Published: November 07, 2009 12:19 am      

Westmont closes season on high note

By Paul Rowan — Ryan Burnheimer ran for two touchdowns and caught a TD pass, and senior quarterback Casey Eckenrod threw for two scores and set up a third TD with a long pass as Westmont Hilltop closed out its season with a 46-6 win at Cambria Heights Friday night.

“We wanted to give the season a nice goodbye,” said Hilltoppers coach Matthew Glennon, whose team finished the year at 2-8.

The contest was closer than the final score might indicate, but Westmont used a turnover and several huge defensive stops to build a 24-0 halftime lead.

“We had our chances to put points on the board in the first half and we didn’t do it,” Highlanders coach Justin Myers said.

“Westmont ran the ball very well.”

Heights closed the season at

0-10

Disaster struck the Highlanders on the second play from scrimmage, when Westmont sacked Caleb Vescovi. He lost the handle, and Luke Gindlesperger recovered at the Heights 47.

From there, Westmont covered the distance in six plays, helped by a 15-yard facemask penalty.

Burnheimer scored from

3 yards out with less than three minutes gone.

The Highlanders answered with two nice drives on their next two possessions. They moved from their 27 to the Westmont 6 before turning the ball over on downs, then, after recovering a Hilltoppers’ fumble, the Highlanders got as close as the Westmont 8 before the next drive stalled.

From there, Westmont went 92 yards in eight plays, with most of it coming on a 63-yard pass play from Eckenrod to Gindlesperger that took the ball to the Heights 1. Burnheimer dove in for the TD on the next play.

Trailing 16-0, Heights rolled the dice late in the first half on a fourth-and-6 from the Westmont 47. Vescovi was sacked on fourth down, and Westmont quickly went 45 yards in seven plays to break the game open. Alex Intihar carried for 14 yards and Burnheimer for 12 to set up a

1-yard sneak by Eckenrod with 1:15 left before intermission.

“We made a few big stops in the first half,” Glennon said. “Our defense bent a little bit, but it never broke, and we got some big stops on fourth down.”

Westmont took advantage of a fumbled punt to score on the first play of the fourth quarter. After recovering at the Highlanders 45, Eckenrod hit Steve Popchak on a swing pass, and Popchak broke several tackles to turn it into a 32-yard touchdown.

Although most of the Hilltoppers’ damage came on the ground, they were able to use their few passes with dazzling success. Eckenrod was 3-for-4 for 129 yards, and Joe Glennon completed both of his tosses for

51 yards.

“That was a result of our running game,” Coach Glennon said.

“We didn’t pass very much, but we were effective.”

The Highlanders got on the board on their next possession with Vescovi throwing to Bryce Brawley for a 39-yard score.

Westmont answered with a

63-yard drive that ended when Burnheimer turned a short pass from Eckenrod into a 34-yard TD.

The Hilltoppers’ second offensive unit produced their final touchdown, keyed by a 35-yard pass from Glennon to A.J. Prescott. Dan Price reached the end zone from 4 yards out.

Unofficially, Westmont racked up 239 yards on the ground, led by Burnheimer with 21 carries for 105 yards and Intihar with

85 on 15 attempts.

Vescovi completed 11-of-

20 passes for 127 yards. Dylan Thomas rushed for 77 yards on 17 attempts for the Highlanders.