Story and Video by DDNS Reporter Benjamin McDowell

Hoxie’s home opener Friday night ended with the Mustangs celebrating a 20-0 victory, but the story wasn’t only about what the scoreboard showed. For Westside, it was a reminder of how far its defense has come and how much its offense still needs to grow.

The Warriors were outgained on the ground and shut out for the first time this season, but their defensive unit kept them in the game longer than many expected. Despite giving up two early touchdowns, Westside forced Hoxie to work for its yards and came up with stops that prevented the margin from growing even wider.

“Our defense has been killing it from day one, and I think they’re continuing to get better every day, every week,” Westside head coach Tyler Gahr said. “We had some mistakes, but honestly, they fought through the mistakes on defense. Now we’ve got to pick it up on offense so we can match them.”

The Mustangs set the tone early, striking on their opening drive with a 35-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Dylan Barnhill to wide receiver Tristian Foust. The quick score was followed by a momentum-swinging special teams play when Hoxie’s squib kick slipped through Westside’s coverage team and was recovered by the Mustangs. That miscue gave Hoxie an extra possession and allowed them to dictate tempo in the first quarter.

Still, the Warriors did not fold. After Barnhill punched in a 2-yard touchdown run early in the second quarter to extend Hoxie’s lead to 14-0, Westside answered with one of its best drives of the night. Quarterback Aiden Turner led the Warriors downfield, using short passes and timely scrambles to move the chains. With less than seven minutes before halftime, Westside reached the Hoxie 15-yard line and seemed poised to cut into the deficit.

But the drive stalled. On fourth down, Turner dropped back and looked to the end zone, only to be met by a heavy rush. His throw fell incomplete, and Hoxie took over on downs.

“That was a tough one,” Gahr said. “You get that touchdown, and the game feels completely different going into halftime. But we came up short.”

Westside had another opportunity before the break after its defense forced a punt, but again the offense couldn’t find rhythm. Hoxie entered halftime with a 14-0 lead and full control of momentum.

The third quarter, however, belonged to the Warriors’ defense. Adjustments at the break helped Westside tighten up against the run, and the front seven delivered a series of stops that kept Hoxie off the scoreboard. Defensive linemen consistently shed blocks, and linebackers filled gaps to limit Barnhill and running back Robert Martinez, who still managed to pile up 137 yards on 17 carries by game’s end.

Turner, meanwhile, continued to face relentless pressure. Several times he spun away from would-be sacks and tried to create plays with his legs, but the Mustangs’ secondary closed quickly on receivers.

“We really need to work on blocking up front, giving our quarterback time to get the ball out,” Gahr said. “Even blocking on the edge with receivers and just basic throwing and catching. We’ve got to fix those small things to get going.”

The Warriors’ defense continued to fight in the second half, but the offense’s inability to sustain drives eventually wore them down. In the fourth quarter, Barnhill delivered the final blow, breaking through the middle for a 30-yard touchdown run to make it 20-0.

Though Hoxie never trailed and controlled much of the game, Westside’s defensive effort stood out. Holding the Mustangs scoreless for an entire quarter and forcing multiple punts highlighted a unit that is steadily improving.

“Our kids never quit, and that’s the biggest thing,” Gahr said. “They played hard to the last snap. We’ve got to take that energy and now build the other side of the ball.”

With the shutout loss in the books, the Warriors turn their focus toward fixing the details that stalled their offense. That means improving blocking schemes, refining timing between quarterback and receivers, and finding ways to finish drives when opportunities arise.

The defense may already be close to playoff caliber, but until the offense finds consistency, Westside knows it will face uphill battles against teams like Hoxie. Still, the Warriors left Friday night with positives to build on.

“Confidence is the biggest thing,” Gahr said. “We’ve got to get our kids believing in what we’re doing. If we can put both sides together, I think we can be a very good football team.”

For now, the Warriors will look to regroup, using Friday’s loss not as a setback but as a benchmark for what they can become. With a defense that continues to fight and an offense hungry to improve, Westside’s season still has room to turn in the right direction.