CMCFL Round 1: Cervantes come back against Jurien Bay, while Gabriel Westlake boots seven for Pirates

The opening round of the Central Midlands Coastal Football League was a thriller, with Cervantes booting nine goals in the fourth quarter to score a comeback win over Jurien Bay.

The rivalry between the Tiger Sharks and Bulldogs only deepened at the weekend when the two sides faced off.

Cervantes were looking for redemption after being upset by Jurien Bay in last year’s preliminary final, after which the Bulldogs went on to win the grand final.

A slow first term from both sides was followed by the Bulldogs piling on seven goals in the second, building a sizeable lead over the Tiger Sharks.

It looked like Jurien Bay would have another win over their rivals in the books, as they held a 9.9 (63) to 3.6 (24) lead at three quarter-time.

However, the Tiger Sharks turned the game on its head in the fourth quarter, charging back into the game and running up the score with nine goals, while the Bulldogs only managed one.

The comeback saw Cervantes steal the win 12.7 (79) to 10.11 (71) over Jurien Bay, starting the season with a bang.

Josh Hubbard and Jayden Warren both booted three goals during the come-from-behind win, and were among the side’s best.

Austin Britza was the top scorer for reigning champions the Bulldogs with five goals.

Over at Moora, the two sides that finished bottom last year — Lancelin Ledge Point and Moora — proved they are new teams in 2024.

Both sides came out firing, combining for nine goals in the first quarter and 10 goals in the second, with Moora taking an early lead and Lancelin controlling the game after half-time.

The scoring slowed down in the second half, with the Mavericks failing to score a goal in the fourth, giving the Pirates a 16.15 (111) to 11.5 (71) win.

The star for the Pirates was Gabriel Westlake, who kicked a bag of seven goals in the win.

Lancelin reached the 100-point mark for the first time in a game since June 25, 2022, when they beat Jurien Bay 16.12 (108) to 6.9 (45).

Despite the loss, Moora had an impressive outing in the season opener after finishing with just one win last year.

Across the league, in A-grade netball Cervantes beat Jurien Bay 47-26, and Lancelin beat Moora 48-40.

Moora avoided a sweep of losses with a 4-0 win in the hockey but Jurien Bay weren’t so lucky as they fell 2-1.

Round two will see a grand final rematch between Jurien Bay and Dandaragan, while Cervantes travel to face Lancelin Ledge Point.