Westwood football continues to assert dominance by blanking Mahwah
MAHWAH – The man at the top has changed, but the story on the field is all the same for Westwood.
The Cardinals are still the class of the American Red with quarterback Robbie Carcich making magic.
Sparked by a pristine defense and the playmaking of Carcich, the Cardinals raced past Mahwah, 35-0, on Friday in a battle of unbeatens.
Carcich threw for two touchdowns and ran for another to put Westwood (5-0) in sole possession of first place.
Life has gone pretty well for new coach Bobby Guy, whose team has not trailed all season.
"Hats off to (Mahwah)," Guy said. "They came out with some great energy. I think for the first time, we played a complete game with offense, defense and special teams. We had a great week of practice and it showed today."
Westwood showed speed, physicality and big play ability in its return to Egidio Caporale Stadium. The Cardinals scored three touchdowns in the second quarter alone, including a spectacular one-handed interception and return by Aidan Carrazana.
The backbreaker came on the final play of the first half. Carcich floated a high pass into double coverage, then watched senior receiver Joe Klein come down with it for a 16-yard touchdown. That sent the Cardinals into the locker room with a 21-0 lead in hand.
"Coach Guy was yelling 'field goal unit, field goal unit'. I'm like no, no, no, no," Carcich said. "They bring us back. I was just trying to give my guys a shot that late with no timeouts. You trust your guys on offense that they're going to make a play."
What it means
Westwood controls its own destiny in the American Red with two divisional games left on the docket.
The Cardinals have now shut out Mahwah in their last three meetings and won 12 in a row against Bergen County opponents.
"We're very fortunate," Guy said. "We have great players. They come in day in and day out and prepare better than anyone I've been around."
Guy was also quick to credit his defensive coordinator after holding an opponent off the board in 10 straight quarters. The Cardinals never let Mahwah into the redzone on Friday with corners Carrazana and Klein holding Mahwah to two passing yards.
"We've played together for three years now and we know each other's game," Carrazana said. "We push each other every day. We know we are the best cornerback duo in this league and we love playing for each other."
By the numbers
Carcich completed eight of 13 passes for 126 yards. He spread the ball around to four different receivers and opened the scoring with a short completion to Luke Bussanich.
"He makes plays that are uncoachable," Guy said. "He extends plays well in the run game and the pass game. He's an ace in the hole."
Klein was the Cardinals top target of the night and finished with four catches for 76 yards.
Westwood's Steve Klein darted up the middle on the final touchdown to set off a running clock.
Next up
Mahwah will take on Bergenfield (1-2) at home next Friday.
Westwood will host Ramsey (2-3) on Friday night.
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Westwood NJ football continues to assert dominance by blanking Mahwah
