship with them. I’m really glad it went this way.”
