He’s soft-spoken for a senior. Even so, he is a captain and a core leader for the W.F. West High School football team. And yet, he’s scary?
That’s how Grady Westlund is described by his longtime teammate and classmate Gage Brumfield.
“His personality changes before a game; he’s a scary guy before games,” Brumfield said. “He’s locked in. He’s there for business.”
That accurate, Grady?
“I smile a lot out there, too,” Westlund stated. “It can be a mix. Sometimes I’m like I wanna have fun today. Sometimes I’m super business.”
The EDGE rusher and tight end for the Bearcats has been having fun blowing up an opponents’ game plan. Which in turn has been scary for whoever is the offensive lineman that stands in the way of the 6-foot-2, 200-plus pound destroyer of backfields.
And if Class 2A sixth-seeded W.F. West wants to reach the semifinals for the second time in three seasons, Westlund will likely play a factor into the verdict against third-seeded Franklin Pierce on Friday night in a quarterfinal contest at Franklin Pierce High School.
“We’re ready and we’re working hard,” Westlund said.
The unbeaten Cardinals have rolled the majority of their opponents, averaging 53 points per game to win the 2A SPSL. The Power-T offense was brought to Tacoma by an old SW Washington friend.
Former Tenino head coach Cary Nagel has installed the system and behind a stout offensive line, Franklin Pierce has blistered its opponents to the tune of 388 rushing yards per game.
The two workhorse backs are junior Bryson Allen and senior Junior Teregeyo. Those two have found the end zone a combined 35 times this fall.
“We have our hands full and it doesn’t surprise me,” Bearcats head coach Dan Hill said. “It is a big do your job, keep your eyes on your key and as we say, not cowboy up and do what you want to do. Everything will come together.”
Nearly a month ago, W.F. West was blanked by Tumwater’s Wing-T offense and Hill shouldered much of the blame for “over-preparing” his group.
On a short week after dominating Olympic 33-7 in the Round of 16, Hill believes a more simplified approach will be beneficial.
“Our guys got one task,” he said. “They’re looking at one guy and nothing is changing. We’re living and dying on it.”
Westlund’s emergence has been a step in the right direction for a defense that outside of the 52-0 setback to Tumwater in Week 8, has allowed a grand total of 71 points.
He started playing football at the age of seven, but never found a positional home. He started as a wide receiver, but didn’t see the field much his freshman and sophomore seasons.
A mindset change to gain weight and strength transpired the offseason before his junior year.
“I wanted to be a lot better, be a force out there,” Westlund said.
He played tight end last fall and earned second-team all-EvCo honors. Hill started to play him both ways and saw the potential at defensive end.
Now, he’s had an impact.
“He brings an intensity our group needs,” Hill said. “He’s one of those guys that we go as he goes. He’s super electric.”
As a ball-hawking defensive back, Brumfield has snared some interceptions caused by the d-line’s constant pressure on the other side’s quarterback.
To him, he’s not surprised with how Westlund plays every down.
“He’s a lot more confident in himself,” Brumfield said. “He brings that physicality and he knows what he’s doing.”
Franklin Pierce will provide a different challenge than most teams W.F. West has clashed helmets with. Plus it hasn’t been away from Lewis County since Week 5 against Aberdeen.
The two teams do share one common opponent this season in Sequim. The Cardinals won 36-14 in Week 2 while the Bearcats dominated their way to a 56-3 victory in the crossover round.
“It’ll be a physical game,” Brumfield said. “We need to stick on our reads and continue to be ourselves.”
Hill looks at the senior leadership as comparisons to the 2022 semifinal team. Most of this year’s seniors played on that group as sophomores.
Now, they want a re-do in attempting to reach Husky Stadium.
“We gotta make those stops (on defense),” Westlund said.
