Prep football: West Field runs over rival Fremont, setting up Region 5 showdown
West Field 35, Fremont 16
-
- West Field receiver Danny Stitzer II holds up a finger as he finishes a touchdown against Fremont during a Region 5 game Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026, in Taylor. (TRE ASAY, Special to the Standard-Examiner)
-
- Fremont High’s Aisa Tuatagaloa (0) takes on West Field tackler Braxton Pratt (39) during a Region 5 game Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026, in Taylor. (TRE ASAY, Special to the Standard-Examiner)
-
- West Field running back Caden Judy (0) runs the football as Fremont’s Kenden Green (4) pursues during a Region 5 game Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026, in Taylor. (TRE ASAY, Special to the Standard-Examiner)
-
- Fremont quarterback Calvin Cooper (9) throws a pass against West Field as lineman Paxton Tumanuvao (72) blocks during a Region 5 game Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026, in Taylor. (TRE ASAY, Special to the Standard-Examiner)
-
- West Field receiver Kolt Abbott (2) tries to shed a Fremont tackler during a Region 5 game Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026, in Taylor. (TRE ASAY, Special to the Standard-Examiner)
-
- Fremont receiver Carter Gallegos runs with a kick return during a Region 5 game against West Field on Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026, in Taylor. (TRE ASAY, Special to the Standard-Examiner)
-
- West Field receiver Danny Stitzer II celebrates his touchdown against Fremont during a Region 5 game Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026, in Taylor. (TRE ASAY, Special to the Standard-Examiner)
-
- West Field receiver Andrew Combe (3) tries to wrestle away from Fremont defender Gabe Martinez (15) during a Region 5 game Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026, in Taylor. (TRE ASAY, Special to the Standard-Examiner)
-
- Fremont quarterback Cooper Ortgiesen, right, hands the ball to running back Sam Rasmussen (27) during a Region 5 game Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026, in Taylor. (TRE ASAY, Special to the Standard-Examiner)
-
- Fremont quarterback Calvin Cooper (9) runs up the middle during a Region 5 game against West Field on Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026, in Taylor. (TRE ASAY, Special to the Standard-Examiner)
TAYLOR — Back in August, West Field football lost its first two games of the year and gave up 60 points in those losses.
The weather may still be hot and dry like those mid-August nights, but the Longhorns’ defense might be hotter.
West Field lived in Fremont’s backfield on Thursday night, beating the Silverwolves 35-16 in a school-split rivalry game that served as the Longhorns’ seventh straight win.
“I’m feeling good. We’ve been working all offseason for this. Last year they beat us, I don’t know, 65-3,” West Field senior defensive lineman Logan McClure said.
More importantly, it puts the Longhorns at 5-0 in Region 5 — the same record as Box Elder, who they’ll play next Friday in a winner-take-all region championship game in just the third year for the program.
“Really proud of our guys for the way they showed up. We played our most physical brand of football that we have all year. It takes that kind of an effort to beat a good team like Fremont,” Longhorns head coach Eric Jones said. “I know they’re really banged up right now, but at the end of the day, this one’s a really important one for our boys.”
Running back Caden Judy had three touchdown runs, each from 1 yard out in heavy formations. The whole night, Fremont routinely needed two players to bring down Judy, and most times it was after he’d already gained 5-10 yards.
“Our ability to run the ball against a really good, physical front that they didn’t have an answer for. Anytime you can run the ball and control the clock, you’re in a good situation,” Jones said.
On defense, McClure had multiple sacks as well as timely fourth-down pressures on both of Fremont’s quarterbacks.
“Discipline. We had to keep our assignments, we had to hold our water when they were going on two to try and make us jump offsides,” McClure said.
West Field scored 21 unanswered points to go up 35-10 by the fourth quarter, with a couple defensive interceptions — one each for Case Martini and Kolt Abbott — providing the offense short fields, which it took advantage of.
The Longhorns’ special teams had two blocked punts — one was barely tipped — and a blocked extra point, to secure good field position often.
The game was littered with flags, mostly thrown against Fremont, as both teams came out hitting hard.
West Field’s Easton Eilertson found Brenen Buckway for a 44-yard touchdown pass over the top after scrambling to evade pressure, opening the scoring.
Fremont marched right down the field and had two touchdowns negated due to flags before settling for a Noah Doutre field goal to cut the Longhorns’ lead to 7-3.
Judy’s first TD run of the night made it 14-3 to cap a long drive. Fremont responded in kind when Cooper Ortgiesen found Kyran Majors for a 37-yard lob in the corner of the end zone, with Ortgiesen evading pressure out to his right.
WF made its halftime lead 21-10 when Danny Stitzer took Eilertson’s pass for a catch-and-run TD. Two more Judy TDs followed in the second half to make things 35-10.
Ortgiesen’s 50-yard TD pass to Breckon Phillips briefly ignited Fremont hopes, which were just as quickly extinguished by the West Field defense.
As far as the playoffs go, Thursday’s result leaves both teams in interesting positions. Fremont came into the game as the No. 8 team in the 5A RPI rankings, but a loss likely drops the Silverwolves out of hosting a first-round playoff game now.
West Field started the evening at No. 10 in the RPI, suffering from a low strength of schedule. Thursday’s win, only its second win this year against a team with a winning record, may boost the Longhorns.
But for now, all eyes turn to next week’s West Field-Box Elder clash. Jones and McClure said it will take an even better performance if they want to knock off the Bees.
