Westlake shut out the Rye Neck Panthers 36-0 in a commanding display under the lights Saturday night, thrilling the homecoming crowd with an impressive performance on both sides of the ball.
The offense clicked early as Nicholas DiNapoli led the Wildcats down the field. He capped the opening drive off with a touchdown that gave the Wildcats an early lead. DiNapoli finished with 44 yards on only four carries in the game.
Senior fullback Jake Zaino managed 56 yards on six carries and a touchdown as Westlake’s offensive line – which is a finalist for this week’s “GameDay Guardians” of the Week award for the area’s best unit – overwhelmed Rye Neck up front.
Senior quarterback Brayden Lingeza played a pivotal role in orchestrating the offense, amassing 83 all-purpose yards.
Junior fullback Luca Piazza added another layer to Westlake’s ground-and-pound approach, contributing 35 yards on 6 carries and finding the end zone for the Wildcats’ third rushing touchdown of the evening. Piazza’s tough running in the second half helped Westlake maintain control and drain the clock as they extended their lead.
On top of the three rushing touchdowns, John Carlantone and Nicholas McClure both found the end zone to put the finishing touches on Westlake’s scoring barrage.
Find a full photo gallery from the Westlake victory on ShotsoftheGame.com, an official partner of GameDayOne.
