Oct 18, 2013 3 min read

The past two weeks have been a whirlwind for the Washington High School football team.

Lineman Zach Blystone started his first game Oct. 4 after transferring from Charleroi. Since Washington’s 50-14 win at Brownsville in Blystone’s appearance, the PIAA officially ruled Blystone ineligible and the Prexies lost their first game of the season at home against Mt. Pleasant the following week.

The controversy and ensuing legal battle followed the unfortunate season-ending injury to Division I recruit running back Shai McKenzie.

With a PIAA ruling expected Monday on a potential Prexies forfeit of the Brownsville game, Washington head coach Mike Bosnic made a point of keeping his team focused on a tough Class AA opponent. Despite injuries to seniors McKenzie, Quorteze Levy, and Jalene Nichols; the Prexies grinded out a 36-7 win Friday night against Freeport in a non-conference game.

“We just wanted to get back on track and going into last week, we had won 21-straight regular season games,” Washington head coach Mike Bostic said. “We wanted to start a new streak tonight. Our seniors have overcome adversity so much this year that this is just another case of it tonight and they rose to the occasion.”

The game was nothing like the teams’ meeting last season when McKenzie rushed for 256 yards and four touchdowns in the Prexies’ 60-6 win.

Washington (6-1) was paced by two tailbacks this time: junior Malik Wells and sophomore Jordan West. Wells carried the ball eight times for 106 yards, and West added 92 yards.

“We think we had to bounce back,” Wells said. “We knew our heads weren’t in that game last week and we had to prove to everyone that wasn’t us last week. This is our team – or maybe even better than how we played today. We couldn’t lose two games in a row, especially at home. That’s not Wash High at all.”

Leading 17-0 at halftime, Washington kicked off to Freeport and the Yellowjackets’ Steven Lassinger ran the ball back untouched for an 89-yard touchdown. The loud home crowd was silenced until the Prexies’ the next offensive play. Wells sped up the sidelines for a 61-yard touchdown run and a 23-7 Washington lead.

The Prexies added two more scores in the second half.

“(Shai), coaches and everybody has given me confidence,” Wells said. “It’s definitely growing. I’m not flashy; I just try to get as many yards as I can. I just want to improve for my team.”

Washington’s play in the first half mirrored the off-the-field rollercoaster the players have experienced over the last two months. On the the Prexies’ opening drive, West juked a Freeport defender on the fourth play from scrimmage and ran for a 26-yard touchdown.

On Freeport’s opening drive, senior Chase Caldwell returned an interception for a touchdown. After that, the Prexies’ offense struggled moving the ball against the Yellowjackets’ defense. Washington failed to score a touchdown on its three other drives of the half, turning the ball over on downs, punting and settling for a 22-yard field goal by Jonathan Spina to take a 17-0 lead into halftime.

Despite the trying season, the Prexies will host a first-round WPIAL playoff game. Wash High ends the regular season next week against Waynesburg.

“We think we have to take care of business next week,” Bosnic said. “Waynesburg has a tough team this season and we have to go down there, so it’s going to be a tough battle.”