Skip to main content

Author: River Tompkins

Manor knocks out Cedar Park in close playoff win.

Written by River Tompkins on . Posted in HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL.

The conditions were harsh, the stakes were high but the will to win was even stronger as a Round Three Regional Playoff game took place in the foggy and damp P-field Stadium between the Manor Mustangs and the Cedar Park Timberwolves. The Wolves were highly favored coming into the game but the Mustangs put that aside and pushed right through them for a 17-14 nail-biter victory.

Cedar Park received the ball to start the game, and came out firing. Junior quarterback Ryder Hernandez completed three passes all to Josh Cameron for 14, 7, and 23-yards. In the dangerous conditions, Hernandez bobbled and fumbled the snap leading to a Manor Mustang recovery.

The Mustangs were determined to do the opposite of Cedar Park as they worked the ground-and-pound game with three consecutive runs. Manor ran themselves straight into a 3 & out and were forced to punt. Luckily for them, they got the ball right back as the Timberwolves receiver Gunner Abseck coughed the ball up for another turnover.

After both teams punted the ball Manor was in possession. Junior running back Lavonte Benford found a seam and exploited it for a whopping 52-yard run placing Manor on Cedar Park’s 23-yard line. The Mustangs than found themselves in a 4&13 situation, choosing not to kick the 42-yard field goal, Manor went for it on 4th down and somewhat predictably did not get it.

Coach Mitchell celebrates with his team after the 17-14 win over district rival Cedar Park.

“Well, we just have to keep working hard, we need to throw the ball better”, said Manor head coach Jimmie Mitchell.

After Manor missed a field goal from 42-yards out the Timberwolves were on the attack. Cedar park mounted a strong drive in which they ran it nine times successfully. Running back Jonathan Stockwell lead the pack with explosive runs of 16 and 18 yard carries. Cedar Park would cap the drive off with a 14-yard flip pass to Jordan Cameron for the first score of the game.

Heading into halftime Cedar Park was in the lead but neither team felt satisfied or comfortable with their position. For Manor it was about getting Tahj Brooks going, the Mustangs were a power run offense and they needed to act like it. Brooks had only six carries and 6-yards going into halftime. For Cedar Park, it was simply about holding onto the ball. The last drive looked great but they could not afford to turn the ball over anymore.

“We had to start running the ball with Tahj Brooks he is our star running back and he didn’t do much in the first half, so we needed to get him going and we did. We put him [Tajh Brooks] at quarterback, we put him at running back, we put him everywhere”, said Jimmie Mitchell.

Manor followed the advice and immediately started using Brooks. Brooks was lined up all over the place at quarterback, running back and occasionally receiver, no matter where he was he was touching the ball. On their first drive, Brooks carried the ball nine times for 62-yards as well as a touchdown to tie the game up.

Manor’s defense would then stand strong forcing a Cedar Park punt. Mustang quarterback Matt Hill tried to dance in the pocket but could not avoid big-boy Ben Bell who sacked, striped, recovered and ran the ball in for a Cedar Park TD. Manor would immediately go back to what worked for them in Tajh Brooks who had 29 touches and 145-yards from scrimmage. 16-yards away from the endzone Manor employed a little bit of trickery as running back Che Nwabuko threw a 16-yard touchdown pass to Carl Chester.

At this point in the game the energy was high, both teams fighting to stay alive. Once again the Cedar Park offense was unable to get anything going handing the ball over to what was becoming a well-oiled machine in the Mustang offense. Manor once again would drive down the field with ease but fall just short this time. On 4th down quarterback, Matt Hill overthrew his receiver who would have had a walk-in touchdown, giving Cedar Park the ball.

The game was getting down to the wire as Cedar Park was progressing their way downfield. They then found themselves 23-yards away from the endzone in a 4&3 situation. They could risk the field goal at 40-yards or go for it. Head coach Carl Abseck kept the offense on, Ryder hiked it and was immediately brought down in the backfield for a loss.

It was all or nothing, the Mustangs had to get downfield and score. Surprisingly it was not Tahj Brooks that carried them downfield, but Matt Hill who had only completed six passes coming into this drive. He would string together three completions for 10,10 and 20-yards to get the Mustangs in field goal range just like that. It was all up to kicker Yael Sanchez, with the crowd roaring behind him and everything on the line he hit it perfectly through the uprights clinching the win for Manor and sending them to the 4th round of Texas High School Playoffs.

Mustangs advance to the Regional Round at the Alamodome Saturday Dec 7th to face the Shadow Creek Sharks in the 4th round of the State Tournament.

The Mustangs will head onto the quarterfinals where they will square up against Shadow Creek who is fresh off a 35-31 win over Foster. It should be an exciting one as both of these teams have the ability to go all the way.

Westlake Dodge gets 200th career win over Brennan 24-6 in Area playoff.

Written by River Tompkins on . Posted in HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL.

A rematch of last year’s second round Texas high school football playoffs took place at Bobcat Stadium. Friday night the fans cheered on their championship dreams as the Westlake Chaps squared up against the Brennan Bears. Westlake were the kings of the matchup coming into tonight after winning 49-7 last year and they looked to defend that crown in an elimination game. Last year there were fireworks with 99-yard touchdowns and blocked punts and though this game did not light up the sky, it was a fun watch. Westlake stifled Brennan 24-6 in a defensive game.


“We took it more seriously”, says Westlake quarterback Kirkland Michaux about preparation for this game. “Each round it gets tougher and tougher. It’s a lot of being in the film room and practice on the field so I think we prepared well and that showed up.”


Brennan received to start the game. Looking for early momentum the Bears looked deep to speedy receiver Jalen Spells. Spells beat the coverage but could not bring the ball in as it hit off his hands for what would have been a walk-in touchdown. The Bears would eventually punt later in the drive.
Starting in great field position due to a weak punt, Westlake was in a prime position to score. After a 7-yard pass to Mason Mangum, Kirkland Michaux scrambled for 5 yards and got an additional 15 on a facemask. Mason Magnum would than slash the Bears defense for a 24-yard touchdown reminding Brennan of last year when he caught a 99-yard touchdown on the opening drive.


Brennan needed to muster up a strong drive to not give Westlake momentum or a bigger lead. It did not help that Brennan started inside their own 10-yard line. Senior quarterback David Varela finally connected on the deep ball as he found Keion Thomas 55-yards downfield for a field-position flipper. Trying to press the advantage the Bears would opt to go for it on 4th down and ultimately come out empty-handed. 


After both teams were forced to punt Westlake wound up with the ball. The Chaps were running the ball straight down Brennan’s throat as the drive totaled nine carries for 32-yards most of which were due to stud running back Zane Minors. Senior quarterback Kirkland Michuax would then find Jackson Coker on a quick slant for 8-yards and a touchdown giving the Chaps a two-score lead. 


Another drive, another score, was the Chaparral’s mentality as they would once again march downfield towards the Bear’s endzone. The drive was highlighted by a 20-yard catch by freshman receiver Jaden Greathouse and Ryan Lindley’s 10-yard TD grab. 


“The whole offense had a great game. The offensive line kept me off the ground. The receivers made a lot of catches when the balls were on them. The defense definitely carried their weight, we could not have done it without them”, said Michaux praising his team.  


Strangely enough, the first half of this game was not too dissimilar to last year’s game between Westlake and Brennan. In both games Westlake dominated the first half, and held Brennan to a goose egg on the scoreboard. If that is not enough, Jackson Croker and Mason Magnum had both caught touchdowns, giving fans a sense of déjà vu.


Coming out of halftime Westlake got the ball and had one goal in mind: put the game away. It would be a long journey to do that as they were backed up inside their own 5-yard line. Zane Minors did not care as he broke loose for 30-yards giving the Westlake offense some breathing room. After that the Westlake offense did nothing, I mean nothing, in fact, they went backward and were forced to punt the ball away. 


Brennan was once again forced to punt the ball as Westlake’s defense stood strong. The punt ended in Brennan’s favor as Westlake’s punt returner Sage Luther fumbled the ball and Brennan recovered. The Bears offense did nothing with the ball and were unable to put up points. This was a testament to how the entire game went, the Bears offense was simply not able to move the chains, Brennan quarterback David Varela had only completed 2 passes in the first half.  


“We’ve got a lot of veterans that have played a lot of football and all the guys that were brand new at the beginning of the year, are not rookies anymore”, said Westlake head coach Todd Dodge of his defense. “We’re experienced, we’re healthy and our kids have been consistently good on defense.” 


Westlake’s offense showed flashes of greatness throughout the whole game. Westlake quarterback Kirkland Michaux made better reads and made them quicker. Michaux stepped up his game completing 8/11 passes in the first half, including three touchdowns as well as going turnover-free.


When asked about what Michaux did differently in practice coach Dodge had this to say, “Get more reps out of fewer things. I think that’s important, the one thing is that we got a whole lot of offense installed at the 12-week mark and if you are not careful you try to do everything a little bit well. One thing we did this week is we went back and really kind of cut the fat in both run game and pass game, screen game. Everything else is really just adjustment based. We did a great job throwing the football in the red zone.”
Westlake will go onto the third round of Texas high school playoffs where they will face Weslaco East who are fresh off a 24-10 win against Rowe. This is a game where Westlake is favored but you never know what is going to happen on any given Friday.


When asked does this Westlake team have what it takes to go all the way, Kirkland Michaux said, “Yes, it does. We are one of the most close-knit group of guys you will ever see on a team and I feel like that is a big deal. I feel like we have a pretty good chance.”

Coach Todd Dodge talks to his team after the 2nd round playoff victory and 200th overall win.

For Westlake head coach Todd Dodge this was a special day for two reasons. First of all, he won a playoff game but that win was also his 200th career win as a head coach. Dodge has this to say about his 200th win, “It means a lot. The biggest thing that I think when I think of 200 wins, is I am so blessed that we did it here with this group of kids here at Westlake. Our Seniors were 7th graders when we first got here, we’re all they know and they’re all we know as far as a football program so it is really special to get that 200th win with them. Now we’re going to try and fit 3 or 4 more wins in there.”

Westlake defeats Cibolo Steel in first round 30-7

Written by River Tompkins on . Posted in HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL.

A familiar playoff matchup took place at Chaparral stadium between the Cibolo Steele Knights and the Westlake Chaps. Just two years ago Westlake had knocked the Knights out of the playoffs in a 28-14 victory. The Knights were trying to rewrite history in the first round of Texas high school playoffs. History repeated as the Chaps beat the Knights 30-7 in what was a much closer game than the score implied. 


Steele received the ball to start the game, a game that would be dominated by defense. Steele would go three and out setting the Westlake Chaparrals up in great field position. After picking up a first down or two the Chaps found themselves in a 3rd&16 situation after a fumbled snap by Kirkland Michaux. Michaux found star receiver Mason Magnum for 13-yards but with a price as Magnum took a massive hit flipping him in the air.
Going for it on fourth down Kirkland threw up a fade to 6’4″ freshman receiver Jaden Greathouse who drew a pass interference call. The Chaps would later make a field goal, giving them a 3 point lead.  


Steele’s drive would open with an explosive play as receiver Daryn Mcknight took an end-around for 33-yards. Coming into the game Mcknight had only had four carries those had gone for 112 yards and an average of 28. Steele would not be able to push the momentum forward as they threw three incompletions. With the kicking unit coming onto the field they were hoping to tie up the game, star Westlake safety Sage Luther had a different idea as he blocked the kick, Braden Duncan would recover and return it to the 47-yard line. 


Westlake would replicate the opening drive as they drove down the field and finished it off with a field goal. Only up by 6 points, Steele could take the lead back with a big play. Steele placed together another strong drive highlighted by Daniel Jackson’s 15-yard catch and De’Quavion Thomas’ 5-yard touchdown run.


There was one matchup in particular that every fan loved watching and had a undeniable impact on the game. It was #5 vs #5 Daryn Mcknight vs Sage Luther. Mcknight was a big-time playmaker for Steele as they never stopped feeding him the ball. He was always covered by Westlakes promising safety Sage Luther. One would make a giant play and then the other would come right back with one of their own. Sometimes they would cancel each other out, regardless, it was a great matchup of two competitors. 


Kirkland Michaux answered Steeles touchdown instantly as he found senior receiver Ryan Lindley on a 38-yard corner route for a walk-in touchdown. This set the Westlake section on fire, it was the big play they needed to assert dominance and take over the game. 
Westlake would soon get the ball back after a Steele punt and they tried to repeat history in throwing the corner route again. This time history was not so forgiving as Kirkland’s pass was intercepted by Maison Sharp who made an excellent catch on the sideline. 


The Knights were officially in their two-minute drill trying to get a score and even the game up before half time. The drive started with a 40-yard pass to Daryn Mcknight who was tackled by Sage Luther. Steele quarterback Wyatt Beagle scrambled for 11-yards just enough to convert on 3rd down. Beagle would than find Daniel Jackson on a 15-yard pass over the middle. On the next play, Beagle would overthrow his receiver and be snatched out of the air by Westlake defender Michael Taffee. Westlake would capitalize on the field position and score a field goal putting them up 16-7 heading into halftime. 


Heading into halftime both teams have played great games but both also needed to improve certain areas of their game. For Steele, it was about getting into the endzone and cashing in on possessions. They were to close too many times to have only scored 7 points in the first half. For Westlake they needed to run the ball more effectively, they needed to move the chains and not force turnovers if they wanted to keep their lead. 
Westlakes offense started heating up in the 4th quarter. Steele’s defense felt defeated and Westlake took advantage of that running the ball straight up the gut down after down. Westlake receiver Jason Croker (lined up at running back) sprinted through the running lane than dove into the endzone for a 4-yard Westlake touchdown.


Westlake will move onto the second round of the playoffs where they will face Brennan High who are fresh off a 35-13 win over Roosevelt. Coincidentally Westlake squared up against Brennan in round two of the playoffs last year with Westlake winning 49-7.  

Austin defeats Bowie in Nail-biter 28-26

Written by River Tompkins on . Posted in HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL.

A rivalry for the ages took place in Burger Stadium on Friday night as the Austin High Maroons took on the Bowie Bulldogs in a hard fought matchup. The intensity of fierce competition has been brewing between both teams for decades and this was the time to gain bragging rights. Austin who had not beat Bowie since 2006 came out with an electric determination, while Bowie was looking for a win to keep their playoff hopes alive. 

The game was a nail-biter as both teams traded punches back and forth. It came down to the wire in the fourth quarter, Austin High was up by two points, Bowie had a chance to retake the lead but they could not handle Austin High’s defensive line. At long last Austin High prevailed as the new kings of this rivalry beating the Bulldogs with a score of 28-26. 

Austin received the ball to start what would be a hard-fought game between both sides. The game started with an 8-yard screen to senior receiver Matt Ruiz who was coming off of a breakout game against Anderson in which he racked up three touchdowns and 138 yards. Backed up due to a holding penalty, quarterback Charles Wright took off on a 35-yard quarterback keeper. Austin was held out of the end-zone and forced to punt after not being able to move the chains. 

Recognizing an opportunity Bowie seized the momentum with their first play from scrimmage. Junior receiver Jason Gaines lined up at running back for the first play as he received a screen in the backfield. Gaines somehow bobbed and weaved through the entire Maroon defense as he took it the full 75 yards for a Bulldog touchdown. 

On their next drive, Austin was not able to recapture the momentum. On their side of the field, the maroons went for it on 4th and 1. Senior running back Grayson Davis tried to push through the Bulldogs defense, though they were too strong and tackled him in the backfield for a forth down stop.  

The Bulldogs put together an incredibly time consuming drive that only resulted in about 30 yards, this was due to multiple penalties and timeouts. Ultimately Austin High held them in the red zone, the Bulldogs sent on the field goal unit for what would be considered an automatic field goal. The Bulldogs found out otherwise as the kick bounced off of the goal post. The Austin High sideline went insane with excitement.

Needing to put together a scoring drive captain Charles Wright took it upon himself to move down the field. On the same play that earned Charles 35-yards, he picked up another 52-yards putting Austin inside Bowie’s 10-yard line. After multiple penalties, Austin found themselves in a 4th and goal situation from the 12-yard line. Going for it Charles Wight dropped back, scanning the field he found Matt Ruiz in the back of the endzone for an Austin High touchdown.

“I told him [Charles Wright] on Thursday that it would be awesome if he rushed for 100yds and threw for 400yds. He is a really good runner and he was able to demonstrate that last week. He is a gunslinger, so his first thought is to scramble and throw the ball. We have been talking to him about using his legs more and he was able to get a lot of positive yardage running the ball. With the defense loading up to stop Grayson, it allows Charles more room to pull the ball and make plays”, said Austin head coach Michael Rosenthal

Bowie continued to sustain long drives but to no avail as Austin forced them to punt. The Austin High Maroons drove the ball down the field and with 28 seconds left on the clock, capped the drive off with a jaw-dropping play. Charles Wright scrambled out of the pocket lobbing up a perfect pass to Nick Anderson who made the miracle catch while tapping his foot an inch from the line for a 25-yard touchdown.

“I think there are a few plays that really stick out in my mind”, said Michael Rosenthal. “I think a lot of our momentum started with some defensive stops early in the game. We gave up the big play early, but then we were able to settle into the game defensively and we did a good job of tackling after that first play. The touchdown to Nick Anderson right before half was big.”
Heading into halftime both teams needed to improve their offense. For Austin, it was about getting senior running back Grayson Davis going. On the flipside, Bowie had to finish drives, they drove down the field but could never cash in.

Bowie took the advice as they drove down the field and scored on a 2-yard touchdown run by quarterback Diego Tello. After missing a field goal earlier things only got worse for the Bulldogs special teams as Austin blocked the kick, safety Carlos Tiemann scooped it and returned it to the house for 2 points. 

At this point the Austin sideline was on their feet for the rest of the game. Jumping, cheering, rilling up the crowd, this team was on fire and weren’t about to quit.

Bowie was not going to play it safe as they went for it on 4th and short and were stuffed by the Austin defense. Next drive they attempted a fake punt which was blown up in the backfield for a big loss and a turnover on downs.  Johnny Jenkins Bowie was not going to play it safe as they went for it on 4th and short and were stuffed by the Austin defense. Next drive they attempted a fake punt which was blown up in the backfield for a big loss and a turnover on downs. 

Austin capitalized on the 4th down stop as Charles Wright launched a rocket to Nick Anderson for a 20-yard score. Bowie came right back scoring a touchdown but failed to convert on a two-point conversion. Looking to put the game away Wright through a fade up to Johnny Jenkins who climbed the ladder to make a spectacular grab for an Austin High score. Answering the call, Bowie came right back and scored on a quick slant pass to Jason Gaines. 

All of the sudden scoring was coming play after play neither offense could be stopped in the late third and early fourth quarters. All Austin needed to do was hold onto their two-point lead. During a broken play, Wright compounded a bad situation with a bad decision as he threw an interception giving Bowie the ball back. 

It was 4th and 7 with the game on the line. Bowie had no choice but go for it. Austin brought a three man rush, one of who was defensive lineman Abrion Bordeaux who had been making plays all year. This game was no different as he strip-sacked the Quarterback essentially ending the game. 

In the end Austin took the victory in a big rivalry matchup against Bowie. Austin High will face Akins for the final game of their season.
“I am looking to build on our defensive performance against Bowie and have another strong defensive effort. Offensively, we need to run the ball more effectively to keep the defense on their heels”, said Micheal Rosenthal. “The fourth down stops were huge by our defense.”  

Bowie has a favorable matchup with the Lehman Lobos this Friday, a win for Bowie could lead to a tie in the division for 4th place with Anderson. Anderson finds themselves in a tough matchup with the Westlake Chaparrals.  

Proud of his team Rosenthal said, “It means a tremendous amount to our program. We haven’t beaten them [Bowie] since 2006. We came close a few years ago, but we could never get over the hump. It is a great victory for our players. We have had an up and down year and this was a memorable win for them. It is a game that they will never forget.”

Anderson in playoff race after thrilling 70-49 victory over Austin High

Written by River Tompkins on . Posted in HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL.

As the sun set and the lights came up on House Park the Anderson Trojans took on the Austin High Maroons in a high octane shootout. Anderson looked to further themselves in the playoff race while the Maroons looked to defend their home field. Anderson came away with a win 70-49 over the Austin Maroons in a game where both teams combined for over 1000 yards.
Anderson, who received at start of the game, employed a similar tactic to Hays high school, as they loaded the offensive line and ran the ball on 1st and 2nd down. After that proved unsuccessful, Anderson took to the air by throwing a 38-yard pass from senior quarterback Carsten Gross to senior receiver Jason Seager. After running the ball five consecutive times junior running back Joseph Baran was finally able to cross the goal line.


Attempting to get right back in the game, Austin High went for it on 4th & 7 from their own 26-yard line. Ultimately not getting the 1st down set Anderson up in fantastic field position. Anderson capitalized on the short field as Gross connected with wide receiver Grose Kiel on a contested end zone catch that put Anderson up by two scores.


Matters only got worse for Austin High on special teams. Anderson, looking to keep the momentum flowing called for an onside kick. Muffed by Austin, Anderson recovered setting them up with excellent field position once again. Anderson took full advantage of it, as 6’4” quarterback Carsten Gross powered his way into the endzone for a 1-yard touchdown putting Anderson up by 21. 


Forcing Austin to punt, Anderson could seal the game away with a score right here. Austin’s Defense was going to put a stop to that as they forced and recovered a fumble. Iowa commit quarterback Charles Wright needed to make a play if he wanted his team to stay in the game. He did just that finding Matt Ruiz on a 17-yard score, just like that Austin was back in the game.


Both teams continued to score matching blow after blow. The Trojans scored as senior receiver Grose Kiel climbed the ladder on a 19-yard jump-ball touchdown. Carsten Gross scored on a 3 yard QB keeper. Sophomore Colin Page hit the sideline and crossed the goal line for a 15-yard rushing touchdown.


Austin was also productive as they moved the ball downfield at a fast pace. Talking about fast-paced, Matt Ruiz scored again off a WR screen in which he ran up the sideline for a 48-yard touchdown. Austin scored on another big play as Charles Wright found Nick Anderson over the middle for a 59-yard touchdown. On the final play of the second half, Charles Wright found Grayson Davis on a wide-open swing pass for a two yard score.
Heading into halftime Anderson was in the lead, though Austin was fast approaching. Both teams needed to improve their defense as neither offense could be stopped. For Austin, it was about winning jump balls and stopping quarterback Carsten Gross who trampled the Austin defense play after play. For Anderson, it was about limiting big plays. The majority of Austin’s Scores came on either a big play or were set up by one. If Anderson could limit this, their defense would be more effective.


“We have to do a better job stopping the run”, said Anderson head coach Daniel Hunter. “People may look at how many passing yards we gave up and think we need to improve on our coverage but real football people understand that if we stop the run than we don’t allow as many 1st downs and a byproduct of that is less opportunities to throw the ball downfield. We have given up 300 yards passing and Won the game, but we have never given up 300 rushing and Won a game. Rushing the football and stopping the run, is still the most important part of football.”


Despite any adjustments, the coaches made at halftime both offenses could and would not be stopped in the second half. Carsten Gross threw for two Touchdowns and ran four in, totaling 185 passing yards and 114 rushing yards. On the receiving end, Grose Kiel caught both touchdowns and totaled 98 receiving yards in the game. Colin Page lead the team in rushing as he went for 159 yards and two scores on the ground.


Coming into the game Trogan’s Carsten Gross and running back Joseph Baran were tied with 59 carries on the season. It was not uncommon to see Gross on both designed and improvised runs, which proved to be an effective strategy when Austin shut down Anderson’s passing attack.
Both run games were firing on all cylinders as Anderson totaled over 400 rushing yards and had a total of eight rushing touchdowns. Austin’s Grayson Davis also put in work as he ran for over 160 yards and made a difference in the receiving game with two touchdowns.


“I thought Charles Wright was a game-changer on Friday night”, said Austin Head Coach Michael Rosenthal. “(Wright) He had 6 TD’s and threw for over 350 yards. He took care of the football. Matt Ruiz also had a great game as well. He had 9 catches for 138 yards and 3 TD’s It was by far his most productive game of the year. 
I am looking for our physicality to improve. I think we have had moments on both sides of the ball this year where we have blocked well and tackled well. We are looking for more consistency and to put a complete game together. We need all 3 phases to have their best games against Bowie and Akins.


I think this year’s team has had to deal with more adversity throughout the year. We have gotten very close at times to getting over the hump, but we just need to find a way to make one more play and we haven’t done that yet. I am looking forward to the final two games to see our best effort each and every play.”


From here Austin has a matchup with Bowie and Akins to finish out the season. Anderson finds themselves in a different situation as they are fighting Bowie, Hays and Del Valle for the remaining two playoff spots. Anderson will look to beat Lehman in what could be considered a favorable matchup.

“We felt good running the ball with our backs and the quarterback run game”, said Anderson Head Coach Hunter, when asked what was the most effective part of the game he could attribute this win to. “We threw in some reverse passes when we felt like they had became frustrated and started blitzing. All in all our offense had a great night, and our defense got the stops we needed to put some distance between the scores. Austin High has a great offense and we knew they would score some points on us we just came in with the mindset to jump on them early and create distance on the scoreboard”

Cavs smash Maroons 63-0

Written by River Tompkins on . Posted in HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL.

Everywhere you look in Cavalier Stadium six silver stars appear, each one representing a State Championship. Lake Travis came into the season looking to add their seventh star. To do this head coach Hank Carter says they will take it one game at a time. With their sights set on another championship the Lake Travis Cavaliers faced off against the Austin High Maroons in the third divisional game of the season.

The eruption from the Lake Travis tunnel could be heard and felt. The entire team was inside the iconic helmet tunnel jumping and shooting with a ferocity that would intimidate any opponent. After coming off a tough loss against Westlake, Austin High had another uphill battle against the Lake Travis Cavaliers. Ultimately Lake Travis walked away with a shutout victory winning 63-0 over the Austin High Maroons. Offensively Lake Travis dominated this game in both the ground and air totaling 770 yards.

Lake Travis had the ball to start the game, looking to seize the momentum early the Cav’s quickly picked up a first down. It got harder from there as Lake Travis would throw three straight in-completions resulting in the punter taking the field on 4th down.

Austin matched Lake Travis’ drive by picking up a first down but eventually stalling out. After Quarterback Charles Wright had quick-kicked the ball Austin had started winning the field position battle as they almost put Lake Travis on their own 1-yard line.

Despite bad starting field position Lake Travis placed together a steady drive working their way downfield. After the first three plays of the drive were runs; senior quarterback Hudson Card came back with a 17-yard strike off the RPO to Kyle Eaves setting Hudson Card up for another big throw down the right sideline. Running Back Marcelo Alanis capped off the drive with a 7-yard touchdown run to put the first points on the board.

Following another punt from Austin, Lake Travis put together another methodical drive downfield, including a big 26-yard pass from Hudson Card to Grayson Sandlin. The drive was capped off with a 15-yard touchdown run by Wesley Erving.

One thing that worked all day for Lake Travis was the quarterback roll out. Numerous times the Lake Travis offensive line allowed opposing defensive linemen inward to the pocket while Hudson Card rolled out and delivered a perfect throw for a big gain. This was the go-to concept for Lake Travis as they primarily pulled it out on key 3rd downs.

On Austin’s third offensive possession they drove downfield, including a big 15+ yard run by running back Grayson Davis as well as a wide receiver screen to captain Colby Kalbacher to pick up a first down. Austin had finally gotten past the halfway point and now they were on the Lake Travis 31 yard line. With the end-zone in site, Austin’s center mishandled the ball leading to a fumble and recovery by Lake Travis. This ended the drive and put Lake Travis in yet another good spot to score.

For the rest of the half, Austin was not able to pass midfield but Lake Travis was able to score touchdowns including a 20-yard touchdown pass from Hudson Card to senior receiver Grayson Sandlin, a 15-yard touchdown pass on a roll out to Kyle Eaves and their biggest play of the half when wide receiver Grayson Sandlin broke a short slant for a 50-yard touchdown, his third so far. It was safe to say that the Lake Travis passing attack could not be stopped as they totaled 499 yards through the air. Despite all of this scoring Austin’s defense did come big on a forced and recovered fumble to stop Lake Travis.

Going into halftime Austin needed to improve their big play ability. Something that they had been great at all year was haunting them throughout the first half. One of the reasons that they often stalled out near midfield was they were not able to generate big plays. This was the deciding factor in the game. If Austin was able to generate more big plays they would have found themselves in closer competition.

Offensively, the second half was not much better for Austin as they once again stalled near midfield allowing Lake Travis to start chewing clock. Lake Travis hit a big 52-yard passing touchdown on just their 3rd play of the half, on this one Hudson Card connected with Kyle Eaves essentially putting the game away.

Lake Travis slowed their offense down as they put second string quarterback Nate Yarnell in. They also slowed down the tempo trying to run the clock out and claim another victory. The Cavaliers are now 3-0 in district play and 4-1 in the regular season.

Coach Hank Carter had this to say when asked which player he thought had a breakout game, “That’s a good question – I think several, Grayson Sandlin made an awesome run after the catch, this is something we have been working on with him and wanting to see him do. I also think Weston Stephens had a great game as well as Gary Gordon.”

Lake Travis walked away with another win, once again they look like divisional favorites. Lake Travis has a favorable matchup against the Lehman Lobos next Friday and then what we are all waiting for, the Battle Of The Lakes! Lake Travis vs Westlake on Oct 11th. Austin has a must-win matchup with Del Valle this Thursday that could determine the playoff contenders.

Austin Makes Valiant Effort, Westlake Continues Winning Streak

Written by River Tompkins on . Posted in HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL.

Friday night, a decades-long hometown rivalry was rekindled as the Austin High Maroons took on the Westlake Chaparrals. The student sections were jammed packed with loyal fans who tirelessly cheered on their team. The unyielding support compelled both teams to play with more energy and vigor. This game was one for the books and even broke records as Westlake’s senior wide receiver Mason Mangum became the all time receiving leader in Westlake football history. 

Westlake came into this game with 32 consecutive winning seasons as well as  a 21-2 record against Austin High dating back to 1994 and were the favorites in this matchup. Though the odds were against them, Austin High looked to put up a fight and turn the tides.Ultimately it was not enough as Westlake overpowered Austin winning 63-8 and pushing the all time record to 22-2. Putting Westlake in a comfortable 5-0 position, they look like division favorites this year. 

Austin High received the ball to start the game, coming off a good win against Lehman they looked to carry the momentum onward. Westlake quickly shut that down forcing the Maroons backward into a 4th & 20. The Maroons came out in punt formation. Westlake surged through the left side of the formation allowing senior wide receiver Ryan Lindley and junior defensive back Lucas Miruer to get a hand on the ball ultimately blocking the punt.

Starting on Austin’s 10-yard line senior quarterback Kirkland Michaux scored on Westlake’s first play from scrimmage. Kirkland ran the ball in on a 10 yard quarterback keeper putting the first points on the board. In this game Kirkland was one of four quarterbacks who played for Westlake Highschool.

Austin jumped out to a better start on their second drive after picking up a first down, however they were soon confronted by a problem that lingered throughout the game. Pass protection. Austin simply could not handle Westlake’s pass rush as quarterback Charles Wright was in constant duress. On that drive, Charles was sacked by senior defensive end Bobby Duncum to ultimately end the drive.

Starting on Austin’s 44, Westlake hoped to repeat their last drive that ended in a touchdown. This time Austin’s defense was a little bit stiffer as they forced Westlake into multiple third downs. Stoping the Westlake offense on the last two downs, Austin forced them into a 3rd & 2 situation from about the 16. Needing the first down, Westlake running back Grey Nakfoor took it straight up the middle resulting in Westlake’s second touchdown.

This game was truly a battle in the trenches. It was decided by which team was going to be more aggressive upfront and put the other team in a bad situation. At times Austin High was able to do that, but ultimately Westlake won the battle in the trenches. Their offensive line provided clean pockets as well as running lanes. This was the true defining factor of the game.

Throughout the first half Austin was not able to sustain any drives giving Westlake multiple opportunities to score. Westlake did just that, scoring over 40 points in the first half, including a 29-yard touchdown pass from Kirkland Michaux to Mason Mangum and a 10-yard touchdown pass from Kirkland to Ryan Lindley. After a sack by Austin High’s Abrion Boudreaux, Westlake quarterback Drew Willoughby threw a 65-yard touchdown pass to freshman receiver Jaden Greathouse. 

Heading into halftime Austin needed to change something, while Westlake was focused on preserving their lead. Westlake took their foot off the pedal in the second half as they ran a slower-paced offense and were more conservative. On the flip side, Austin came out firing hoping for redemption or just something to build on. 

Austin’s offense and defense played much better in the second half, though it was not enough to reclaim the lead, it was a valiant effort. 

After having multiple drives that stalled out on 4th down, Austin needed to make a play and they did just that. Set up nicely by a PI call Austin hiked the ball from Westlake’s 26 yard line. On the right sideline senior wide receiver Colby Kalbacher went deep on a fade route with a money pass from Charles Wright. Austin had scored their first touchdown. Austin went on to get the two point conversion. This meant that Austin scored more points against Westlake than any other team this season. 

Offensively, Westlake quieted down but Austin High middle linebacker Everett Butler did not. Butler went sideline to sideline making tackles and blocking passes. Butler was the highlight of the Austin High defense, along with defensive lineman Abrion Boudreaux.

That was not say that Westlake did not make defensive plays in their own right, as demonstrated by senior free safety Sage Luther’s interception to set the Chaps up in great field position.

Westlake’s offense was looking to run the clock out when all of the sudden Chaps running back Zane Minors burst through the middle of the field for a 76-yard touchdown run, he took off and never stopped.

“Great early field position and good pass rush”, is what Westlake head coach Todd Dodge attributed to this victory over Austin High.
When asked what area of the team he is most focused on improving, Dodge said, “I’m most looking forward to improving our running game on offense.”

“I will continue to use all three QB’s. Together they lead the greater Austin area in passing yards, TD passes and completion percentage. Stats aren’t important but production is. They have all been productive”, Dodge answered when questioned about his multi-quarterback strategy.

It was a great game played in historic House Park. Westlake, heavily favored coming in, came out with a win but the Maroons put up a good fight. The Maroons have another tough matchup against the Lake Travis Cavaliers this week while Westlake has a favorable matchup against the Lehman Lobos.

Austin High defeats Lehman 38-14

Written by River Tompkins on . Posted in HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL.

In Kyle Texas, the story of the Lehman’s homecoming will not have a happy ending. In a game played under a harvest moon, the Friday night lights shined bright as the 1-1 Lehman Lobos face the 1-1 Austin High Maroons in the district opener. Within minutes the crowds at the Bob Shelton Stadium were quieted as the Maroons began their assault and ultimately beat the Lobos 38-14.


The Austin Maroons received the kick and the game was on. Austin High assembled a methodical drive repeatedly picking up first downs. An explosive carry by senior running back Grayson Davis earned them 23-yards. Just outside of the red zone, junior quarterback Charles Wright connected with junior wide receiver Nick Anderson for a 21-yard touchdown.  


Lehman’s offense was looking to tie up the game, however, Austin’s defense had a different idea. Lehman quarterback Logan Travis dropped back to pass, little did he know defensive back Holdan O’kelley was waiting. Holdan jumped the route intercepting the ball and brought it to the house.  
The score was 14-0 Austin High and the Lobos needed to score. The Lobos drove downfield putting together a 20 play drive in which they ran the ball 18 times. This was a run-first Lehman offense. After 19 plays they had a 4th and goal about two yards out. Down by 14 points Head Coach, Bruce Salmon opted to go for it. Running back Kanui Guidry ran up the middle only to be met by hard-hitting linebacker Everett Butler who made the 4th down stop.


Austin was in a dangerous position so close to their endzone. Charles Wright dropped back, seeing the Nickel Blitz he quickly threw the out route but the ball was tipped by Davian Gil. With the pass wobbly, junior defensive back Roy Mallet seized the opportunity and snatched the ball out of the air for a Pick 6.


Trying to shake off the Pick 6, Austin High put together a nice drive. The drive was highlighted by Nick Anderson’s 41-yard reception which ultimately set them up for a field goal once they stalled out. The Lobos offense was set up in excellent field position after freshman Jayden Brown Returned the kickoff all the way to Austin’s 18. From there the Lobos pounded the rock until they were on the Maroons 2-yard line. With the end-zone in sight, Logan Travis fumbled the ball on a hand-off to be picked up by Austin OLB Andrew Mosser who returned it to Austin’s 39. This play was an accurate description of how the rest of the game went.
After Austin stalled out again Lehman came back with a big play of their own. Senior running back Keyshaun Williams had been a workhorse all game in this run-heavy offense. It finally paid off, from Austin’s 39 Keyshaun broke the run wide open scoring from 39 yards out. After this run, both teams stalled on their drives leading to half time with the score AHS 17 – LHS 7.
Lehman received the ball to start the second half and was soon faced with what killed them in the first half, fumbles. Still on their side of the field, Austin High Defensive Coordinator Bernard Riley sent OLB pressure and it got home. Senior OLB John Colunga hit the quarterback and knocked the ball out. It was a team effort to recover the ball as 3 Austin Maroons dove on the ball immediately. 

The Linebackers don’t get all the fun, is what Maroon’s junior corner-back Ben Woodhouse was thinking as he was dialed up on a blitz. Woodhouse hit home stripping the quarterback and recovering the fumble putting the offense in a great position. 


Up until this point The Austin High offense had not been able to move since their first drive even with the great field position provided by the defense. On one of their longest drives of the game, the Maroons put together a 15 play drive topping it off with a 5-yard touchdown to senior wide receiver Colby Kalbacher. This sparked the offense and they never took their foot off the petal. 


After the defense forced another fumble, yes another fumble, it was apparent Lehman was not able to hang on to the ball. It only took one play for Charles Wright to find Nick Anderson for a 54-yard touchdown. After Austin’s defense made another stop Austin’s offense made another electric play as Grayson Davis broke a 52-yard touchdown run to officially seal the game. 


When asked about the numerous forced turnovers by his defense, Defensive Coordinator Bernard Riley had this to say, “ITS ALL ABOUT THE BALL! Getting the football back trumps everything. Takeaways controlled the ball game.”

  • Quarterback Charles Wright finished the game with 252 yards, 3 touchdowns, and 1 interception
  • Running back Grayson Davis rushed 11 times for 82 and a touchdown
  • Wide receiver Nick Anderson caught 7 of his 12 targets for 175 yards and 2 touchdowns
  • Wide receiver Colby Kalbacher caught 5 of his 10 targets for 43 yards and a touchdown
  • Wide receiver Drew Morgan caught 4 of his 6 targets for 26 yards

“The Westlake game will come down to our guys doing their job and getting takeaways just like last week”, said coach Riley of their upcoming second divisional game against Westlake.
It was a very impressive performance by Austin High, especially the defense and their ability to force turnovers. After watching some of Austin’s practices I could see the emphasis they put on forcing fumbles as well as tackling, it paid off. This was a big win for Austin, not only was it a district match but it showed that their defense can also win games. The question is how will they fare against the 4-0 Westlake Chaparrals in the second divisional game of the season.

Maroon’s chew up Cougars

Written by River Tompkins on . Posted in HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL.

The sun sets in Pflugerville, the lights of the Pfield Stadium come on. You can hear the marching bands warming up and the counting off of the drill team. Welcome to Texas high school football. The Austin High Maroons and the Connally Cougars are about to run through the tunnels and take the field in their first official game of the 2019/20 high school football season.
The crowds in attendance were treated to a high scoring shootout that was neck and neck up until the final minutes of the fourth quarter. The Austin Maroons claimed victory over the Connally Cougars 51-49.


Austin receives the ball to start the half. The Maroons were given the opportunity to test this Cougars defense staring corner-back Jahdae Barron, a senior ranked 57 in TX, with a hard commit to Baylor. Both offenses were off to a slow start with Austin scoring on only one of their four red-zone trips. Connally was not having much luck either as they were not able to establish a passing game over the middle which allowed Austin to bring more pressure and cover the boundary side of the field. Lead by Head Coach Jason Cecil, Connally entered halftime with a 14-7 lead. 


Both defenses played well in the first half with Austin forcing two interceptions and Connally forcing an interception and fumble.
Both teams had improvements to make. Cougars passing attack left much to be desired, especially in the middle of the field. On the flip side, Austin had a problem with pass protection as the Connally Defensive Lineman could not be stopped. The Maroons solved this problem by changing up their blocking scheme as well as their personnel.


After halftime, the whole attitude of the Maroons team changed, it may have been Mike Rosenthal’s pep talk, the coaching adjustments or a mix of both. After a disappointing 1st half the Austin High Maroons came out firing scoring 30 points just in the third quarter. Everything looked much better, the pass protection was on point as well as the passing game which totaled 331 yards. What stood out was Austin’s running game led by senior Grayson Davis. With 222 rushing yards on 23 carries which amounts to an average of 9.65 yards a carry, Davis’s running game was truly spectacular, add on two touchdowns and Grayson Davis had a game.


Junior Quarterback Charles Wright did not let the pressure affect him as he threw for 331 yards as well as four touchdowns. Junior Receiver Nick Anderson stepped up in a big way making a 40+ yard catch on the first drive of the second half. He only improved from there posting five catches for 147 yards and a touchdown in the second half.


Scoring point after point the Austin High offense was unstoppable in a race against the Cougars offense who would not go down without a fight. Though Bernard Riley’s defense allowed 49 points, when it was imperative that the defense hold the offense – they held them. An example is when Connally went for a two point conversion late in the third quarter, Junior Quarterback Darius McGrew was stripped of the ball ultimately ending the two point conversion try and sustaining the Austin lead; this was one of many defensive stops by Austin’s defense.


I attribute the Austin High Maroons second half offensive success to the coaching staff specifically Offensive Coordinator Aaron Vanecek as well as both Offensive Line coaches Mike Rosenthal and Neil Abbott. 
“Biggest difference from last year is that this group listens to coaching and they want to improve.  They are buying into what we are teaching and they are making the adjustments. It is early in the season, but I am excited each week to get on the practice field and improve”, said Head Coach Michael Rosenthal. 


The Austin High Maroons carried their preseason momentum into the regular season clinching the win over Connally in an exciting matchup. Watch out Westwood the Maroons are coming.

Austin High 2019

Written by River Tompkins on . Posted in HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL.

Friday night lights are about to turn on in Texas and every fan is wrapped in anticipation of what their team is going to look like this season. Yesterday we got a sneak peek of the Austin Maroons during their competitive scrimmage against Georgetown high school. 


The Austin Maroons, lead by Head Coach Mike Rosenthal, put on a real show at Georgetown High Football Stadium scoring 5 touchdowns compared to Georgetown’s singular touchdown. 


What stuck out was Austin high school’s passing attack. Quarterback Charles Wright showcased his arm talent with both the deep ball as well as check-down passes. Austin scored 4 touchdowns through the air coupled with 490 total passing yards proving the Maroon’s passing attack could not be stopped.


Having attended several Austin practices, I could see the emphasis offensive coordinator Aaron Vanecek put on ball security. At the beginning of the week Vanecek set a goal to have zero turnovers and his offense did exactly that. 


On the defensive side of the football, you could see all of the hard work and training the team and defensive coaches have been putting in. The Austin Maroons defense is much improved from last season and will continue to get stronger. The Maroon’s defense put Georgetown’s offense in high pressure situations causing Georgetown to throw two interceptions.
Defensive coordinator Bernard Riley has been working tirelessly with the secondary to create more turnovers and it paid off. The defense’s five takeaways massively contributed to the offense’s success as it placed them in an advantageous field position.


Another aspect of this game that stood out was Austin’s receiving core, starring Johnny Jenkins, Josh Garcia, Drew Morgan, and Matt Ruiz. The receiving core made plays all day such as Drew Morgan’s 62-yard touchdown catch and Johnny Jenkins 7 yard end zone catch to close out the game.


This Austin high team may prove to be a more formidable opponent than expected.