The Zeeland West Dux travelled to St Joseph on Friday night, ready to tangle with the Bears. This marked the third meeting between the two programs in the past four playoffs, with tonight serving as a rubber match. Zeeland West, as they have almost all season, faced little resistance in their 42-0 rout.
After forcing a defensive stop to start the game, Zeeland West quickly found the end zone. Jonah Leslie shot through the Bears’ defense, racing 36 yards for a touchdown. A conversion run by Trey Sloothaak gave the Dux an 8-0 lead.
The Zeeland West lead would grow on their next drive, with Isaac VanderZwaag serving as the big play catalyst. His 38-yard touchdown run allowed the Dux to push the advantage to fourteen points.
St Joseph’s third drive concluded quickly as well, with Brandon Holman stepping in front of a pass and securing an interception. Holman raced 48 yards for the touchdown, and the Dux led 20-0 after the first quarter.
Zeeland West would continue to balloon its lead with a touchdown in each of the final three quarters. In the second stanza, it was VanderZwaag who scored from 5 yards out. For both second half touchdowns, it was the legs of Jonah Leslie, who carried the ball in from 1 and 2 yards respectively.
In total, Zeeland West outgained St Joseph 356-71 in this convincing victory. All 356 Dux yards came on the ground, as they averaged 6.5 yards per carry. Keaton Hendrick paced the ground attack with 132 yards, while Isaac VanderZwaag added 68.
With this victory, Zeeland West is back in the Regional Finals for the third straight year. They will now rematch Forest Hills Central, a team that eliminated them in last year’s semifinals, but that the Dux bested 28-7 in Week 6. The Rangers rallied to defeat Coopersville 28-17 in their own regional final match.
