Westfield rallies past Carmel in 39-34 thriller
By Staff Report
WESTFIELD — In a battle of Hamilton County, Westfield overcame an early two-touchdown deficit and withstood a late Carmel comeback to earn a 39-34 Indiana high school football victory.
The Greyhounds jumped out to an early 14 – 0 lead on a Mychael Lewis 18-yard run and a 34-yard putch and catch from Jackson Treadway to Chris Harris. The Shamrocks (2-0) responding with 21 unanswered points in the second. Westfield carried a 21-14 advantage into halftime and never trailed again, although Carmel (1-1) remained within striking distance until the final play.
Elliott Clevenger sparked the comeback with a 43-yard touchdown run early in the second quarter. Maddox Novotney added an 87-yard punt return for a score, and quarterback Cooper Melvin threw a touchdown pass to Caiden Snow to put Westfield ahead at halftime.
Westfield stretched its lead in the third quarter when Melvin found Henry Everts for a 10-yard touchdown. Carmel answered with a 9-yard scoring run by Lewis, sending the game into the fourth quarter with the Shamrocks leading 28-21.
A 24-yard Melvin field goal increased Westfield’s advantage to 31-21 with 9:28 remaining with an 18-yard touchdown run, again, by Lewis to make it a three-point game.
Clevenger then scored from 2 yards out with 2:19 left, giving Westfield the cushion it needed. Carmel added a 2-yard touchdown pass on the final play courtesy of the Treadway to Harris connection as the Shamrocks held on for the five-point victory.
Melvin completed 13 of 20 passes for 206 yards and two touchdowns without an interception. Snow was Westfield’s leading receiver, catching five passes for 109 yards and a touchdown. Everts added a 10-yard touchdown reception. Clevenger powered the ground game with 118 yards and two touchdowns on 18 carries.
Westfield’s defense was led by Osagie Fapetu, who recorded 17 total tackles, including two tackles for loss. Will Washo finished with 11 tackles and 1½ tackles for loss, while Ryan Dikos contributed seven tackles.
