In a battle between two winless teams, something had to give. However, with a combined seven turnovers, 19 penalties for 195 yards, and various other missteps, it looked like neither Gilbert Mesquite nor Mesa Westwood was eager to capture its first victory.

SLIDESHOW: Friday night high school football

After the dust cleared, Mesquite came away with its first win of the season, 21-3, on Friday night in a 5A-I nonregion matchup.

Mesquite (1-1) was playing its second consecutive game without senior starting quarterback Matt Westerguard, but junior Steven Hansen stepped up. Hansen went 6-for-15 passing with 38 yards and an interception, but ran for 108 yards, including a 21-yard touchdown in the second quarter to give the Wildcats a 7-3 lead.

“We just have to correct some of (Steve’s) technique,” Mesquite coach Mike Reardon said. “But it’s looking pretty good for Matt to come back next week and share snaps with Steve.”

The Wildcats had five runs over 29 yards, including touchdown runs of 39 and 43 yards by Josh Rushing and Charles Robinson, respectively. Josh Awaal added a 54-yard run.

Both defenses took advantage of sloppy play on offense. Each team threw an interception and fumbled the ball five times, with Westwood losing three fumbles and Mesquite losing two.

“It’s discouraging to see that every time we take a shot, we put the ball on the ground,” said Westwood coach Greg Mendez.

Said Reardon, “We just have to perform better. We’re not executing worth a dime right now. When we do, we’ve proved that we can do good things.”