By Cochise Lucas (Whetstone Staff Writer)
Cochise Lucas/Whetstone
It didn’t take long for Wesley to pick up right where they left off from last season, defeating their opponent, East Texas Baptist University, 34-10, in the opening game of the season on Sept. 3.
Last year, Wesley went undefeated in the regular season, relying heavily on their stout defense.
In their opener, the defense proved to be just as important.
The Wolverines snagged four interceptions, helping them pull away from an East Texas squad that would not fall easily. Despite scoring the first 7 points, the Tigers were unable to keep the lead or withhold Wesley from scoring at will.
The Wolverines got going in the second quarter, putting an unanswered 14 points on the board.
Shane McSweeny led Wesley on two consecutive drives, showcasing his talents both in the air and on the ground. McSweeny hooked up with Sean McAndrews for a10-yard touchdown pass, and ran another score in from nine yards out.
The Tigers attempted to come back in the second half with an onside kick, but put the Wolverines in prime field position on the 45.
McSweeny and Matt Barile then linked up on a 37-yard pass completion to put the Wolverines on the goal line. From 2 yards out, McSweeny ran the ball in the end zone for another score, putting the Wolverines up 20-7.
At the start of the fourth, Wolverine Leon Jones intercepted Sed Harris to put Wesley in good field position again. On the following third down, McSweeny tossed a screen pass to Askia Jahad, who took the ball in to the end zone from 25 yards out.
What started out as a 7-0 lead for the Tigers quickly turned into a 34-10 blowout for the Wolverines. Linebacker, Mike Asiedu led the team with 11 tackles, and four different Wesley players had interceptions. McSweeny put up a modest 165 yards and two scores on 11 of 20 passing.
