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Author: Steven Ryan

Lake Travis vs. Cedar Ridge Scrimmage

Written by Steven Ryan on . Posted in HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL. 1 Comment on Lake Travis vs. Cedar Ridge Scrimmage

The real games don’t start until next week, but that doesn’t make what Lake Travis did to Round Rock Cedar Ridge Friday night any less impressive. The Cavaliers scored four touchdowns to the Raiders’ one in a scrimmage at Cavalier Stadium in Austin.
Each team ran 60-65 plays, and to no one’s surprise, Lake Travis senior wide receiver Garrett Wilson was the star of the show. The Ohio State pledge caught six balls for 184 yards and four touchdowns while being on the field for only half of his team’s offensive snaps.
Wilson showed his ability to high point the ball on Lake Travis’s third play when he out-leaped the defensive back on a slightly under-thrown deep ball for a 44-yard gain. On the next play, he flashed his aptitude to get yards after the catch with a ten-yard touchdown on a screen pass to the flat.
His third catch highlighted his route running and breakaway speed as he got behind his man on a deep post, caught the ball in stride and zoomed to the end zone for a 72-yard score. For his last grab, he used his physical prowess to outmuscle his defender for a 50-50 ball at the one-yard line and power through him for a 31-yard touchdown.
“It’s awesome,” said Lake Travis junior quarterback Hudson Card with a chuckle. “I know if I throw it up there he’s going to go get it. He’s a great target to throw to.”
Lake Travis has a new offensive coordinator in former University of Texas offensive quality control coach Will Stein, but things didn’t look much different. The Cavs No. 1 offense still threw it a ton, played at a quick pace and had no problems scoring.
Card completed 15-of-18 passes for 295 yards with four touchdowns (all to Wilson) and no interceptions. It somehow could’ve been better. Two of his incompletions were dropped passes on balls that were 30-plus yards down the field.
“It was good to get out here with all the guys and face someone other than our team,” Card said. “(The new offense) is a little different but we practiced a lot of it over the summer and obviously in fall camp so we’re all getting the hang of it and it’s going good so far.”
From the other perspective, Cedar Ridge’s defense may have some problems – especially on the backend. The Raiders lost 10 starters from a unit that allowed 18.2 points per game last year. The pass rush was still there with Texas State-bound Edgerrin Williams and others able to get pressure off the edge, but Lake Travis receivers found a lot of open space in the secondary.
Cedar Ridge’s only score came right off the bat. The first play of the exhibition saw speedy senior wide receiver Jaylen Ellis – a Baylor commit – get behind the defense on a play-action pass for a 66-yard gain. That set up a four-yard touchdown scamper on the next play by senior running back Duece Vaughn. But Ellis was quiet the rest of the scrimmage, and so too was the Raiders’ offense.
Lake Travis sophomore defensive lineman Raleigh Erwin had a sack, a tackle for loss, a quarterback hurry and a number of other stops that had the Lake Travis home crowd hollering his name. Junior linebacker Mauricio Trevion also seemed to be getting his nose in a lot of plays.
Though Lake Travis clearly outplayed its opponent, nothing from the scrimmage actually counts toward the 2018 season. Both teams will be 0-0 and favorites in their respective districts when the season kicks off Friday, Aug. 31. The Cavaliers open at Arlington Martin, and the Raiders at Temple. Both games will start at 7:30 p.m.

Lake Travis Playing Card up their Sleeve

Written by Steven Ryan on . Posted in HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL.

Lake Travis fell painstakingly short of bringing home its second straight state title in a 35-33 loss to Allen last December in the Class 6A Division I State Championship at AT&T Stadium in Arlington. But even though the Cavaliers didn’t achieve their ultimate goal, they did find their quarterback of the future in junior-to-be Hudson Card.
After starter Matthew Baldwin went down with a knee injury on the Cavs’ first offensive play, Card came into the most competitive, pressure-packed situation a high school football player could face and accumulated 306 total yards (224 passing, 82 rushing) and two touchdowns (one passing, one rushing) while helping Lake Travis dig out of 21-0 hole to take a brief second half lead before succumbing to the Eagles down the stretch.
It was a performance that has the Cavalier faithful giddy for his potential.
“The experience he got was a big benefit to him and we are super excited to watch him continue to get better,” said Lake Travis coach Hank Carter.
Card played most of his snaps at wide receiver last year, where he caught 69 passes for 1,137 yards and 13 touchdowns. Lake Travis has a tradition of producing great quarterbacks with eight straight going to play at FBS schools – including 2017 Heisman Trophy winner Baker Mayfield. Card made it nine when he committed his dual-threat talents to the University of Texas over the summer, and Carter is confident his transition to full-time quarterback will go smoothly.
“I think a lot of people have initially thought that Hudson Card is a wide receiver that Lake Travis is going to stick at quarterback,” Carter said. “So I know what a lot of people are going to find out across the country is that no, this dude is a quarterback, and he just happens to be an exceptional athlete.”
Card will have one of the best receivers in the country to throw to in Ohio State pledge Garrett Wilson. Wilson hauled in 96 balls for 1,764 yards and 26 touchdowns last year. Carter, who is a defensive coach at heart, said he has a tough time getting on his cornerbacks in practice because he knows Wilson is that good. He’s the kind of player who can have the defense draped all over him and still make the play.
“I can tell you rarely do I get upset when Garrett makes a play on us because often there’s nothing the kid can do about it,” Carter said. “He’s in the right spot. He’s doing everything he can. Garrett is just such an exceptional player that often times he’ll make a circus catch or makes a cut that kind of leaves everybody standing still. Where in most years I probably would’ve been upset or going over there jumping on a kids’ butt or a coach because we didn’t do this right. Sometimes we do everything right and Garrett, just because of his ability, can still somehow win the play. He’s pretty spectacular.”
#5 Garrett Wilson rushes for yards in Title Game last year.
Carter wouldn’t tip his hand on what other roles Wilson will have this year, but after excelling as a wildcat quarterback, situational defensive back and occasional special teams returner last year, it’s safe to say he’ll wear multiple hats again.
Lake Travis added an impact transfer to its defense in safety/outside linebacker John Hunter Henry from Cedar Park. Henry was previously apart of the Cavalier program as a youngster so Carter is already familiar with him. Henry had 52 tackles, nine pass break-ups and one interception in eight games last year. Lake Travis will also get back senior linebacker Matthew Pederman, who missed last year with a torn ACL, but had 58 tackles as a sophomore.
Carter is hoping these two, along with returning varsity talent and rising JV players, can help a defense that fell off a bit last year. Lake Travis allowed 22.3 points per game in 2017 after never giving up more than 15 in the previous six seasons.
“I think what’s going to be the difference is how kids compete every day in practice and how they are going to gel together,” Carter said. “We’re excited about having those two guys and then plugging in some new guys, too, just coming up from the JV, and guys that have just battled in spring that seem like they are going to be ready to step into a bigger role.”
Special teams could be an area of concern after All-State honorable mention kicker Cameron Dicker graduated and took his boot to the University of Texas. Dicker made 67-of-69 extra points and 12-of-15 field goals last year, including a long of 53 against Pflugerville Hendrickson and a 37-yard game-winner against Cibolo Steele. He also had a 61.2-yard and kickoff average with 38 touchbacks and a 38.9-yard punting average with seven inside the 20. Carter said the supernatural Card will probably take care of punting and that kicking duties are up for grabs going into fall camp.

Cedar Park Timberwolves Bite Back

Written by Steven Ryan on . Posted in HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL.

Many thought Cedar Park’s hopes for a district title were dashed when senior quarterback Mak Sexton broke his femur early in the first quarter against Georgetown. The Timberwolves had lost another team captain in safety Gunnar Chriswisser a few minutes before, and with two of its leaders getting worked on in the training room, fell behind 27-7 by halftime.
But Cedar Park has one of those strong football cultures coaches are always talking about. The kind of culture where its next man up, nobody feels sorry for themselves and everyone plays for each other. So instead of packing it in, the Timberwolves came roaring back for a 28-27 win. Two weeks later, with both Sexton and Chriswisser still out, they beat undefeated Hutto 35-25 to clinch a sixth straight district championship.
“I think (the culture is) instrumental in our success,” said Cedar Park coach Carl Abseck. “Our kids really don’t care who gets the credit, who gets catches, the carries, the tackles, the sacks. They just want to do what they can do to help the team be successful.
“There’s a lot of tradition to uphold and I don’t think they want to be apart of the group that lets that tradition down. We talk to them all the time about the next man up mentality and practice and prepare like you’re a starter because you never know when you might be so I think they take those lessons to heart.”
Sexton’s injury allowed quarterback Ryan Fiala to get some valuable experience as he enters his senior year. The 6-foot-4 righty completed 55.7 percent of his passes for 1,264 yards (5.5 yards per attempts) with 17 touchdowns and seven interceptions. With a full offseason to prepare for his role as QB1, Fiala could be primed for a big year.
“There’s no substitute for playing on a Friday night at the highest level and he got a big piece of that last year,” Abseck said. “He was able to come in and do a great job for his team. The experience that he got was huge and it’s going to pay big dividends for him and for us this year so we’re excited about that.”
Cedar Park’s offense was heavy on the ground game when it won its first state title in 2012 but began shifting to more of an aerial attack when Sexton became starter in 2015. Abseck likes his quarterback and skill guys enough that there will be no turning back in 2018. With a pair of burners on the outside in receivers Brandon Breed and Carson Neel, a great pass catching back in Will Lipscomb, converted-linebacker Logan Mayou playing tight end and rising 6-foo-4 junior wideout Will Udoye coming off a strong season on JV, Abseck sees mismatches all over the field.
“We’re gonna pretty much stay who we are,” Abseck said. “Every year for the last three years, we pretty much upped the ante on the passing yards. I think we want to be a little bit more balanced this year, but we still want to play peddle to the metal and we’re going to throw it around because it really fits the personnel that we have.”
Cedar Park must replace a majority of its defense, including eight of nine varsity linebackers. That unit anchored the vaunted “Black Rain” defense last year with District Defensive MVP Keegan Nichols and All-District first-teamer Jackson Buckingham combining for more than 220 tackles as seniors.
“It’s going to be difficult to replace those guys,” Abseck said. “They were great players for us and exceptionally hard workers, and so that’s not an easy replacement. But that’s been the hallmark of our program, is that the kids coming up from behind on the sub-varsity levels, they’ve been preparing for those moments.”
While the new linebackers get up to speed, the Timberwolves will lean on a defensive line that brings back senior Jesiah Whittington, junior Ben Bell and senior Jacob Munoz. Whittington is a returning first team all-district defensive end who racked up 27 tackles, five sacks and eight tackles for a loss last year. Bell is a returning all-district second team interior lineman who Abseck said “exploded” during the offseason. He’s now 6-foot-2, 240 pounds and recently set the school power clean record. Munoz is undersized but possesses an incredible motor, and they’ll occasionally be joined by senior B. J. Jones, who is moving to offensive line after making first-team all-district on defense last year but will go back to his old spot in certain situations.
Abseck loaded the non-district schedule with four 6A opponents (Vandegrift, Cedar Ridge, San Angelo Central, Katy Cinco Ranch) who went a combined 39-10 last year, and an already tough district that included Hutto and Georgetown will get tougher with the additions of 6A drop-downs Manor and Pflugerville. But when you have a culture like Cedar Park, a tough schedule isn’t a hindrance. Those are just more chances to get better and prepare for what they hope to be a long playoff run.

Big 12 2018 Preview

Written by Steven Ryan on . Posted in TEXAS SPORTS, UT FOOTBALL.

Oklahoma
When you’ve won three straight Big 12 championships like Oklahoma, you’re No. 1 until proven otherwise. But the gap between Oklahoma and the rest of the conference probably shrunk this offseason. The Sooners lost a legend in 2017 Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Baker Mayfield (formerly of Lake Travis). They also must replace unanimous All-Americans in left tackle Orlando Brown and tight end Mark Andrews. It’s safe to say Oklahoma won’t lead the nation in yards per play like it has the last two years. With a defense that hasn’t ranked above 70th during the same time frame, the time is ripe for someone else to take over the throne. But the Sooners are 26-2 in the Big 12 the last three years, and a run game that returns two preseason All-Big 12 offensive lineman with a preseason All-Big 12 tailback in Rodney Anderson (who rushed for 1,079 yards in his last eight games last year) could absolutely pummel a conference that’s isn’t exactly known for its defensive physicality.
West Virginia
Having the best quarterback goes a long way in the game of football, and that’s especially true in the Big 12. The first team all-conference QB has won the league each of the last six years, and this year’s best gunslinger hails in Morgantown. Senior Will Grier averaged nine yards per attempt last year. No other returning Big 12 quarterback averaged more than 7.7. Grier also has a bevy of weapons in senior wide receiver David Sills (who led the country with 18 touchdowns last year), senior slot-man Gary Jennings (fourth in receptions with 97) and two potentially high-impact transfers in former Alabama wideout T. J. Simmons and tight end Jovanni Haskins from Miami. There are certainly questions on defense and in terms of depth, but this offense has the potential to blow the Big 12 away. The Mountaineers also benefit from getting Oklahoma at home on Black Friday in conditions that could be mighty uncomfortable for a team from the south.
TCU
After a two-year adjustment period to get used to the Big 12, TCU has shown it can win against the big boys three top-ten finishes in the last four years. Recruiting has picked up with it. After averaging a 247 composite recruiting ranking of 39 between 2013-2015, the Horned Frogs have averaged a top 25 mark the last three seasons. Head coach Gary Patterson will say he doesn’t care about star ratings, but teams that recruit better typically have an easier time reloading. TCU will start a young quarterback behind an inexperienced offensive line, but the skill position talent has never been better. Senior Kavontae Turpin and sophomore Jaelen Reagor are home run hitters out wide, and the 1-2 punch of junior running backs Darius Anderson and Dewo Olonilua could be devastating if the offensive line opens up holes. Seniors Ty Sommers (a versatile DE/LB hybrid) and Ben Benogu (16.5 tackles for a loss) return to lead a defense that topped the Big 12 in scoring and yardage last year. The unit could be bolstered further by linebacker Jawuan Johnson, a graduate transfer from Northern Illinois who made 18 tackles for a loss last season.
Oklahoma State
There’s more uncertainty than usual in Stillwater, but with three ten-win seasons in a row – and six in the last eight years – it’s hard to see the Cowboys falling too far out of contention. The offense should trend more toward the ground game with 5-foot-10 dynamo Justice Hill returning from a 1,467-yard, 15-TD sophomore season. Who starts at quarterback is anybody’s guess after Mason Rudolph (4,553 yards, 35 TDs) graduated to the NFL. But whoever wins the job will have two sure-handed targets at wide receiver in senior Jalen McCleskey and sophomore Dillon Stoner, with plenty of potential breakout stars ready to emerge alongside them from a deep position group. Head coach Mike Gundy let go of defensive coordinator Glenn Spencer this offseason after ranking in the bottom half of Big 12 scoring defense for the third time in the last four years. He will be replaced by former Duke defensive coordinator Jim Knowles, whose 4-2-5 scheme may be a better fit for the Big 12.
Kansas State
Long live Bill Snyder. The old wizard is still pulling wins out of his hat at age 78. His newest trick is a two-quarterback system with sophomore Skylar Thompson and junior Alex Delton. It’s sometimes said that if you have two quarterbacks, you actually have none. But Snyder brought both to Big 12 media days and each provides a different flavor to the offense, with Thompson being the better passer, but Delton the better runner. They both had their moments last year and will be aided by an offensive line that returns all five starters, including All-American right tackle Dalton Risner, and a strong running back core led by junior Alen Barnes. For the Wildcats to really contend, however, they need to get back to playing defense. Kansas State hasn’t ranked in the top half of the country in yards per play allowed for the last three years.
Photo UT Athletics
Texas
Texas is one of those blue blood programs that’s always one good coaching hire from being great. Is Tom Herman the guy? Some of the best coaches from the last 20 years made significant jumps in their second seasons at programs with similar stature to Texas. Bob Stoops, Jim Tressel, Pete Carroll and Nick Saban (at Alabama) went a combined 27-22 in their inaugural campaigns before going 50-4 in year two and embarking on dominant runs. For Texas to make that leap, it’ll have to replace some key players on a defense that carried a laggy offense to seven wins last year. But the Longhorns always have some talented dudes. Senior defensive end Breckyn Hager (from Westlake) and senior cornerback Kris Boyd both made the preseason All-Big 12 team. The offensive line was a disaster last year but will be helped by potential NFL left tackle Calvin Anderson, a graduate transfer from Rice (and formerly of Westlake). I’ll bet anybody sophomore Sam Ehlinger is the opening day starter at QB. He’s a better fit for Herman’s offense with his power running style, and if he cuts down on the turnovers, it could go a long way in Texas flipping its 1-4 record in games decided by a touchdown or less.
Texas Tech
One of the biggest surprises from the preseason All-Big 12 team was seeing three Texas Tech players on defense in senior linebacker Dakota Allen, junior nickelback Justus Parker and senior safety Jah’Shawn Johnson. But the Red Raiders were better than usual on defense last year and could improve further with 20 of 22 players returning on the two-deep. Texas Tech had a revolving door at defensive coordinator for a while (six in six years) before settling on David Gibbs in 2015. After two tough years of implementing his system and building a culture, Gibbs’ unit finally moved the needle in year three and could be poised for even better things this fall. The offense must figure out who it’s quarterback and wide receivers are, but that’s never been a problem in Lubbock. With an offensive line that returns all five starters, Texas Tech fans are optimistic their team could pull off it’s first winning record in conference play since 2009.
Iowa State
Iowa State shocked everybody with upsets of Big Championship Game participants Oklahoma and TCU on its way to an 8-5 record – its best mark since 2000. Can the Cyclones keep it going? According to Pro Football Focus, junior David Montgomery has the highest elusive rating of any returning running back in the country. Quarterback Kyle Kempt was granted a sixth year of eligibility after completing 66.3 percent of his passes with 15 touchdowns and just three interceptions last year. But he’ll miss playmaking wide receiver Allen Lazard, who graduated after making back-to-back All-Big 12 first teams. Iowa State caught the Big 12 off guard when it switched to a 3-3-5 defense right before conference play. The scheme was a better fit for their personnel and helped the Cyclones hold their league opponents an average of two touchdowns below their season scoring averages. Get that kind of production again, and last year can definitely be repeated.
Baylor
Even though I have them ranked No. 9, I actually think Baylor has a lot of promise. If I were to separate the Big 12 into tiers, I would have OU/WVU/TCU as the contenders, Kansas as the lone punching bag, and the other six programs battling it out in a solid middle class. With good health, a few friendly bounces, and maybe some atrocious Big 12 officiating that works in its favor, I could see this team sneaking into the top half of the conference. I feel this way because quarterback Charlie Brewer played magnificently for a true freshman. The Lake Travis product completed 68.1 percent of his passes for 1,562 yards (7.7 yards per attempt) with 11 touchdowns and four picks. He’s arguably the second-best returning QB in the league. I also believe in head coach Matt Rhule’s ability to develop players, especially on defense. In his last two years at Temple, he had six players selected in the NFL draft, and five of those came from the defensive side. That’s more than any Big 12 member produced from its defense during that time.

Kansas
The Jayhawks haven’t won more than one conference game since 2008. Of their last 66 Big 12 contests, they’ve lost 63 of them. They lost every game against FBS competition last year by double-digits. The average scoring margin in their nine Big 12 losses was 32.1. Head coach David Beaty inherited a dumpster fire when he stepped in before the 2015 season. Previous coach Charlie Weis’s reckless plan to invest heavy on junior college players backfired and left Beaty with only 38 returning scholarship players. Beaty’s been playing catch-up from day one and is, unfortunately, running out of time. Coaches typically don’t make it past year four without significant improvement and Kansas just hired a new athletic director who might want to bring in his own guy. If Beaty does save his job, it’ll be because an experienced squad that returns 91 percent of its production (second in the country) gels together and does much better in the turnover department, where its -17 mark was worst in Power Five last year.

WESTLAKE CHAPS 2018

Written by Steven Ryan on . Posted in Football, HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL.

Westlake head coach
Todd Dodge knows his defensive coordinator Tony Salazar is going to leave him for a head coaching job sooner rather than later, but he’s going to hold on and cherish his prized assistant as long as he can.
The proof is in the pudding that Salazar knows how to coach up a defense. In four years as Leander’s defensive coordinator from 2009-12, the Lions gave up 19.2 points per game – 11.7 in his last season. The year after he left, that number ballooned to 27.1
The year before he came to Westlake, the Cha
ps allowed 27.1 points per game. In the four years since that number has never risen above 17.1.
When Dodge was the head coach at Marble
Falls, he hired Salazar away from Leander because he had so much trouble moving the ball against him. As they say: if you can’t beat em, hire em.
Dodge said the modern spread offense is about having lots of options and Salazar always found a way to take all those options away. He added that Salazar’s organization skills and ability to float around at practice because of his broad depth of knowledge at all the position groups are what separates him from the rest.
When you combine a wise coach with talented personnel the results can be dominant, and Salazar has a number of great pieces to work with on Westlake’s defense.
Senior defensive end David Neil is the boogeyman up front. He made 101 tackles last year with a team high in tackles for a loss (16) and sacks (13) while finishing third in quarterback hurries (nine).
Senior linebacker Jake Ehlinger (little brother of Texas quarterback Sam Ehlinger) is the returning leading tackler with 104 stops. He registered seven of those behind the line of scrimmage with five sacks, four quarterback hurries, and a team-best four forced fumbles.
Junior safety Sage Luther anchors the back after tying the team lead with three interceptions to go with 79 tackles and four pass break-ups while earning the district defense newcomer of the year award as a sophomore.
Dodge admits defense is the strength of this team but is confident the offense will hold up its end of the bargain with senior quarterback Taylor Anderson leading the way.
Anderson was thrust into the starting job as a sophomore when an injury knocked out Sam Ehlinger and put up so-so numbers. He may not have been ready then, but he sure is now after posting 4,010 total yards (2,879 passing, 1,131 rushing), 46 total touchdowns (32 passing, 12 rushing, two receiving), a 63.2 completion percentage, 9.6 yards per attempt and just nine interceptions last year as a junior.
Dodge thinks Anderson will be even better in 2018, and hopefully, he’s right because no one is replicating the production the departed running back Nakia Watson (1,938 yards, 27 TDs) and the offensive line is mostly rebuilding as well.
Dodge’s ace in the hole is senior kicker Gabriel Lozano. Lozano made 83-of-84 extra points and 10-of-11 field goals, including a 40-yard game winner against Vandegrift. He’s also excellent in the field position department, where he averaged 55.1 yards per kickoff with 23 touchbacks and 40.9 yards per punt with nine downed inside the 20.

Cedar Ridge in 2018

Written by Steven Ryan on . Posted in HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL.

Cedar Ridge took a big step last year. After back-to-back district championship seasons ended in the second round of the playoffs, the Raiders won a third straight league title in 2017 but this time followed it up with a trip to the state semifinals before bowing out to eventual state champion Allen. That’s a lot of success for a varsity program only six-years-old, and the most recent feet should help in a myriad of ways
It’s not talked about often, but getting strong turnout numbers play a huge role in the long-term success of a high school football program. Cedar Ridge coach Sam Robinson said they have about 25 more freshmen trying out for football compared to last year and roughly 50 more kids in their junior high camp. He thinks that’s a direct result of last year’s deep playoff run.
It’ll also help from a confidence standpoint. Once an athlete or team has achieved a certain level of success, it makes it easier to achieve that level of success again. Robinson hopes last year’s success can help build a belief and pride in his program like Austin-area powers Lake Travis, Westlake and Cedar Park, who’s winning culture is so ingrained they rarely flinch when the going gets tough.
“I think it was big. We’re hoping to see it this year because we lost a lot of kids. But we feel like we got a really good belief from our kids in what we’re doing and what they’re doing,” Robinson said. “You can see it in Lake Travis and some of those schools, too. Lake Travis lost their first two games last year, no panic. That all comes from winning. We do think our kids have a little bit more confidence.”
Along with a higher level of morale, Cedar Ridge will benefit from continuity among the coaching staff. The Raiders had three different head coaches each of the last three seasons. Robinson, who was the defensive coordinator for one year before being promoted to the head job, said they’ve been able to get a lot more accomplished this offseason because of it.
“I just think that there’s not as much teaching going on. Kids know their routines. Coaches know our routines. So you can just get to work and get to doing everything faster,” Robinsons said. “In football, schematically, defensively, we’re going to be able to do more than we did last year so that’s going to make you better.”
That confidence and corporate knowledge will come in handy as Cedar Ridge returns just one starter from a defense that allowed a district-best 18.2 points per game last year. That one returner, however, is a big one. Texas State commit Edgerrin Dillard-Williams, a 6-foot-2, 220-pound edge rusher, is back for his senior season after making 93 tackles and six sacks with two touchdowns.
“He’s a game-changer,” Robinson said. “He can really make stuff happen. He’s one of those guys that’s always around the ball… He can do his job and sometimes other people’s job.”
One man can’t do everything, though. For the Raiders defense to thrive at the level it did last year, it’ll need a couple of the new starters to step up. One kid Robinson thinks could be primed for a breakout year is junior outside linebacker Devin Taylor. Taylor sat out his entire sophomore year with a torn ACL, but has impressed Robinson since getting back on the field.
“I think (Taylor is) a kid that nobody knows about that everybody will know about this time next year,” Robinson said. “He’s a big kid but he’s extremely athletic, extremely strong, extremely fast and he’s only played freshmen football here but I think he’s going to get plugged in and do some big things for us.”
The offense return three all-district first-teamers in senior wide receiver Jaylen Ellis (a speedster committed to Baylor), senior offensive guard Tre Womble and senior offensive tackle DaWayne Brown. But for the offense to really click, junior running back Chris “Deuce” Vaughn will have to prove he’s ready to fill the shoes of unanimous district MVP Simi Bakare.
Bakare is playing at Missouri after rushing for more than 1,700 yards and 29 touchdowns last year. Vaughn is small in stature at 5-foot-7 but as explosive as they come. He played in place of a hobbled Bakare in the playoffs last year and showed what he’s capable of with 163 yards on 27 carries in a third round upset of Coppell. Robinson thinks Vaughn got even better during the offseason.
“He’s put on some good weight. He’s smaller but… he’s gotten a lot thicker. He had a really good track season,” Robinson said. “He’s really quick, really hard to tackle, but I think he has a little more breakaway speed to go with it. This year he’s going to return punts for us, return kicks for us, so he’s going to be a huge part of what we do.”

Hendrickson Hawks Report

Written by Steven Ryan on . Posted in HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL.

Hawks at Raiders
The Texas Longhorns claimed the moniker DBU (Defensive Back University) in the early 2000s for its penchant of producing NFL-caliber defensive backs. In the Austin-area high school football scene, Pflugerville Hendrickson might as well dub itself DB High. The Hawks have had eight defensive backs in the last 10 years get FBS offers. Senior Myles Brooks – an Arkansas commit who made four interceptions last year – will lead the secondary in 2018.
“It starts with you got to have good athletes,” head coach Chip Killian said of his program’s ability to churn out high-quality defensive backs. “Then I think our coaches do a really good job of teaching those guys specific technique, and then third phase of it is keeping our scheme pretty simple. We’re not a complicated defense by any stretch. But those guys, they’re confident in what they do, they trust what they do, and it allows them to play fast.”
But Brooks and the secondary are far from an offense’s only worry. The Hawks have 6-foot-4, 330-pound senior defensive tackle Shaylon Roberts clogging up the middle. He frees up senior linebacker Clifton Styles – gifted in both run-stopping and pass coverage – who cleaned up with 135 tackles last year. The most dangerous man on Hendrickson’s defense, however, is senior defensive end/linebacker Curley Williams, a California commit coming off a season where he made 90 tackles (18 for a loss) with seven sacks.
“I don’t know what you really call that guy (Williams). You can call him a rush end, or you can call him a rush backer, whatever you guys feel like calling him, to be honest with you,” Killian said. “I think we’re going to be solid in the front seven.”
Anybody who watched the Longhorns last year knows how a strong defense and great punter can feed off each other. Ex-Texas punter Michael Dickson consistently put his defense in advantageous situations position with booming punts that pinned the opposition deep in its own territory. Hendrickson has its own version of that in senior Adam Cousins, who also plays safety and was the backup quarterback last year (starter for two games).
“Just having an athletic guy back there gives you a lot of different options. You got different types of fakes you could do. He’s always a threat to throw the ball or run the ball,” Killian said. “But his ability to rugby kick… We can always get a pretty good net on our punt with that skill so it allows us to flip the field and play a field position game where we’re not worried about having to go for it on fourth down a whole lot and can kind of set our defense up in some positive field position.”
Hendrickson also has a history of producing great running backs. Washington Redskin Samaje Perine (who starred at OU) comes to mind. Kenny Williams enjoyed a nice career at Texas Tech. D.J. Jackson rushed for 1,508 yards and 15 touchdowns last season. He’ll pass the torch senior Timieone Jackson for 2018. Will the younger Jackson take off and run with it?
“We sure hope (he can),” Killian said. “Timieone is an explosive young man. He’s done a good job of working in the backfield with D.J. the last couple years and getting quality carries… It’s just making sure he’s comfortable and getting used to his offensive line and where the holes were… Timieone has phenomenal hands. He played a little bit of slot for us last year and caught the ball a little bit so we’re excited with him out of the backfield catching the ball as well as running it.”
Senior quarterback Blaine Barker will be tasked with putting all the pieces together. Barker is a capable passer and runner who averaged 6.7 yards per pass and 5.2 yards per rush last year. He also accounted for 22 touchdowns (14 through the air, eight on the ground) with only 10 turnovers. But what Killian loves best about him is his intangibles.
“I always feel good about Blaine in a leadership role. He’s such a competitor,” Killian said. “It’s a great thing and then it’s also a thing that kind of gets him into a bind sometimes because he takes a lot of hits because he wants to compete. He doesn’t want to go down. He runs angry for a skinny dude. You wouldn’t recognize him coming down the hallway. He’s not a big guy at all so he just does a super job of leading the team and he’s very much a huddle-presence and the guys play hard for him. He gets along with everybody and he’s just kind of that prototypical leader that you want in that position.”

Looking Ahead with Coach Carter in 2018

Written by Steven Ryan on . Posted in HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL.

TSM: How sweet was it to bring Lake Travis its first state championship at the highest classification?
Coach Carter: It was awesome, man. It was extremely gratifying. Getting to watch the kids set a goal, and work towards it, and 19 weeks of practicing and studying football and schoolwork and workout and weights  and all that to culminate with a state championship at about 11 o’clock in Cowboy Stadium was awesome. That’s one of the reasons that we coach and one of the reasons that we play the game. That was certainly a really special moment.
What can you say about the job Lake Travis Independent School District does in giving you the resources you need to run a successful high school football program?
Our school board and administration and community are tremendously supportive. We have great facilities. More than that our parents are sending us kids that are hard workers and unselfish and highly intelligent and talented. So all those things mixed together, we don’t have any excuses. We should do well with what we have.
Rivalries are one of the funnest aspects of sports. Y’all got a pretty good one with this Westlake/Lake Travis deal, which many consider the biggest regular season game in Central Texas. What are the benefits of having a rival like Westlake?
I think it’s just fun for the schools. It’s always been that way and now that we’re in the same district, it helps determine the district championship, it helps determine your playoff seeding in the first round, whether you get a home game or an away game. So, yea, I think the rivalry in itself is something that makes high school sports special, and they are a tremendous program. They’re nationally known and respected, and I think any time that we get the chance to play them at anything, whether it be football, volleyball, it’s big for both schools and that’s pretty awesome.
How do you feel about what y’all return on offense the season?
Well, we don’t return a lot of starters, but we have a lot of great kids in our program that are working their tails off right now, and they are looking for an opportunity to show what they can do. I’m excited about all the facets of our team this year. I think that our quarterback, Matthew Baldwin, I’m really excited to watch him develop. Obviously Garrett Wilson and Matthew Herrera, two returning starters from a year ago, and then we got a bunch of kids that people may not know their names yet, but they’re going to shortly. We’ve had a great fall camp so far and I love their attitude and the way that they’ve gone about coming out to practice everyday trying to get better.
How do you feel about the state of the defense with the season-opener right around the corner?
I think this year, defensively, by the time the coaches, we all get figured out where we play everybody, I think we’re going to have an awesome, awesome defense. Like a year ago, we’re having to shift some pieces around because of graduation, because of the body types that we have in the program. So we’re still trying to figure out where the best spot for everybody will be. But we got a ton of kids that are smart and gritty and tough and they’re excited to get out there and go run and chase that ball on Friday night so we’re looking forward to it.
You’re starting the season with two big-name opponents in Cibolo Steele and Converse Judson. Why do you go out and schedule these state-powers to start out the year?
Well, a couple reasons. No.1, we are just trying to fill our schedule, to be honest with you. It’s pretty difficult for us to find teams that are willing to play, so that’s part of it. We don’t want to have to leave the state. We don’t want to have to drive halfway across the state more than once if we don’t have to. So we’re looking for quality opponents, and more than anything, we’re looking for, we want 10 in-state ballgames. So I’m excited about our non-district schedule. It’s four great teams, great programs. We had a long trip last year up to Dallas (to play Dallas Jesuit) and this year we’ll be going to Converse. Obviously, all four teams we play in non-district, they’re great, and we got our work cut out for us in all four of those games.

Can Westlake beat Lake Travis? AGAIN?

Written by Steven Ryan on . Posted in HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL.

Can Westlake beat Lake Travis?

By Hunter Cooke

It’s been a long time since Austin Westlake beat Lake Travis, and this is the year that they can unseat the massive demon in black and red.

Lake Travis is looking somewhat vulnerable after dropping a game to Converse Judson and having their defense exposed a little bit. No one has scored less than 31 on the Cavaliers, and with the emergence of Taylor Anderson at quarterback, the Westlake offense is as strong as it has ever been, especially with massive senior running back Nakia Watson.

 

Lake Travis still has the athletes to defend well, but they haven’t been anywhere near as dominant as they were the last two years. The Cavaliers still have plenty of time to get it together, but make no mistake, last year’s defense isn’t walking through that door.

 

The X-Factor in this game, and for the season for Lake Travis, is tight end Kyle Wakefield. The massive senior is capable of completely dominating a game, but if he can be corralled, it’s a huge part of the dominating Lake Travis offense that’s been taken away.

The biggest element that could tip the scales in Lake Travis’s favor is Garrett Wilson. The junior can do absolutely everything for the Cavaliers, and will assuredly make some very significant plays in the big game.

However, Westlake’s defensive line might be the strongest part of the team, and one of the best kept secrets in Texas high school football. Led by Braden Cassity, the line is definitely capable of doing some damage to the Lake Travis offense if they can’t hold down their defensive front.

 

In short, it’s definitely possible, but there will be some things that need to break Westlake’s way for it to fully come to fruition. Westlake has the Cavaliers at home this year, which will factor in, but if they can lean on their run game and pressure Lake Travis quarterback Matthew Baldwin, they’ll definitely have a solid chance.

THE PRIDE of Cedar Park

Written by Steven Ryan on . Posted in HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL.

TSM: Your head coaching career began with 28 straight wins and a state title. When you first got into the profession, did you imagine your first head coaching job getting off to this good of a start?
Coach Abseck: I don’t think anyone would imagine getting off to that type of start to begin their head coaching career, however by no means was I able to do that by myself.  I have a great staff of men who joined myself, Brent Brittain and Rob Schoenfeld on that first staff and we were blessed to have a talented, experienced, and very hungry group of seniors to help lead our team that year.  Having fallen short the previous season in the championship game, they were very motivated to redeem themselves and our program and we were fortunate to fight our way to a championship.  I am very blessed to be the Head Coach at Cedar Park High School, the community, school administration and our kids are so fun to work with and are driven to be successful.
That 28-game win streak y’all had going got snapped in the regional semifinals last year with a 47-35 loss to Manvel. What did y’all learn from that defeat?
We learned that if you do not play as well as you are capable of, and or make mistakes in a big game against a talented team that the result is probably not going to be in your favor.  We were able to use that game as a huge motivator throughout the off-season and summer and it is easy to point out several seemingly small mistakes that had major consequences to our success or failure as a team in that particular game which I believe will pay dividends for us this season.
How do you feel about what y’all return on offense going into the season?
Obviously we are blessed to have one of the best, most experience quarterbacks in the state back to lead our offensive unit for the 3rd year in Mak Sexton.  Additionally, we have 3 starters back on the offensive line in Jonathan Kelly, Mason Brooks and Trajaan Chase, and our top 3 receivers in Drew McDaniel, Payden Sawicki and Carson Neel, all returning as well.  That gives us a really nice nucleus of experience to build around and we have a lot of competition for playing time and for those remaining jobs fighting it out which should bode well for our offensive success.  Some of those include, Brant McDonald, Will Lipscomb, Ibri Leal, Josh Walker, Carlos Woolery, Mitchell, Venincasa, Sammir Alzer, Braeden Hufford, Jacob Gross, Nicholas Lannan, Hunter Parks, Brandon Breed and Dalton Hayek. I feel like we are ahead of where we were this time last year and believe that with their work ethic we have a chance to be one of the best offenses we have had at Cedar Park High School.
How do you feel about the state of the defense with the season-opener right around the corner?
I believe that we will continue to be one of the better defensive units in the state in class 5A.  We have a great group of coaches that work tirelessly in preparing our young men to be successful.  We return 2 very good inside linebackers in Keegan Nichols and Jackson Buckingham to build around, Gunnar Chriswisser, Hunter Henry, and Austin Hewitt all return with experience in the secondary and we have several guys fighting for playing time on the defensive line, outside linebacker and cornerback.  Some of those include, Allen Grones, Levi Bell, Ben Bell, Jacob Munoz, Logan Mayou, Bradly Lovell, Chigozie Onyia, B.J. Jones, Aries Ramos, Eric Shine, Desmond Brink, Cole Hollen, and several others.
You’ve said before you worked under three great head coached who groomed you for this job in Wichita Falls icon Leo Brittain, and Cedar Park’s Chris Woss and Joe Willis. What did you learn from each of them that helped you get started?
I started my career as an assistant under Coach Brittain at Wichita Falls and I couldn’t have been luckier as a young coach because of his knowledge and willingness to share and the staff was much the same way.  Attention to detail, organization, dealing with athletes, leadership training were some of the things that I remember vividly from working under him. I find as I get older as a coach, that many of my philosophies as a coach were very much influenced by what I learned from Coach Brittain.  Coach Ross is such a student of the game, always working to find new ways, schemes, to attack defenses, I really learned to study our opponents and being prepared for whatever they might bring to the table to try and stop us offensively.  Coach Ross is a great communicator, teacher of the game, and I believe I am better in those areas after coaching with him for over 14 years.  Coach Willis is a master motivator, very much a thinker, always tinkering with what we did to improve it and make it more difficult to defend.  I don’t think he was ever satisfied with doing things the same way and is always thinking about how to make things difficult for your opponent.  I was always impressed with his knowledge of the game on both sides of the ball, much like Coach Ross, and I felt like he really tried to involve everyone in the process of game planning for our opponent.  Most of all I think all three of those men believed that family was important and allowed you as a coach to be involved with your kids and take care of your family as much as possible, and I always appreciated that and try to do the same for my staff.
Y’all start the season playing a Waco Midway squad that’s won seven straight district titles (five outright, two shared). What are you most looking forward to in that matchup?
I look forward to seeing our team continue to grow, improve and how are younger less experienced players react and step up while playing on Friday nights.  It is also a match up of two teams led by very talented quarterbacks and I look forward to seeing how they compare.  We have won 5 straight District Titles, one shared, and 7 in the last 8 years, so our kids are accustomed to being successful, understand the work that is required for success and expect to be successful.  Midway is a very well coached, talented group, with several Division 1 commits and others with offers so it will be a tremendous challenge for our team and will be a great gauge for us to see where we are currently and what we  have to improve on  to reach our goals for the season.  We schedule tough games that will help us grow and mature so that we can be successful when it matters most which is district, and then hopefully the playoffs.  We will be battle tested when we hit that part of the schedule for sure.