By Owen Whitsett
It was a battle of the unbeatens Thursday night in Manchester as the 5-0 Westwood Middle School Rockets hosted the 5-0 Forrest Rockets in front of a packed home crowd. With first place in the standings on the line, Westwood rose to the challenge, pulling out a 26-14 win in a crucial matchup.
Quarterback Hayes Shemwell got the Rockets rolling early, completing both of his passes for 50 yards before exiting the game with an ankle injury. In stepped Aidyn Jones, who proved ready for the moment. Jones went 3-of-6 for 55 yards and fired a 31-yard touchdown strike to Kayden Campbell, while also adding 28 yards on the ground with a rushing touchdown. Luke Christian made his presence felt in all phases, hauling in two catches for 69 yards (45 and 24 yards), returning a kickoff 62 yards, and capping the night with a game-sealing 80-yard interception return for a touchdown on defense. Campbell also finished with two receptions for 36 yards, including his 31-yard scoring grab.
The win moves Westwood to 6-0 as they eye a perfect 8-0 regular season. The 2025 Rockets are attempting to become the first Westwood squad to finish undefeated since 2020, a season that also ended with a DRVC Championship coming back to Manchester. After going 6-2 last fall and claiming the 2024 title, Westwood is now just two games away from a perfect regular season — and three wins away from back-to-back DRVC Championships.
The Rockets return to action next Friday on the road at Cascade, with kickoff set for 6:30.
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