The Regional Finals are upon us -- two-steps from a the State Finals.
Perennial powers like Katy and North Shore are in contention, of course. Westfield, however, is one of the dark horses this postseason with eyes on the Class 6A crown.
Move-in QB PJ Hatter is at the center of the Mustangs' success.
After playing for Klein Oak his sophomore and junior seasons, Hatter chose to finish his high school football career at Westfield and hasn’t looked back.
“Having a great team and coaching staff has really helped me develop my game,” said Hatter. “At Westfield, there’s so much energy in the locker room. Everyone gets hyped before every game and we have motivated each other to win throughout this season.”
Like Westfield, Hatter's performance has gone under the radar. With little attention from college scouts, the QB has seemingly played with a chip on his shoulders.
“We like being the underdogs,” Hatter said. “We love to prove people wrong. We don’t really get into it that much but we just look at it as motivation.”
Hatter has been exceptional, throwing for 42 touchdowns and adding 10 scores on the ground, He has led the Mustangs to a 9-1 record in the regular season while advancing past Conroe (62-7), Klein Collins (41-38), and Waxahachie (10-7) through the first three rounds of the postseason.
Westfield has its work cut out for them in the Class 6A Regional Finals against Duncanville Saturday at 3 pm in Georgetown. Duncanville is a familiar opponent and has a stifling defense, giving up only 16 points in the postseason. It will be huge test for the 'Stangs.
“The key to beating [Duncanville] is to stay focused,” said Hatter. “We have to trust our coaches' game plan and have the energy to play hard every down.”