By Gene Stanley/Sports Correspondent
And the beat goes on for the West End High football team.
On Friday, the Patriots (0-3, 0-2 in Class 2A, Region 5) suffered a 49-6 loss at the hands of region foe Cleveland in Walnut Grove.
It was the Patriots’ 14th defeat in a row.
“We didn’t get it done, on offense or defense,” West End coach Kyle Davis said. “We’ve got to play with heart and desire, and we didn’t tonight.”
It didn’t take long for the Panthers (2-1, 1-1) to take a lead.
After the Patriots went three-and-out on the opening possession, Cleveland scored in four plays, on a 17-yard pass from Peyton Gilliland to Erik Faulkner that capped a 49-yard drive.
After West End went three-and-out again, the Panthers needed only three plays to score again – on a 28-yard pass from Gilliland to Christopher Corder.
This time, the Patriots had the ball for only one play, as Gilliland intercepted a Caegan Epperson pass. Again, Cleveland scored quickly – this time in four plays and on an 11-yard Gilliland pass to Tristen Rittenhouse.
With the first quarter barely over half over, the Panthers led 21-0.
West End then put together a time-consuming drive – 14 plays and 63 yards that took most of the rest of the quarter. The drive ended on a 4-yard Michael Malin touchdown run.
“We scored after getting down by three touchdowns,” Davis said. “That showed a little something good for us. But they needed only one play to score again and take the wind out of our sails.”
That one play was a 54-yard run by Gilliland.
After the Patriots went three-and-out again, Gilliland made one of his few mistakes – an interception by Andre Little.
The Panthers scored three more times before half, to lead 49-6 at intermission. Those touchdowns were a 7-yard run by Brett Irwin (capping a four-play drive), a 41-yard rush (one play) and an 82-yard run by Gilliland (one play).
West End almost scored at halftime, with Epperson getting stopped at the Cleveland 1 as the buzzer sounded.
Gilliland completed 9-of-11 passes for 152 yards and three touchdowns and one interception. On six carries, he gained 160 yards and scored twice.
West End visits Section next week for another region game.