West won an offensive battle on the road against Fort Zumwalt South 38-28. The Longhorns scored 17 points in the first four minutes of the game. Senior running back Nick Lewis scored on a 68-yard touchdown run on the second play of the game to give the Horns an early lead.
“It took a team effort to win that game. We executed on offense when we had needed too. The key was jumping out to an early lead and is something we have to continue to do in these tougher ball games,” junior linebacker Drew Seers said.
The Longhorns erupted for 402 yards of total offense. Seer’s recorded career high three touchdowns on the day while Lewis added two more on the ground.
“The games we have won this year have been because of our running game. When we run the ball effectively we usually end up on top. It is important we keep on running the ball well which will open up or passing game too,” senior offensive lineman Brian Loomis said.
Junior quarterback Jack Martin threw a 35-yard strike for the second touchdown of the game. Martin now has 987 passing yards and seven touchdowns on the year.
“No one had us winning that game. No one believed in us except ourselves. We were the better football team on that field and it showed on the scoreboard. We have to take our momentum from this game into the next one,” junior defensive lineman Caleb Carswell said.
With three minutes left in the game, junior safety Tyrice Hines made a hit to knock the ball free from a South Receiver.
“Creating turnovers has to be a top priority for our team going into next week. We play our best football when our defense plays with that physicality,” senior linebacker Evan Shukers said.
This was the first district football game West has won in ten years.
“It was a huge win for our program and community. It is exciting that we are playing our best football at the end of the year. All of the hard work and struggles we have experienced as a unit are starting to turn into wins. It is a great step for our team,” senior fullback Brandyn McMurry said.
West travels to Parkway North on Friday, Oct. 30, for the second round of the district playoffs. North is coming off of a 70-6 first round win against Holt-Wentzville.
“We need to play with minimal mistakes, especially as we continue farther into the playoffs. Coach Duncan always expresses the importance of being fundamentally sound and it is something we need to continue to improve on,” senior cornerback Scott McKnight said.
![Holding the disc, senior Nathan Thompson waits for an opportunity to pass to senior Timmy Fry. Parkway United’s ultimate frisbee team is made up of students from each of the four Parkway schools. “The one thing I really like about ultimate [frisbee] is the community because it’s so different from any other sport I've been a part of. [My] national teammates are people who we play against in the regular season, so we see each other all the time. It's always fun hanging out with [them],” Thompson said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/C96A6823-1200x800.jpg)
![Senior Josie Grunzinger watches the football game intently from the sidelines on Oct. 18. Grunzinger stood out to the crowd as the only girl on the football team, encouraging other girls who want to play football to take a chance and go for a sport outside of their comfort zone. “If you think you could [play football] and you want to do it, just try it, because all it takes is to actually try it out,” Grunzinger said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Untitled-design-1200x675.png)
![With her arms held high, junior Jenna Rickelman throws the ball across the pool during a girls water polo practice. With hours of practice after school and over the summer, Rickelman saw many improvements in her water polo skills. “When I look at [my] stats, I'm so much better than I was last year,” Rickelman said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Untitled-design-2-.png)
![Putting on his helmet, catcher and senior Tommy Eschbach prepares to get in his primary stance. Despite losing 6-1 against Eureka on April 16, Eschbach didn’t let the tough loss affect his playing or mental health. “It's [so] easy to get caught up in the sport and what you're doing that [after] one bad game or a stretch of games it is hard to remind yourself that your worth as a person isn't directly related to your performance on the field,” Eschbach said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/DSC_0415-1-1-1200x800.jpg)
![Sports organizations have changed lives on and off the field, improving athletes’ muscle strength, reducing their risk of diseases and building energetic work capacity worldwide. However, many student-athletes struggle to balance schoolwork and athletic commitments, hoping to seek more understanding and support from their teachers and coaches. “To lessen mental strain student-athletes [face] and create a healthier, more comfortable lifestyle, there shouldn’t be any homework. I'm already [at school] for eight hours and [homework] creates a bigger load for student-athletes in AP or honors classes,” track and field sprinter and sophomore Lucy Penton said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/DSC_0095-1-e1713883278514-1200x847.jpg)
![At the Spring Pep Rally on March 8, boys varsity water poloist and junior Jack Brau stands with the boys water polo team. The group, hoping to include everyone — whether boy or girl, varsity or JV — cheered on the girls water polo team during the sports team runouts. “Even though we all play separate games and have different practices, we like to see ourselves as one big group who represent one water polo [team],” Brau said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/DSC_8810-1-1200x800.jpg)
![Looking for an open teammate, freshman Patrick May passes the ball across the court at the Nov. 28 game against Parkway Central. May started in the game against the Colts. ”Growing up, [my parents] always gave me a basketball, [and] we had a basketball hoop outside. I grew up playing [all the time], playing on the [driveway] and shooting hoops with my dad.” May said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/image2-1-1200x801.jpg)
