WESTMINSTER - There are big wins, and then there are big wins.

Friday’s 38-30 win over Longmont, which was ranked No. 9 in Class 4A, was a huge win for Westminster’s football program. Especially since the Wolves suffered a disappointing lost the week before to Mountain Vista.

“It’s a very big win,” Westminster’s coach Kerry Denison said. “Last week we had five turnovers and you take those away and we are in the game. I told these guys that we are just as good as (Longmont). We knew we could beat this team; I don’t care if they are ranked No. 9 in the state. You have to believe in yourself and these kids did that.”

The Wolves put on a show in front of a packed District 50 Stadium, and it was Westminster’s ground attack that took the lead. The Wolves amassed 409 yards on the ground, led by star running back Patrick Wilson’s 250 rushing yards and three touchdowns.

“Patrick is a special player, but it is a team win,” Denison said. “This is about everybody; it’s the fans, the school and the coaching staff. It’s about getting this season started on the right foot.”

Wilson and Westminster’s ground attack set the tone early. On the opening drive, Wilson broke loose for runs of 41 and 27 yards to set up Ryan Belearde for a 7-yard touchdown run.

On the Wolves second drive, it was Belearde that found a hole in the defense and raced 73 yards before being tackled at Longmont’s 2-yard line. Two plays later, Marky Gonzalez found paydirt to give the Wolves a 16-8 advantage.

“The (offensive) line isn’t the biggest line, but they do their job,” Denison said. “Fundamentally they are pretty sound, I’m proud of every one of them. They did a great job (Saturday night).”

Defensively, Westminster had to make adjustments to slow down Longmont’s Forrest Wetterstrom. The senior quarterback racked up 75 yards on the ground in the first half and led Longmont into the end zone on the first two drives. The Trojans were driving late in the first half, but Wetterstrom was sacked by Roman Orozco to stall the drive.

“Our defense, they were a little shaky at the beginning. But they came up with big stops when we needed them. And our offense kept scoring,” Wilson said. “Our offense is getting unstoppable and if our defense continues to work together we can be a tough team to beat.”

Westminster’s defense forced Longmont in two 3-and-outs to start the second half and the Wolves offense took advantage. Belearde broke out for a 52-yard run to set up an 8-yard touchdown run by Wilson.

Wilson scored again in the third quarter on an 11-yard run to put the Wolves up 30-16 going into the fourth.

After Wetterstrom scored on a 14-yard run to bring the Trojans within seven, Wilson and the Wolves answered right back. The senior running back broke loose for a 59-yard run and then capped the drive with a 14-yard touchdown plunge.

The Trojans added a late touchdown to cut the lead to eight, but Westminster put together a 15-play, 80-yard drive to run out the clock.

“Our defense made some adjustments; (Wetterstrom) is pretty good. He scrambles well and does a good job,” Denison said. “But what it comes down to is the offense stepped up. I told (Westminster’s offensive coordinator) Greg (Mattei) on the final drive to just keep the ball for the entire time and they did that. He does a great job play-calling.”

Belearde had 148 yards on three carries, while Wetterstrom led Longmont with 156 yards on the ground.

The road won’t get any easier for the Wolves, who host Gateway on Friday. The Olympians improved to 2-1 after beating Cherokee Trail 20-10.