The Battle of the Lakes played out like a true rivalry between two
great teams as Westlake and Lake Travis traded blows in a heavyweight
bout that went down to the wire. In the end, the Cavaliers came out
barely ahead in a 26-25 triumph Friday at Cavalier Stadium in Lakeway,
TX
“We would answer, then they would answer,” said Lake Travis senior
quarterback Hudson Card. “Those are the games that we look forward to.
Being a rivalry and a one-point game, it’s crazy. I’m just happy with
the way we fought and came out victorious.”
Card passed, ran, caught and kicked his team to victory in an
all-around performance for the ages. He completed 20-of-31 passes for
224 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions against a Westlake
defense that wasn’t making it easy on him.
He also led the Cavs in rushing, caught a key third-down pass on Lake
Travis’s game-winning touchdown drive, and pinned a punt inside the
five, which was followed by a game-changing safety.
The play everyone will remember, however, is the go-ahead touchdown
pass to Grayson Sandlin. Facing 2nd & goal from the 9, Card threw a
fade on an option route to the 6-foor-4 Sandlin, and Sandlin (11
catches, 99 yards) came down with it even as Westlake all-district
cornerback Leo Lowin was all over him.
“I just knew the way he was playing me all game, I knew Hudson would
put it where I needed it. That’s all it took,” Sandlin said. “It’s
incredible… It’s the best feeling in the world, honestly.”
After getting dominated in the trenches last year, Lake Travis
matched Westlake’s physicality and shut down the Chaps’ offense in a
first half that had few fireworks beside a 30-yard touchdown pass from
Card to senior Kyle Eaves (five catches, 89 yards, two touchdowns). Card
rolled right, got the entire Chap defense to move with him, and then
launched a ball downfield to a wide-open Eaves on the opposite side of
the field.
“We just installed a lot of stuff early in the week to stop their run
and it was working,” said senior Lake Travis linebacker Maui Traveino.
“They told us to be physical and do that and it was working… Last year
we definitely were not being physical enough and this year the seniors
really stepped up.”
Westlake made some key halftime adjustments, however, and opened the
second half with back-to-back touchdown marches to take a 17-10 lead.
The Cavs picked back up some momentum when Raleigh Erwin and Trey Wright
met at the quarterback on a zero blitz for a safety. Eaves got behind
the Westlake defense on a play-action pass the next possession to put
Lake Travis back ahead 19-17.
The Chaps got a third second-half touchdown when sophomore Cade
Klubnik hit senior Jackson Coker over the middle for a 20-yard score,
but with all the chips on the table in the final minutes, came up short
on a 43-yard field goal.
“We finished the half with a lot of momentum and then they took the
third quarter and owned it,” said Lake Travis coach Hank Carter. “In the
fourth quarter we got it going a little bit and luckily were able to
finish with the win.”