Cooper Burns is an ASU Cronkite School of Journalism student assigned to cover Westview for AZPreps365.com

AVONDALE, Ariz. -- Xavier Aguilar’s late interception sealed the win for the Westview Knights, who took down the La Joya Lobos, 13-10.

There was lots of anticipation for the Knights' 15-minute bus ride south to take on the rival Lobos. Both teams were coming off disappointing losses the week before.

Coming into the game, both offenses had only scored a combined 53 points through each of their first four games. The offenses would look to get something going but that would not be the case throughout the game.

La Joya received the ball first and things did not go as planned. The Lobos offense came out and had a three-and-out on their first drive of the game. On the punt, the snap was bobbled and the punter threw it for a first down but the Lobos would eventually end up punting later in the drive.

When the Knights touched the ball for the first time, they had a similar fortune.

Knights running back Mykel Gray was stuffed for a loss of three on the first play of the drive and that was all she wrote. The Knights would have an immediate three-and-out in their own territory.

Both offenses would continue to struggle in the first quarter each punting the ball once more.

Finally, with 13 seconds left in the first quarter, Lobos kicker Gabriel Serrato nailed an 18-yard field goal to put the Lobos on top 3-0 after the first quarter.

As soon as the first points were put up on the board, the offensive flood gates opened in the second quarter.

Early in the second, the Lobos recovered a Knights fumble to immediately put them in plus territory. Yusuf Abdul-Malik took a hand off on fourth down from the Knights' 15-yard-line and powered his way into the end zone to give the Lobos a 10-0 lead in the second quarter.

The Knights offense would not back down, getting the ball back and subsequently driving 80-yards for a touchdown.

Knights running back Alexander Gonzales ran it from 31 yards out to cut the lead to 10-7 by halftime. 

The second half, however, was all about the defenses.

The Lobos had one drive in all the second half where they had a chance at points, and it did not go their way. They lined up for a 38-yard field goal early in the third quarter, which was blocked by Knights.

The Knights would have offensive struggles of their own, but they rose to the occasion when they needed to. Early in the fourth quarter, quarterback Jayden Patterson fired a bullet to receiver Addarius Miles for the touchdown.

All the Knights had to do was get a stop on defense.

That is exactly what the defense did. Linebacker Xavier Aguilar picked off the Lobos with 2 minutes left in the game to seal the win.

The Knights would run out the clock and score a 13-10 victory.

Xavier noted before the interception that he knew what read the Lobos were running.

“That play I was just going into my job and made the right read,” Aguilar said.

Despite the game-winning interception, both Aguilar and head coach Robert Irish know there is more to be done.

“Discipline a lot of discipline. This team needs a lot of discipline. We’re gonna work on discipline this week... talking a lot less at practice and focus more,” Aguilar said.

Irish noted that to keep winning games at this level, his team needs to be better in the trenches.

“We have to be better on the D-line… we have to be better on the O-line…. being able to hold our ground and keep our gaps contained,” Irish said.

The Knights imorived to 2-3 on the season while the Lobos fell to 0-5.

The Knights will stay at home to take on Shadow Ridge next Friday night.