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Last week's win over Church Point has moved the Westlake Rams up to No. 25 in the most recent unofficial LHSAA power rankings. But even thought it may seem like they have a playoff spot wrapped up the Westlake Rams are not taking their final regular season game lightly.
"We need this game to make sure that we are in the playoffs," Westlake head coach Max Caldarera said. "I think that we are on the bubble right now.
"It is not an easy opponent."
The Rams will take on Iowa at home on Friday at 7 p.m. looking to improve their position in the rankings.
Westlake started the season with a young and inexperienced team, but after nine games Caldarera feels that is now in the past. The Rams are 4-5 with all of their losses coming back seven points or less.
"We have played nine ball games and we have been in nine ball games," Caldarera said. "Any which way we go whether we lost one we have been put to the test every ball game.
"It is time for us youth-wise, inexperience-wise to grow up. There are no more excuses. We have a season under our belt now, lets go to work now and do the right things. We have been through a heck of season. We have not lost a ball game by more than seven. I think it is time to put up. Everybody in general needs to pick it up. That goes from the top senior to the bottom."
The Rams are currently 4-5 and 2-2 in District 4-3A. They will finally have a familiar district opponent this week, as Iowa was also part of the old District 4-3A before the realignment last summer. The two teams have broke even over the last four games. Westlake won in 2008 (46-13) and 2007 (28--0), while the Yellow Jackets enjoyed success in 2006 (39-10) and 2005 (63-27).
"Westlake has a great program," Iowa head coach David Miller said. "Coach Caldarera and the rest of his coaches do a good job."
"They are a tough program and it is going to be a good game for us.”
While the Rams started their season with just three returning starters, the Yellow Jackets entered 2009 with a lot of promise after going 2-6 in 2009. They returned 19 starters and are 5-4 right now but have struggled through nearly a dozen injuries. They are currently ranked No. 23 in the Week 9 LHSAA unofficial power rankings.
Last week's win over Church Point has moved the Westlake Rams up to No. 25 in the most recent unofficial LHSAA power rankings. But even thought it may seem like they have a playoff spot wrapped up the Westlake Rams are not taking their final regular season game lightly.
"We need this game to make sure that we are in the playoffs," Westlake head coach Max Caldarera said. "I think that we are on the bubble right now.
"It is not an easy opponent."
The Rams will take on Iowa at home on Friday at 7 p.m. looking to improve their position in the rankings.
Westlake started the season with a young and inexperienced team, but after nine games Caldarera feels that is now in the past. The Rams are 4-5 with all of their losses coming back seven points or less.
"We have played nine ball games and we have been in nine ball games," Caldarera said. "Any which way we go whether we lost one we have been put to the test every ball game.
"It is time for us youth-wise, inexperience-wise to grow up. There are no more excuses. We have a season under our belt now, lets go to work now and do the right things. We have been through a heck of season. We have not lost a ball game by more than seven. I think it is time to put up. Everybody in general needs to pick it up. That goes from the top senior to the bottom."
The Rams are currently 4-5 and 2-2 in District 4-3A. They will finally have a familiar district opponent this week, as Iowa was also part of the old District 4-3A before the realignment last summer. The two teams have broke even over the last four games. Westlake won in 2008 (46-13) and 2007 (28--0), while the Yellow Jackets enjoyed success in 2006 (39-10) and 2005 (63-27).
"Westlake has a great program," Iowa head coach David Miller said. "Coach Caldarera and the rest of his coaches do a good job."
"They are a tough program and it is going to be a good game for us.”
While the Rams started their season with just three returning starters, the Yellow Jackets entered 2009 with a lot of promise after going 2-6 in 2009. They returned 19 starters and are 5-4 right now but have struggled through nearly a dozen injuries. They are currently ranked No. 23 in the Week 9 LHSAA unofficial power rankings.
Included among the injured this season have been three defensive lineman (Josh Dennison, John Paul Lebleu and Andrew Papion), two linebackers (Roderick Poullard and Cody Trim), a cornerback (Kristone Brown), two offensive linemen (Timmy Nunez and Blake Vidrine) and running back Casey Vitale.
"We have sustained a fair amount of injuries but are kids have made the adjustments," Miller said. "Making the playoffs was a goal for us after those injuries and we have made that goal and we are real proud of them."
The task at hand for both teams will be stopping the other's offense. Westlake is scoring 27.56 points per game and 335.67 yards per game, while Iowa is scoring 27.44 points per game and gaining 307.33 yards per game.
Leading the Yellow Jackets on offense is junior quarterback Gene Pete. He has passed for 942 yards with 12 interceptions and 10 touchdowns and has rushed for 577 yards and another 14 scores.
With all the injuries, 12 yellow jackets have picked up at least one carry this season. In addition to Pete, Jamar Chretien has 562 yards on 91 carries and five touchdowns.
"Iowa does a good job on offense and they always have," Caldarera said. "Iowa has moved the ball up and down on people.
"It is going to be tough. They have a good quarterback (Pete) and I think one of their running backs is out. They have a good receiver in No. 88 (Celestine). Hopefully we can keep them down a little bit to a minimum about of points."
Iowa has two receivers with over 200 yards with Sean Celestine leading the way with 363 yards on 18 catches and two scores. The Rams secondary has been short handed lately but they will get a much needed boost this week. Senior safety Tyler Stoddard will return this week after missing three games with an injury. Despite missing three games, Stoddard is the second leading tackler on the Rams with 50. Linebacker Ricky Irvin has 107 tackles.
The Rams offense continues to pile up yards after gaining over 300 yards of total offense for the seventh time this season.
While the Yellow Jackets know that stopping Donald James (176-1,212 16TDs) and Tevin Lavergne (114-799yds 5TDs), Coach Miller is focusing on what his team can do better.
Iowa had they best defensive game of the year last week allowing just 93 yards to Northwest and held district leading Crowley to just over 200 yards but have 297 yards or more five times. Iowa has also had some trouble with penalties with four games over 75 yards.
"We have to focus on ourselves and minimize mistakes," Miller said. "At this point in the season we know what we are capable of and we just need to do what we do.
"At times we have had to many penalties and some key turnovers at. Defensively, we have shown that we have been a strong and some times we have not."
