Start the party: West Park gets first win in school history as it eyes a league title

The cheerleaders applauded a long reception for the wrong team. The scoreboard needed to be rebooted in the third quarter. The announcer thought the game was almost over when there was another quarter to play.

They’re still working the kinks out, but the West Park Panthers showed Friday night they could be already a powerhouse in the Greater Sacramento League. West Park took the first win in school history Friday, dispatching Hiram Johnson 42-8 in a game that was mostly decided at halftime.

After the game, players rushed the field with a jug of Gatorade. They settled for dousing one of their teammates when they couldn’t sneak up on coach Jason Tenner. The Panthers started the season 0-4 but the expectations are very high for the new high school’s football team.

“This year has been filled with lots of firsts, lots of crazy experiences,” Tenner said. “We told the kids it’s a process. I’m proud of them for persevering and trusting the coaching staff and what we’re trying to build here. We’re just getting started.”

It took a while to get started Friday night against Johnson, which entered the first conference game of the season with a 4-0 record.

Taking the home field on a Friday night for the first time, the school’s drum corps lined the hallway near the locker room. The JV and freshman teams joined cheerleaders and the dance line to form an alley. As AC/DC’s “Thunderstruck” played over the PA, the Panthers charged through with the school and American flags.

The school still has two unfinished buildings that loom over the football field, which is sunken into the ground. The game was slow to start, with a scoreless first quarter and just four first downs earned by the Warriors and Panthers, combined.

Then the Panthers kicked into gear, with five players scoring touchdowns and kicker Cade Vickers adding a pair of field goals to thump Johnson. Junior quarterback Develle Barksdale led the way, going 9-for-10 with 153 yards for two touchdowns. He added 57 rushing yards.

Barksdale iced the game with a 59-yard touchdown bomb to Ryan Sisson on the first play of the third quarter for a 33-0 lead. Yes, this is the same team that started the season 0-4, but the Panthers don’t sound like the kind of team that’s just happy to get a win.

“It’s tough but I feel like we stayed together as a team, kept practicing hard as a team and getting better and better,” Barksdale said. “This is a good celebration for us but we’ve gotta move forward and keep winning.”

Kyle O’Dowd looked dangerous as a receiver, finding open spots in the secondary and earning a touchdown reception. Sophomore running back Westin Wade is on the small side, listed at 5-foot-8 and 160 pounds, but he’s shifty and not afraid of contact.

Tenner, the coach, cited the defensive play of junior linebacker Braden Shinaut, who had a pair of sacks. Barksdale applauded the work of Nathan Cory, who played center in a game for the first time in his life, as the West Park offensive line controlled Johnson’s defense for most of the game.

Johnson coach Alex Gomes-Coelho was left shaking his head after the game. It was likely going to take a perfect record to make the playoffs, and Johnson plays a tough Shasta team next season. The Warriors could still finish the season with eight wins, but it feels like a missed opportunity.

“We’re gonna play our toughest opponent next week, so that looks like a tough one,” he said. “This was a big game for us because even though they were 0-4 we knew they were a good team because of the competition they played. We’re gonna have to get healthy this week and try to come back. That’s just the reality right now.”

West Park’s league-title hopes are more than a fantasy. Though the Panthers started the season 0-4, none of the games were against league foes.

“That’s been our expectation the entire way,” Tenner said. “We scheduled tough in the preseason knowing we might take some lumps but we’d be battle-tested and ready for our league.

“We have a team of juniors and sophomores, to learn how to win and play and compete is something we hit on weekly. We’re not there all the way yet, but we’re in the process of learning. … Those are the things you can’t teach in practice.”