2025 Team Preview: The Westfield Blue Devils

<p>Last fall there was a new leader for the first time in nearly two decates at the helm for Westfield. First year coach and Blue Devil alumnus Matt Andzel led his squad to a 4-4 record heading into the playoffs before they were bounced in the first round by Northern Highlands. They picked up a game they won against Middletown South during their week between the playoffs and Thanksgiving - ultimately losing to their rival, Plainfield, for the first time in 12 years. This year Andzel and company open up against a very familiar enemy that they saw most recently - Plainfield. </p>    <p class="text-gray-700">[player_tooltip player_id='1827890' first='Joe' last='DiMattina'] is one of three things: very athletic, very sound, or very good. My guess, it is some combination of the three. Against 3x1 sets, we see DiMattina bump all the way out to cover #2 - a long ways removed form the box. Part of Westfield's trust in him to do this might be due to how quickly he reads, and subsequently breaks on, the quick game. Jumping on such routes allows DiMattina to deliver a solid, clean it to the body of the receiver. Tackling wise, DiMattina is one of the better ones. We see him wrap well, keep his feet buzzing through contact, and gator roll when appropriate. With speed, DiMattina has shown to get to the perimeter before opposing running backs. I implore DiMattina to <em>please </em>highlight and identify himself pre-snap on film. He currently does not, which makes it extremely difficult to evaluate him.</p>    <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/JoeDiMattina44 </div></figure>     <p>I typically do not get too giddy about rising sophomores, especially if they did not have any varsity film. However, after seeing [player_tooltip player_id='1280846' first='TJ' last='Maset'] live at a Prep Redzone event I am inclined to believe that not only will he have a solid high school career, but his varsity experience will begin this fall. Maset's freshman film show a two way lineman that I, personally, like a bit better on defense. Defensively we see Maset get off the ball quickly, almost as if he knows the snap count himself. This causes him to have a great deal of power in his get off, creating a sudden knock-back on the offensive lineman. From there, he does an excellent job of bench pressing and creating separation in order to shed and find the ball. On offense I thought that Maset moved extremely well in space and was more physical thank your typical freshman. On tape his feet looked quicker run blocking than pass setting; however, he does pump them well in order to get movement. That said, his pad level does seem to waiver a bit. Stay tuned to see how young Maset fairs on varsity this fall.</p>    <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/TJMaset </div></figure>     <p class="text-gray-700">Returning at quarterback for the Blue Devils is [player_tooltip player_id='1827891' first='Cole' last='Weidler']. Many of Weidler's highlights from last year were of him throwing the fade ball. The ball placement of those long throws, however, seem to vary greatly. I am unsure whether this is by design, read, or otherwise. Additionally, I notice that he has to load up a bit to get off those throws. Weidler's pocket presence is very strong and he has the athleticism to make himself a true threat. He can side step and roll out with ease, but also moves well in the open field and has shown a burst. I would like to see him pin the ball to his chest more though. A very catchable ball leaves Weidler's hands, as he has a picturesque spiral. A smart player, Weidler does not take unnecessary hits.</p>    <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/Cole15Weidler </div></figure>     <p class="text-gray-700">A lineman-tight end prospect patrolling the trenches for Westfield is [player_tooltip player_id='1827892' first='Connor' last='Whelan']. Whelan scrapes down the line well when he is unblocked. A worker in the middle, Whelan has shown the ability to jack knife elbows to disengage with blockers. A big body who clogs up the middle, he tends to lean into double teams and is hard to displace. I feel as though Whelan is a better pass rusher/disruptor than run stuffer. The way he uses his length and size, he explodes out-and-up into his opponent, knocking them back, closing the pocket, and matching the hand to impact many passes. Lastly, Whelan hustles down field with ideal pursuit angles to gang tackle.</p>    <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/connorwhelan26 </div></figure>     <p class="text-gray-700">Whelan looks to run it back with fellow trenchmate [player_tooltip player_id='1181811' first='Jake' last='Zemsky']. Along the interior Zemsky is more agile and quick than he is fast - with his feet looking the best at offensive line. Although his base waivers at times, he weaponizes the snap count, getting off the ball and working into you with buzzing feet. With his head on a swivel, Zemsky will clean up when helping in pass protection. I opine that Zemsky moves better on defensive line than offensive line. I want to see Zemsky continue to fight for position rather than sling or hip toss opponents down.</p>    <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/zemsky_jake </div></figure>     <p class="text-gray-700">At some level, I feel that when Westfield determines just exactly the best way to utilize [player_tooltip player_id='1546526' first='Jordan' last='Walsh']'s talents, their offense will reach new heights. Last fall Walsh was featured as a quarterback and a receiver. With the ball in his hands, Walsh will use his shoulder to bowl over defenders in tight quarters. Beyond this I would describe his style of running as hard and behind his pads. At quarterback, he does load up a bit to get the ball out with a somewhat slow release, but certainly gets plenty of juice on it. However, on defense Walsh is a stalwart at safety. An aggressive defender in filling the alley, Walsh supports the run the same way he plays the short game - driving, wrapping, and pumping his legs. When a part of the pile, we see him intuitively attack the ball in order to force the ball out. There is discipline in Walsh's approach too, staying in his backpedal - even hiding in plain sight near the goal line to lurk and intercept passes.</p>    <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/JordanWalsh2027 </div></figure>    <h2 class="wp-block-heading">2025 Team Previews</h2>   <p><a href="https://prepredzone.com/2025/08/2025-team-preview-the-bayonne-bees-part-i/">Bayonne Bees, Part I</a><br><a href="https://prepredzone.com/2025/08/2025-team-preview-the-bayonne-bees-part-ii/">Bayonne Bees, Part II</a><br><a href="https://prepredzone.com/2025/08/2025-team-preview-the-linden-tigers/">Linden Tigers</a><br><a href="https://prepredzone.com/2025/08/2025-team-preview-the-westfield-blue-devils">Westfield Blue Devils</a></p>

Last fall there was a new leader for the first time in nearly two decates at the helm for Westfield. First year coach and Blue Devil alumnus Matt Andzel led his squad to a 4-4 record heading into the playoffs before they were bounced in the first round by Northern Highlands. They picked up a game they won against Middletown South during their week between the playoffs and Thanksgiving - ultimately losing to their rival, Plainfield, for the first time in 12 years. This year Andzel and company open up against a very familiar enemy that they saw most recently - Plainfield.