JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Westside High took command of District 3-5A Friday night with a 38-20 victory over visiting Bishop Kenny.
The Wolverines (4-3, 4-0) won just one game last season.
"We always had talent on the Westside, just a matter of structure and focus, and believing in ourselves," head coach Rodney DuBose said. "Trying to realize character is built and revealed on Friday. If you build it Monday-Thursday it'll show up on Friday, and it did tonight."
DuBose's son, junior quarterback Amari DuBose, rushed for two touchdowns and threw for another to help lead Westside to the key district win over the Crusaders (4-1, 3-1).
DuBose opened the scoring in the first quarter with a 1-yard keeper, then threw a 78-yard touchdown to junior Darius Hall in the second quarter to give Westside a 12-7 lead.
He tacked on some insurance in the fourth quarter with an 18-yard touchdown run to put the Wolverines up 38-14.
Bishop Kenny took a brief lead in the second quarter after recovering a fumble. Jackson Bradley threw a 36-yard touchdown pass to fellow senior Charles Wade to put the Crusaders up 7-6.
Later in the quarter, Wade got bottled up by the Wolverines on a handoff and junior Sidney Stokes snatched the ball from him, taking it 52 yards for the touchdown and an 18-7 Westside lead at the half.
Senior Montavis Cogdell and junior Jacari Benton scored rushing touchdowns to cushion Westside's lead in the second half. Cogdell's TD was 48 yards and Benton's was 32 yards.
Bradley and Wade connected on a 61-yard TD pass and Nolan Carr threw a 49-yard TD pass to fellow junior Julian Ingram to give Bishop Kenny some hope in the fourth quarter, but it was not enough to overcome Westside.