The West Central Trojans got back into the win column with a 25-8 victory over the Tri-Valley Mustangs on Friday, September 18th. The Mustangs were playing in their third straight home game of the year, while West Central won for the first time since week one.
The Trojans finished the game with 159 yards of total offense, 134 rushing yards and 25 passing yards. Justin Zirpel had 21 carries for 109 yards and two touchdowns. Zirpel also provided a big defensive play for West Central. He had a fumble recovery return for a 55-yard touchdown. Isaiah Colon and Braden Dierickx both had an interception.
The Mustangs, meanwhile, had 218 yards of total offense, 176 of those rushing yards. Jaden Siemonsma had 12 carries for 59 yards and a touchdown. Mason Mathieu had 11 carries for 51 yards. Mathieu was also 6-10 passing for 42 yards with two interceptions. Siemonsma had two catches 14 yards, and Owen Besmer had two catches for 19 yards.
West Central head coach Vincent Benedetto said, “Anytime you win, it is a big deal. We played well enough to win tonight and get back on track. Our kids’ goals are high, and they know there is a lot to improve on in order to achieve our goals. The most positive thing from tonight is our players made plays when we needed them.”
West Central (2-2) will host the Dakota Valley Panthers on Friday, September 28th. Tri-Valley (1-2) will play in their first road game of the season when they travel to Dell Rapids on Friday, September 25th.