CREVE COEUR – It had been 386 days since the Westminster Wildcats last won a varsity football game.
And when Priory returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown on Saturday, the Wildcats’ fortunes seemed to be following a familiar path.
Instead, Westminster set out to explore new territory – the Priory end zone.
Seniors Josh Avery and Chris Heard each scored three rushing touchdowns and Westminster found the end zone on its first seven possessions as the Wildcats rolled to a convincing 54-7 victory over Priory at Busch Field.
Westminster (1-4), which snapped a 12-game losing streak, won its first game since defeating Clayton 28-20 on Sept. 2, 2022. In the process, the Wildcats put up the most points in a game since scoring 57 in a victory over O’Fallon Christian in 2018.
“We had a great week of practice and we thought we could come out here and win, but this is above what we thought we could do,” senior wide receiver Caden Collison said.
In the Week 2 victory against Clayton last season, Collison exploded for 181 yards and three touchdowns, and he was instrumental in getting the Westminster offense rolling on Saturday.
After Priory senior Quentin Ford stunned the Wildcats by returning the opening kickoff 90 yards for a touchdown, Collison helped the Westminster offense get its footing by catching a short pass, breaking a tackle and scampering 39 yards to the Priory five-yard line.
Avery tied the game two plays later with a 2-yard plunge.
“Where we excelled was with our blocking,” Collison said of the offensive explosion. “The (linemen) opened holes for our running backs and they gave time for the quarterback to make throws.”
Heard was the workhorse on the next Westminster drive. On fourth-and-1, Heard burst through the line for a long touchdown run, but it was reduced to a 17-yard gain after a downfield penalty.
Not dismayed, Heard carried the ball on the next four plays, including a tough, 15-yard run where he bowled through several tackles before finding the goal line.
“I was a little disappointed when they threw the flag, but I wanted to bounce back and go score again,” said Heard, who gained 71 hard-earned yards on 10 carries and scored three touchdowns.
The Westminster offense was not the only side playing at a high level. A deep pass by Priory quarterback Jack Parent on fourth down seemed like a sure completion until Avery raced back from his linebacker position to deflect it away at the last minute.
It was one of many hustle plays made by a Westminster defense that had struggled to get stops throughout the Wildcats’ losing streak.
“We’re really well-coached. We work on the fundamentals, doing your assignment, not trying to overcommit and getting all 11 guys to the ball,” Avery said. “It’s a mentality we have on defense in a sound 3-4 front that has made us so much better this year.”
On the next play after the change of possession, Collision took a quick slant and would not be denied, shedding tacklers and racing 55 yards to give Westminster a 20-7 lead.
“I really liked that play call. I knew if I could get the ball and a little bit of space, I could break it open and go down and score,” said Collison, who caught five passes for 138 yards.
Two long scoring runs by Avery put the game out of reach, including a sidewinding 70-yard run where he seemed to trample every rubber pellet in Busch Field, traversing sideline-to-sideline before finding the end zone.
“The linemen got to the second level and the receivers were blocking so well. I cut it back and went from one side of the field to the other. I felt like I just ran a 200 (meter dash). I was very tired,” said Avery, who needed just six carries to accrue 131 yards and three touchdowns.
Priory (1-4) had won the previous two meetings with Westminster but ran into an improved and determined Wildcats’ squad that continued to build confidence with every drive.
“I know their record doesn’t show it, but that’s a really good team,” Priory coach Jake Parent said. “Coach Snyder does a good job with them and I’m sure they’re going to see a lot more success.”
Snyder believes the Wildcats’ performance Saturday was helped by the gauntlet of a schedule faced in the previous four weeks, which included undefeated powerhouses Lutheran North and MICDS.
“The first four weeks hardened them. They knew what high-level football looked like because they played against it for four weeks. I think that really gave us an edge,” Snyder said.
He added, “We have 18 seniors and although they haven’t won a whole lot in their careers, they’re hungry to be successful. To get on the win side for the first time since Week 2 last year, I hope this breeds confidence in them that, ‘Yeah, we can do this.’”