It’s official: For the first time in 40 years, Westfield football is once again a dynasty.

In the North Jersey Section 2, Group 5 title game at MetLife Stadium on Nov. 30, WHS garnered a 20-7 victory over Bridgewater-Raritan, maintaining its 37-game win streak and claiming its third straight state championship.

“After we won the game, I was just so happy,” said senior co-captain Jacob Dayon. “As a senior playing in my last game, it was just amazing to go out on top.”

Dynasties often require great defensive play, and this year’s Blue Devil team was no exception. Dayon described the WHS defense as proof of the team’s “relentless mentality.” They demonstrated this during the MetLife game by holding a Bridgewater team that had averaged 29.5 points per game to just one touchdown. This matched Westfield’s average of allowing 7 points per game throughout its 12-0 season.

Now that the players are off the field, they credit teammates and coaches for this victorious season.

“Senior leadership was a huge part of our success,” said senior co-captain Jack McCauley. “Also, we have the best coaching staff in the state. Contributions from the sophomore [players] were a huge factor as well.”

Mr. Douglas Kehler, a WHS alum and special services teacher at the school, knows a thing or two about Westfield High football dynasties. His father, Gary, led the school to eight state titles in a 16-year span. As Kehler watches Head Coach Jim DeSarno and his players add to their win total, he’s impressed.

“You can’t get much better than 12-0,” Kehler said. “They have a team this year that wasn’t expected to win any games, but they won and they won in such a great fashion. They’re ‘the worst best team’ in the state because they win ugly, but they always manage to win. You just make things happen.”

“Good teams make their own luck, and I think that’s what Westfield does now.”

Westfield struggled in the years prior to the team’s win streak. But after a second-round playoff loss in 2014, the team defeated Plainfield on Thanksgiving Day and hasn’t lost a game since.

“[What changed since that year was] not a lot in how we prepare,” said DeSarno. “We’ve had three really special senior groups the past three years. The teams before them laid out the foundation to be built on.”

Sophomore quarterback Hank Shapiro added that these past three waves of senior players have established a “winning culture” for the team.

Dayon noted that despite the annual change as senior players graduated and new ones took their place, the team never lost its sense of determination, effective leadership and spirit. These characteristics have led to Westfield’s continued success.

“We never focus on streaks or winning,” said DeSarno. “We focus on how to prepare to be successful.”

It’s now time to continue that success. “I’ll do anything for this team,” Shapiro said. “We’re all going to come together to work hard so we can continue this success for many years to come.”

Senior linebacker Drew Ortiz offers advice to his underclassman teammates: “Work hard in the offseason because everyone you play will give you their best punch. Take it and show them what Westfield football looks like.”