Zeeland West has been one of the strongest teams in the area through three weeks, Friday night they began their quest to win the tough OK-Gold Conference with a league-opener with their neighboring and district rival, Zeeland East. The Chix supplied the Dux with all coach Shillito’s team could handle on a night that Zeeland West was playing without their star QB and safety, Trey Sloothaak.

 

The two teams traded long drives in the first half, with Zeeland East turning the ball over on downs in the first quarter deep in Z.W. territory. The Dux responded with a long drive of their own, ending in a Jonah Leslie 5 yard touchdown run; West failed to convert on the 2-point conversion to lead 6-0. That would be the only score of the first half, with both teams coming up with another stop in the 2nd.

 

The Dux got the ball out of the second half break and drove down the field efficiently before senior FB Keaton Hendricks found the end zone for his first of three times on the night from 31 yards out to give the Dux a 14-0 advantage after a made 2 point coversion, as sophomore backup QB Drew Albrecht found RB Isaac Vanderzwaag in the end zone.

 

East would strike right back as sophomore QB Will Drenk hit sophomore WR Colby Miller on a screen that the latter would break a tackle and sprint down the sideline for a 54 yard TD, 14-7 Zeeland West.

 

Then the sequence of the game, Keaton Hendricks would fumble and turn the ball over to the Chix in Zeeland West territory on the ensuing kickoff, East would then drive the ball off a long Eli Walcott run to a first and goal from the 3. The Dux would hold on three straight plays, including a 4th and goal from the one, where the Dux front line blew up a read option play and brought Drenk down in the backfield to turn the ball over right at the end of the third quarter.

 

West would respond with another Hendricks TD run after a 8+ minute drive from 8 yards out, 22-7 after a made 2 point conversion. East would again strike back, as a long Drenk to Miller connection would set up a 1 yard toss from the sophomore QB to Isaiah Boonstra – But, West sophomore CB Brandon Holman would block the extra point, leaving it a 2 score game; 22-13.

 

After collecting an onside kick, Zeeland West would strike almost immediately, as Keaton Hendricks raced 50 yards to the house for his third score of the night , a failed 2 point conversion pass would lead the game at 28-13.

Zeeland West would come up with one more stop, before kneeling the clock out and moving to 4-0 with a 28-13 win. Zeeland East drops to 2-2 on the season.

 

Both teams are back in action on MSR next weekend. Zeeland West travels to Hudsonville to take on Unity Christian, while Zeeland East hosts Wyoming.

 

Stat Leaders:

 

Zeeland West – 28

FB – Sr – Keaton Hendricks: 10 carries, 138 yards, 3 TD

RB – Sr – Isaac VanderZwaag: 19 carries, 119 yards

RB – Jr – Jonah Leslie: 10 carries, 76 yards, 1 TD

(No Official Passing Attempts – Drew Albrecht – 1/2 Passing on 2 point conversion attempts)

 

Zeeland East – 13

QB – So- Will Drenk: 192 yards passing, 2 TD

WR – S0 – Colby Miller: 138 receiving yards, 1 TD

RB – Sr – Eli Walcott: 17 carries, 103 yards