Dorsey Puts Westchester Away, 32-18

Friday night’s City Section quarterfinal game between Dorsey and Westchester was a close one for almost 25 minutes, but a scary injury and 19 unanswered Dorsey points did in the Comets, 32-18, at Westchester High.

The first blow to the Comets (10-2) came only 13 seconds into the second half. After Westchester’s Jahlamb Sinclair took the kickoff 88 yards for a touchdown to make it 12-7 Westchester, the Comets went for two points.

Quarterback Jason Benson tried to run it in, but he was hit hard and stopped short, suffering a neck injury.

Although he left the field under his own power, he then laid on the sideline so trainers and doctors could work on him.

Benson was taken by ambulance to a nearby hospital, for what one doctor at the game called precautionary measures.

Though it was a scary scene, Westchester Coach Larry Wein was optimistic after the game.

“I’ve got my fingers crossed that it’s not serious,” Wein said. “He was able to move around and he was conscious the whole time.”

Benson had 63 yards rushing and 25 passing in the first half. He scored the Comets’ first touchdown on a 13-yard run.

His replacement, junior Fred Martin, completed only two of 10 passes for 23 yards and an interception, and ran for 16.

And the game was delayed 30 minutes while Benson was tended to, stealing the Comets’ momentum.

The Dons (10-2) took the next possession and went 74 yards in five plays, running back Jason Pickens taking it in from five yards out for the score to give Dorsey a 13-12 lead.

The Comets answered with another touchdown, a 10-yard run by Sinclair with 7:39 to go in the third quarter, giving them the lead back.

But that was it for Westchester.

Dorsey quarterback Stanley Hollis hit Kyle Hite for a 48-yard score with 46 seconds remaining to make it 19-18 Dorsey.

The ensuing kickoff was fumbled and recovered by Dorsey at the Westchester 23.

The next play, Hollis found Hite again in the end zone, 15 seconds after the last touchdown, making it 25-18.

“That play was something we put in,” Dorsey Coach Paul Knox said. “They had too many guys up front to stop the run, so we outflanked them. And the formation looked like one we had been running out of.”

Said Wein: “I was disappointed in our defense. . . . I don’t know what happened [on the touchdown passes to Hite]. We were out to lunch back there.”

Pickens ran one in from 10 yards out in the fourth quarter to complete the scoring.