With 2:45 left in the second quarter, senior tri-captain Tyshawn Pearson snatched the ball from a Union guard and glided down the court for an easy layup. This was the catalyst for an explosive Blue Devil offense that continued its dominance for the rest of the game. With aggressive defensive play as well as strong offense, Westfield was able to coast to a 45-28 win over rivals Union in their season opener.
The Blue Devils employed a passing-heavy offense, led by senior tri-captain Enzo Ferraro to lead the game with 5 assists. Ferrero said, “It feels great because we haven’t won our season opener in 9 years. It’s really cool to have 8 teams before you that weren’t able to win their season opener and it was special for me because it was in my senior season.”
The Blue devils were able to control the paint with the help of junior forward Connor Whelan. Whelan was able to rack up 6 rebounds of his own while senior Will Kirby also contributed 4 rebounds, helping support the guards and controlling their offense efficiently.
Westfield’s defensive efforts impacted the game tremendously, only allowing Union’s leading scorer to put up 8 points. Pearson said, “The best offense is a good defense.” Pearson was an absolute force on defense, ending the game with 7 steals which all resulted in fast break layups leaving him with 23 points. Head coach Jim Mckeon said, “Tyshawn played defense. He led the state as a sophomore in steals. As soon as he gets in a rhythm he sets up everything offensively. Along with this, his shot was falling which was great momentum for the team.”
Westfield got into their groove during the first quarter outscoring Union 13-6. Following that Westfield slowed down slightly in the second, allowing Union to outscore them 10-9 and going into the half at 22-16 Blue Devils. However, Westfield was able to turn it back around after halftime and finish the game strong. Mckeon said, “Our effort was tenfold of what theirs was. I think we got into a rhythm in the first quarter and third quarter which really set the tone for the game.”
After a commanding win in their season opener, the Blue Devils seek to continue their momentum in their upcoming games. Westfield will be back in action against Union Catholic at home on Dec. 21 at 12 p.m.
