Westfield 2025 Preview

Westfield is coming off a 9-3 season where they proved they’re still among the elite programs in Northern Virginia. Two of those losses came against eventual state runner-up Madison by just six points combined, showing just how close the Bulldogs were to making a deeper playoff run. Head coach Scott Vossler believes the difference came at the line of scrimmage. “We were close to the top teams in our area, but we needed to continue to get stronger. The games we lost were lost on the line of scrimmage,” he said. With that in mind, Westfield spent the offseason grinding in the weight room, hoping to turn that work into wins when the fall kicks off.

The Bulldogs face a brutal schedule, featuring five teams that played in region finals last year, including two region champions. Vossler is quick to point out that Madison remains the team to beat in the Concorde District “until proven otherwise,” but Westfield has the talent to challenge anyone. While the program graduated a ton of firepower—names like Kennedy Duda, Conor Morin, Huda Johnson, Ameer Raffe, and a trio of standout offensive linemen (Emerson Saint Germain, Nick Bendorf, and Alex Pariel) on offense, as well as defensive leaders Troy Lucas, Elijah Coefield, and Jay Rennyson—there’s confidence that the next wave of Bulldogs can step up. “Most of these guys are not replaceable and we will have to pick up the slack in other areas. Our JV team was undefeated and we started several underclassmen on the Varsity level. Those players will need to step up,” Vossler said.

One of the keys this year is senior quarterback Ryan Carlson (6’4, 210), who threw for 1,500 yards last season and is ready to take on a bigger role in the offense. Sophomore Malachi Lee (6’2, 185) is a dangerous playmaker who piled up 1,100 all-purpose yards and 14 touchdowns as a freshman, while junior Wesley Flamer (6’1, 200), a first-team All-District linebacker and tight end, will be a two-way leader. The defense is anchored by senior linebacker Jason Lartey (6’1, 200) and defensive lineman Jake Brubaker (6’1, 190), who earned second-team All-District honors.

Offensively, Westfield has speed to spare with 3–4 rising juniors stepping into varsity roles for the first time, and the defensive front seven looks like a strength with a tough, athletic group of linemen and linebackers. ” Coach Vossler hinted at some new wrinkles on offense. “We’re going to put a lot more on our QB because he is the real deal, but we will still be a physical football team.”

The biggest question for Westfield will be how quickly their new starters adapt to varsity competition. Vossler describes this group as “talented but unproven,” with early success depending on their ability to handle pressure and stay focused. “Competitive toughness. Do we have to get embarrassed in order to improve or can we have attention to detail prior to a setback? Can we handle failure/success and use it to improve? These are things that inexperienced teams usually have to work through,” he said.