The Hancock-Henderson Quill, Inc.
In a commanding performance on homecoming night, the West Central Heat (4-1) showcased their defensive prowess and offensive explosiveness, blanking the West Prairie Cyclones (0-5) 38-0.
The Heat capitalized on turnovers, explosive plays, and a stout second-half defense to secure the victory.
The game started with West Prairie driving to the Heat’s 24-yard line on their opening possession, but a sack by a swarm of Heat defenders on fourth down halted the Cyclones’ momentum.
West Central opened the scoring when Cooper Gibb took an option pitch from quarterback Colton Spence for a 10-yard touchdown on the first play of the second quarter.
Gibb also converted the two-point try, giving the Heat an 8-0 lead.
West Prairie’s next drive began promisingly at their own 45, but a tackle for loss by the Heat’s Davion Price set them back. Facing third-and-13 at the Heat’s 26, the Cyclones set up a manageable fourth-and-3, but a fumbled snap was recovered by Jordan Kane at the Heat’s 23.
On the very next play, senior Cameron Robinson broke free for a 76-yard touchdown run. The two-point attempt failed, leaving the score at 14-0 with 6:46 remaining in the first half.
West Prairie struggled to regain footing, with Keaton Ruebush and Noah Johnson combining for a tackle for loss, followed by another stop by Johnson, forcing a punt.
The Heat took over at their own 40 but fumbled at the West Prairie 31, with Graham Kelly losing the ball.
Despite a big run by West Prairie’s Austin Nelson, bringing the Cyclones to the Heat’s 21 with 24 seconds left, they opted to let the clock run out, heading into halftime trailing 14-0.
The second half began with a penalty on the Heat, as a block-in-the-back call on the kickoff backed them up to their own 10.
After a quick three-and-out and a punt, West Prairie took over at their own 36 following a strong punt by Colton Spence. The Heat’s opportunistic defense took advantage of another Cyclone miscue as Kane recovered a fumbled snap, setting up the Heat at the Cyclones’ 26.
Robinson struck again, sweeping for an 11-yard touchdown, followed by a successful two-point conversion, pushing the lead to 22-0 with 6:01 left in the third quarter.
West Prairie’s offense continued to struggle, going three-and-out after starting at their own 35.
The Heat capitalized with a 70-yard touchdown pass from Spence to Reed Plate. The two-point try failed, but the Heat extended their lead to 28-0 with 2:42 remaining in the third.
The Heat’s defense, led by linebacker Cody Wade, remained relentless. After forcing another West Prairie punt, the Heat took over at their own 41.
The teams traded three-and-outs to end the third and start the fourth quarter before West Central’s Eli Vancil broke through for a 21-yard touchdown, with Kelly powering in the two-point conversion, making it 38-0 with 5:53 left.
A late interception by Robinson at the West Prairie 26 sealed the Cyclones’ fate, and the junior varsity squads took over for the final minutes, with the Heat securing the 38-0 victory.
Cameron Robinson led the Heat’s offense, filling in for injured tailback Aidan Gardner. Robinson rushed for 141 yards on 10 carries, scoring two touchdowns, and added an interception on defense.
“Cameron’s done a nice job,” said Heat head coach Jason Kirby. “He plays like a senior who knows he doesn’t have much time left. It was nice to see him do some things for the second week in a row that were really good for us in the run game.”
Cooper Gibb contributed 55 yards on five carries, including a touchdown, while Eli Vancil added 23 yards and a score.
Graham Kelly rushed for 54 yards on 13 carries. Quarterback Colton Spence was efficient, completing his only pass for a 70-yard touchdown to Reed Plate, who hauled in the long score.
The Heat’s defense was the story of the second half, shutting down West Prairie’s offense, particularly their key player, Nelson.
“Our kids keyed on (Nelson),” Kirby explained. “At halftime, we talked about how (Nelson) is the deal, and if (Tristan Hester) is running the ball, it’s because (Nelson) is leading him. When our kids took that approach, it worked for them in the second half, and we were successful with it.”
The Heat forced multiple three-and-outs, recovered two fumbles, and intercepted a pass, preventing any explosive plays from the Cyclones.
“They put the ball on the ground a couple of times, and that was fortunate for us,” Kirby noted. “Although we gave up some yards and some plays, we didn’t give up any explosive plays in terms of touchdown runs.”
With the win, the West Central Heat improve to 4-1 and will host Galva (2-3) on Friday at 7:00 p.m. Coach Kirby’s squad continues to build momentum, with a balanced attack and a defense that tightens up when it matters most.