What a difference a week makes.
Just seven days after Harlem’s 5-point loss to Aquinas, the Bulldogs looked like a completely different team as it traveled to Westside and notched a 24-0 win Friday night, knocking the Patriots from the ranks of the unbeaten, and making the Region 4-AAA race more complicated than it was coming into the game.
The game didn’t finish full regulation time, though, as it was called with 3:05 left in the fourth quarter after an off-the-field fight cleared the stands. The Westside PA announcer stated from the press box that the game would be called, resulting in a Harlem win.
This is the second time this season that a Westside football game was called early due to an altercation. Westside’s season opener at Laney was called in late in the third quarter after gunshots were heard just outside Laney’s stadium.
Teams retreat after fracas
Once an altercation became apparent, both teams’ players and coaches were quickly rushed off the field before the eventual determination to suspend play.
The game will go down as Westside’s first loss of the season.
Before the late-game, off-field drama, Harlem’s backup quarterback Mercer Barton looked the part of a starter with his pair of touchdowns that helped Harlem solidify control of the game early. The first score came when Barton kept it himself and darted 27 yards to the end zone to give Harlem a 6-0 lead at the 9:09 mark of the first quarter.
Kamga shut down
Harlem’s defensive line quickly set a precedent that there would be no easy yards for Westside senior Jeanarion Kamga who came into Friday’s game averaging more than a first down per carry.
After a defensive stop, Harlem went back to work engineering a scoring drive that ended with Baylor Davis finding Rod Anderson for a 3-yard scoring toss that extended the Bulldogs’ lead to 13-0 with 5:52 remaining in the first quarter.
Harlem wasn’t done, and Barton would make Westside’s defense pay again before the first quarter ended — this time on a 4-yard touchdown pass to Venturious Holcomb. Harlem converted a fake field goal for the 2-point conversion try which gave the Bulldogs a 21-0 lead with 2:15 left in the opening quarter. Will Holder’s 33-yard field goal with 28 seconds left in the first proved to be enough scoring to give Harlem the advantage.
Both defenses settled in the rest of the way, but Westside could never muster an offensive answer for Harlem’s stout front seven.
The loss dropped Westside to 7-1 overall and 4-1 in region play, while Harlem raised its record to 5-1 and 3-1 in the region.
We’ll have more coverage on Harlem’s victory over the weekend.
Blythe Keisler contributed to this report.
