Texas Sports Monthly is in the Process of Composing our 7th Annual 2022 Kickoff Season Magazine.This year’s Fall Book is a preview of Texas teams that are looking to get back on top of grid-iron glory and make a deep run in the playoffs. Also profiles the Texas Longhorns and the future of Westlake Chaps as coach Todd Dodge made out like a bandit retiring into Texas high School Football glory after a Three-Pete run as State Champs.
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Round Rock, TX; Lake Travis Cavaliers wide receiver Chernet Estes (10) unable catch the pass as North Shore Mustangs defensive back Jacoby Davis (5) defends during the second quarter at the Class 6A Division 1 state semifinal playoff on Saturday, Dec 11 2021, at Kelly Reeves Athletic Center.
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Within the borders of the Lone Star State, the amount of reverence for the name Dave Campbell long ago reached mythical proportions.
How else did his annual summer publication get dubbed “the bible of Texas football” without a trace of sarcasm or hyperbole?
The legendary sportswriter and editor died at age 96 on Friday, Dec. 11 in his Waco home and left behind a legacy as rich and detailed as the magazines he was famous for producing. Campbell, who began piecing together his Texas Football publication from his kitchen table in Waco in 1960, saw it become the go-to guide for all things gridiron-related with regard to his home state.
Greg Tepper, who took over as the managing editor of Dave Campbell’s Texas Football in 2011, said the founder left an indelible mark not only on the sport of football, but the state itself.
“He was a visionary and a pioneer,” Tepper said on Friday. “He was a wizard with a typewriter — an unbelievable writer and editor and a true icon of Texas journalism. All of that is true, but the reason why there’s a hole in our heart today is not because we lost a great editor or a great writer. It’s because we lost Dave.”
A Waco native, Campbell graduated from La Vega High School before enrolling at Baylor University. After earning his Bachelor of Arts degree in 1950, Campbell served as the sports editor of the Waco Tribune from 1953 to 1993.
Prior to that, Campbell served the United States Army in the 14th Armored Division that fought in France and Germany during World War II.
Campbell’s first issue of Texas Football was published in 1960 and featured the Longhorns’ Jack Collins on the cover. Over time, the magazine grew from its humble beginnings to include every college and high school team in Texas — and offered an unprecedented deep dive into the roster of each squad.
Current Westlake head coach Todd Dodge remembered being in the 1980 summer edition of Texas Football as a senior quarterback for Jefferson High School in Port Arthur. Dodge said he got to meet Campbell when he began coaching in the 1990s at Cameron Yoe.
“I think back to the first time I got to meet him and he was such a genuine kind man,” Dodge said. “It was a real thrill for me. As the years progressed, I always made sure to come see him at coaching school and shake his hand and see how he was doing.”
Although Campbell sold the rights to Texas Football in 1985, his name continues to grace the cover of every publication and he still served as the editor-in-chief until his recent passing. Campbell was also an instrumental part of moving the Texas Sports Hall of Fame from Grand Prairie to Waco in order to revive it as well as give it a stronger foothold.
Campbell’s fame grew to a national level as his work earned him respect from coast to coast. He also spent time as the president of the Football Writers Association of America and even took on a role that oversaw the process of Heisman Trophy voting.
But Campbell was a true Texan, in every sense of the word. His gentle smile and willingness to chat about all things football — including his beloved Southwest Conference — will endure as long as student-athletes flock to grocery stores and corner shops to grab a magazine bearing his name.
ARLINGTON — The Westlake Chaparrals have finished yet another season of Texas high school football unbeaten, unchallenged and unequaled.
Westlake (16-0) capped a rare three-peat after defeating Denton Guyer 40-21 Saturday night at AT&T Stadium in Arlington during the Class 6A Division II state championship game. The win gives legendary head coach Todd Dodge his second career three-peat, as he won in 2004, 2005 and 2006 with Southlake Carroll before claiming titles in 2019, 2020 and 2021 with the Chaps.
It was also the final game for Dodge, who steps away with Westlake riding an incredible 40-game winning streak.
“They’re going down in very rarified air,” Dodge said of his 2021 team. “To win back-to-back-to-back state championships, there’s only about five or six in the history of the state of Texas that have done it, and now we’re going to be a part of that.”
Guyer (14-2) made things interesting with a quick flurry in the first half that led to a surprising 14-13 halftime lead. However, Westlake turned on the afterburners in the last 24 minutes to accelerate past Guyer for good.
The Chaps outscored the Wildcats 27-7 after intermission to hoist yet another championship trophy.
“That was gritty,” Doddge said of his team’s effort in the second half. “I knew these kids had it in them. I knew they were not going to leave this three-year window and be remembered as a team that folded after one bit of adversity. They believed and they fought their tails off against a great Guyer team.”
Wildcats quarterback Jackson Arnold twice answered Westlake scores in the first half, as he ran in a 15-yard touchdown before finding Jace Wilson on a 9-yard score that put Guyer up by a single point at intermission.
The Chaps regrouped out of the locker room and saw Cade Klubnik hit Bryce Chambers for a 15-yard TD pass to give Westlake a 20-14 lead. Guyer rebounded and vaulted ahead once again following a 6-yard scoring run by Arnold, but the Wildcats were held in check for the remainder of the contest.
Meanwhile, Klubnik began to cook.
Arlington, TX; Westlake Chaparrals quarterback Cade Klubnik (6) throws a pass against the Guyer Wildcats during the first quarter at the Class 6A Division 2 state championship playoff on Saturday, Dec 18, 2021, at AT&T Stadium.
After Charlie Barnett set a new state championship game record with a 53-yard field goal to give the Chaparrals a 23-21 edge, the senior signal caller ended the third period with a 69-yard TD strike to Jaden Greathouse.
Klubnik then opened the fourth with a back-breaking score in which he found Greathouse for a 71-yard TD. Mark Sayegh tacked on a late field goal as Westlake cruised to a 19-point win in front of more than 32,000 fans in Arlington.
Klubnik finished the game 14 of 21 passing for 280 yards and four TDs, while Greathouse hauled in seven passes for 236 yards and three scores while setting a new state championship record for receiving yards in a contest and earning Offensive Player of the Game honors.
Klubnik added 66 rushing yards on eight carries.
Westlake’s defense also made history by tying a single-game state championship record with nine total sacks. The Chaps saw defensive ends Colton Vasek and Ethan Burke tally three and two sacks, respectively.
As for Dodge, he said after the game it’s time for him to finally enjoy some family time after helping Westlake build one of the most dominant dynasties in Texas history.
“I’ve got three beautiful grandchildren in the DFW area and I want to be a pawpaw and be around those guys,” Dodge said. “Elizabeth and I, at least here for a little while, are going to act like we’re retired.”
Arlington, TX; Westlake Chaparrals head coach Todd Dodge rallies his team before the game against the Guyer Wildcats at the Class 6A Division 2 state championship playoff on Saturday, Dec 18, 2021, at AT&T Stadium.
ARLINGTON — The Dodge Bowl began as a back-and-forth shootout, but a second-half landslide by Austin Westlake helped father Todd Dodge reign supreme in a once-in-a-lifetime matchup against Southlake Carroll, which is coached by his son, Riley.
The Chaparrals prevailed 52-34 at AT&T Stadium after striking for 31 straight points to turn the tide after Westlake found itself tied with the Dragons at 21-all in the second quarter.
Westlake’s Michael Taafe, who was named the game’s Defensive MVP, picked off Quinn Ewers to end the first half and added a spectacular one-handed pick in the third quarter as the Chaps surged to a multi-score lead.
Cade Klubnik, Zane Minors and Grey Nakfoor ensured Westlake’s offense kept moving the chains, and Jaden Greathouse made Carroll pay downfield with impressive receptions that went for big yardage.
It was another dominant performance for the Chaps (14-0), who claimed the Class 6A Division I state title a season after winning the Division II championship.
“It was a slugfest,” Westlake head coach Todd Dodge said. “Our defense answered the bell in the second half. Offensively, that’s the best game our offensive team played all year long and we played well at times. In the big-time games, big-time players step up.”
Westlake led 28-21 at the half and immediately marched toward a touchdown in the third quarter that was tallied by Nakfoor on a 4-yard run.
On Carroll’s next drive, Taafe plucked a Ewers pass out of midair with an outstretched right hand, and moments later, Klubnik jogged across the goal line from 4 yards away to give the Chaps a 42-21 lead.
From there, Westlake began to assert its will and kept piling on the points.
“It wasn’t anything that we really changed,” Taafe said of the second-half turnaround. “To be honest, we were a little nervous. I was, too. They kicked us in the mouth the first couple of drives and we just said to ourselves, ‘Do we want to keep doing this, or do we want to stand our ground and stop it?’ That’s what we did — we got some turnovers and it worked out in our favor.”
Nakfoor tacked on a 5-yard TD run with 8:29 to go in the game, and the Dragons (12-2) added two late scores that were sandwiched around a successful onside kick.
Klubnik was named the Offensive MVP after going 18 for 20 passing for 220 yards and a score. The fleet-footed senior also ran for 111 yards and two TDs.
Minors led Westlake with 135 yards and a score, which came on a 75-yard burst during the Chaps’ first offensive snap and helped tie the game at 7-7.
Back came Carroll, as Ewers went up top and found Brady Boyd for a 49-yard TD. Westlake wasted little time responding, as Nakfoor found a seam and sprinted ahead for a 38-yard score.
The two teams again traded scores in the second quarter. Greathouse put the Chaps in front with a 15-yard reception in the end zone on a perfectly-thrown pass by Klubnik, but Boyd answered by hauling in a 27-yard score from Ewers.
From there, however, the Chaps’ vaunted defense began to come up with some key stops. Klubnik tallied a 1-yard scoring run with 1:12 to go in the second period to give Westlake the lead at 28-21, and the Chaps caught fire down the stretch to seize the program’s third state championship overall.
“This football team that I had the pleasure of coaching this year collectively loves the game of football more than any team I’ve ever seen,” Todd Dodge said. “I can’t tell you how proud I am of them. We had to kind of will our way to a victory.”
Following the triumph, Westlake’s coach said his message to his son Riley was simple.
“I told him I loved him,” Todd Dodge said. “I told him I’m so proud of him and I told him he has one hell of a football team.”
Westlake secured the second state championship in program history at AT&T Stadium in Arlington by relying on one of the oldest coaching clichés in football.
You can’t lose if the other team doesn’t score.
The Chaparrals won the UIL Class 6A Division II crown by blanking Denton Guyer 24-0 at the home of the Dallas Cowboys. An interception by defensive back Henry Smogur secured the shutout late in the fourth quarter.
It was the first state championship since Drew Brees led the Chaps to glory in 1996. This time around, the quarterback was Kirkland Michaux, who capped the season with 2,894 yards passing and 44 touchdowns in addition to 404 yards and another seven scores on the ground.
In the title game against Guyer, Michaux tossed all three of the game’s TDs. The senior signal caller found Jake Misch on a 5-yard score in the first quarter and added a 33-yard strike to Mason Mangum in the second period.
“Our defense really kept us going,” Michaux said after the game. “The momentum they gave us was insane. I was able to give us some big plays.”
Michaux helped extend Westlake’s lead to 21-0 in the third quarter after hitting Jackson Coker for a 39-yard TD toss. Just for good measure, Chaps placekicker David Leadbetter tacked on an 18-yard chip shot late in the stanza to give Westlake a commanding lead.
The Chaps finished the 2019 campaign with a 15-1 overall record, with the lone loss coming against Lake Travis back on Oct. 11. That 26-25 setback cost Westlake a chance at the District 25-6A title, but head coach Todd Dodge’s team bounced back and steamrolled each of its next 10 opponents.
How dominant were the Chaps down the stretch? They won their final four district games by an average margin of victory of 50.3 points per game.
In the playoffs, Westlake continued its roll by winning its six contests by an average margin of 30.7 per outing. That includes a 63-3 bludgeoning of Katy Taylor in the state semifinals.
The state championship was the fifth overall for Dodge, who previously claimed four titles as the head coach at Southlake Carroll. However, the latest triumph was especially meaningful.
“This has been a bucket list wish for (wife) Elizabeth and I to come back to Westlake and be able to win a state championship here,” Dodge said. “After a six-year wait, this means everything to me and my family.”
The Chaps’ fearsome defense was paced by senior defensive back Leo Lowin, who led the team in tackles with 98. Lowin, a 6-foot-1 cornerback, also routinely shut down opposing wideouts, as did senior safety Sage Luther, who added 89 total stops this season.
The duo also tallied seven interceptions between the two of them.
Up front, senior defensive linemen Austin McClendon and Bobby Duncum kept quarterbacks on their toes all year. McClendon posted a team-high nine sacks, and Duncum added another six. As a team, the Chaps registered 38 total sacks and also notched an impressive 33 total takeaways — 17 interceptions and 16 fumble recoveries.
By comparison, Westlake’s offense only turned the ball over 14 times during the entire season.
Michaux’s top targets in 2019 were senior wide receivers Ryan Lindley and Mangum, who capped the season with a combined 2,325 yards and 34 scores. Lindley hauled in 101 passes, which was a team-best total by a whopping 37 receptions.
On the ground, junior running back Zane Minors supplied 871 yards and 14 scores on 100 carries.
Two teams would enter only one would emerge victorious as the 6A DII Texas UIL Football State Championship was underway with the Westlake Chaparrals taking on the Denton Guyer Wildcats. Both teams had risen to the top of their division due to their physicality and run game and both were prepared to out-muscle and out-work the other. In a surprise upset Westlake shut out Denton Guyer 24-0 in a game with many twists and turns.
Both teams are no strangers to the big lights at AT&T stadium with a combined total of 13 championship appearances including tonight. Guyer won its two titles back-to-back in 2012 and 2013. While Westlake’s victories were much further apart with one in 1996 and the other in 2019. Coincidentally, Denton is 0-2 against the Dodge family (Todd Dodge – Westlake and Riley Dodge – Southlake Carroll) this season and 14-0 against everyone else.
“There’s no doubt that they are ready to play. They’re ready to go after a state championship and we’ve got a tremendous opponent in front of us, but we’re gonna have fun tonight,” said Westlake head coach Todd Dodge of his team.
“On the way here, I wore the Drew Brees jersey that Sam wore in the Sugar Bowl, the Westlake one. I kinda got in my mojo, but it’s awesome. When I was a freshman, I was behind [Ehlinger], and it’s really cool to have him here and have him watch us win state,” said Westlake quarterback Kirkland Michaux.
Westlake received to start the game and as they always did they looked to assert their physical dominance. Starting off with two straight power runs it proved unfruitful as the wildcats matched the Chaps physicality. Westlake than took to the air and exploited a defensive weakness as Westlake quarterback Kirkland Michaux would complete a series of passes, 18-yards, 35-yards, 11-yards, and a 5-yard touchdown pass to Jake Misch who was wide open in the end zone.
Guyer electrified the crowd as their speedy kick returner brought the ball all the way to the house. However a flag was thrown and it was called back due to holding, the fans excitement soared then plummeted. The Wildcats would have to slog it out getting down field as they went through three 4th down conversions. They then suffered a major casualty with the loss of star quarterback Eli Stowers due to injury. Stowers, a four-star recruit committed to Texas A&M is reported to have torn the posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) in his left knee. With Wildcat fans shocked, silent and heartbroken, freshman qb Jackson Arnold bravely took the field. Arnold whose hands were visibly shaking, understandably having been thrown in to the un-fillable shoes of Stowers, attempted his his first throw, which was intercepted by defensive back Michael Taffe in the end zone.
The game from here on out would be a defensive one. Guyer continued that trend forcing Westlake into a three and out. Jackson Arnold would than fumble the snap and get sacked on the ensuing play by Westlake defensive end Austin McClendon once again forcing them to punt.
Denton Guyer got the ball back after a Westlake punt and star running back Kaedrick Cobb went to work weaving and juking his way through defenders for a pickup of 26-yards. Than the pressure came as Westlake defensive back Michael Taff came roaring into the pocket and dropped Arnold for a loss.
Westlake would put together a long drive aided by 4th down conversions and somewhat lucky penalties. The highlight was a 10-yard catch by Ryan Lindley and Kirkland Michaux being sacked in the backfield by Dotun Olanipekun. Then on 4th&18 from the 33-yard line the Chaps went for it, what seemed to be a terrible decision was in motion. Michaux rolled out to his left and fired a missile down field to Mason Magnum for a 33-yard score. The Westlake fans erupted.
Guyer would intercept Michaux’s pass before halftime but nothing would result. Westlake did everything fairly well in the first half, they were lock-down on defense and the passing game was roaring, the number one thing was to get Zane Minors going. For Denton Guyer it was about getting the offense going, especially through the air, they had 15 passing yards through the third quarter and that would simply not due against a strong Westlake defense.
Coach Dodge had this to say going in to halftime,”We’re not running the ball well enough right now. We’re making some explosive plays in the passing game. We got to do a better job of protecting the quarterback, the second half. Got to get a little bit more out of our run game.”
Coming out of halftime Guyer quarterback Jackson Arnold just did not want to be pummeled by players 100 pounds heavier than him. Sadly, his wish did not come true. On the first drive he was sacked twice by Austin McClendon and Will McConnell. The Guyer defense would continue to generate pressure on the quarterback but it was no help as the offense was essentially a stationary turret that was out of bullets and the secondary was a piece of armor that was hit one too many times.
Westlake took advantage of this as Kirkland Michaux found a wide open Jackson Coker down the field for a 39-yard touchdown. Westlake put the game on cruise control only scoring a field goal from there on out, but still managing to stay on top.
Westlake defensive back Henry Smogur would get an interception putting him in company with Michael Taffe (1 int, 1 sack) who won defensive MVP. Michaux completed 20 passes for 285-yards and won the offensive MVP of the championship. His favorite target was Ryan Lindley (7-65) who went out with a hand injury as well as Mason Mangum (3-79-1).
“We have a very physical football team,” said Dodge when asked about the physicality of his players. “We have a bunch of kids that the worst thing that can happen to them is, to come to video on Saturday morning and have their team see them being soft or less than physical or giving less than great effort and that’s such a great peer pressure in our locker room.”
Westlake held their opponents to a scoreless game with a 24-0 victory. Westlake brings the title back home to Westlake/Austin which has not been done since their first state championship trophy in 1996, known as the Drew Brees era. After being eliminated multiple times by North Shore (2019 6A D1 state champion) they finally brought one back, symbolizing a banner year for Todd Dodge where he achieved 200 career wins and a Texas 6A DII State Championship.
“What a tremendous job that they’ve done all year long and I just, I am so happy. I’m so happy about the state championship,”commented Dodge on his team’s victory.
Jackson Coker had this to say about the team’s journey,”It’s unbelievable. This is something you know we’ve been working for, you know some of these guys I’ve been friends with since I was about two years old, and just to come out here and play the way we played is just, I’m at a loss, it’s unbelievable. It means everything, you know, we have a tradition of winning and I’m just glad that we could come out and uphold that to the potential that you know we held ourselves at.”
At McLane Stadium in Waco, a Texas high school football 6A Division II semifinal took place between the Westlake Chaparrals and the Katy Taylor Mustangs, both teams fighting to advance to the state championship at AT&T Stadium. The Chaps had made it to the semifinals the previous two years but were unable to tell the tale of anything further. The Mustangs, however, were in their first-ever semifinal game. Westlake swiftly eliminated Katy in a massacre ending with the Chaps winning 63-3.
After running through their hand painted banner with the modo ‘Hustle and Heart set us apart’, Katy received to start the game and were immediately welcomed to the semifinal round by Westlake who forced them to punt early. Katy’s defense followed in the same manner forcing Westlake to punt. On Westlake’s next drive they needed to make a play. They started with a 17-yard pass from quarterback Kirkland Michaux to Ryan Lindley. Next Michaux rolled out to his left firing a missile downfield to receiver Mason Mangum for a 33-yard touchdown.
After once again punting Katy’s defense would put up a fight. Mustang linebacker Martian Nowlin was able to sack Kirkland Michaux for a 15-yard loss. Starting in amazing field position on Westlake’s side of the field Katy put a nine play drive together highlighted by Keaton Kubeckas 15-yard catch to set them up for a field goal they would make.
The field goal was a bright spot for Katy and would remain so as their nightmarish first half would drag on and on. Westlake had the ball and were looking to end the game early. Jackson Coker, a jack of all trades, was lined up at running back, Kirkland Michaux found him on a middle seam route for a 60-yard catch and run straight into the endzone.
Westlake’s dominance would continue as defensive end Austin McClendon sacked quarterback J Jensen III. Capitalizing on the short field Kirkland Michaux would find Jake Misch in the back of the end zone for yet another Westlake score. Michaux also found freshman receiver Jaden Greathouse on the quick slant for a 6-yard touchdown.
With 45 seconds remaining in the half, Katy was just trying to make it to halftime alive but Westlake would not let that happen as they hunted the Mustang’s returner down forcing and recovering a fumble. As the Chaps had all game they threw the ball deep and on this play all-time leading Westlake receiver Mason Mangum was the recipient of a 38-yard touchdown.
Mason Mangum catches a 38-yard touchdown pass from Kirkland Micheaux.
Heading into halftime Westlake was up 35-3 and showed no signs of slowing down. On offense, the Chaps were finding holes and exploiting them as Kirkland Michaux had five first half passing touchdowns. The defense was doing their part and I would attribute that to the defensive ends. They collapsed the pocket on passing plays and more importantly played the inside zone and option hand-off incredibly well.
Westlake received to start the second half and the game was all but over as they quickly reasserted their dominance. It started out with a 41-yard touchdown pass to Jackson Coker who was left wide open in the end zone without a defender in sight.
Westlake defensive back Lucas Mireau then intercepted J Jensen III’s pass setting up yet another deep Westlake throw. Mason Mangum would run a great corner-post pattern to find himself once again open in the end zone for his third touchdown and Kirkland’s seventh. Kirkland Michaux wanting to add a little extra scrambled for a 29-yard touchdown to put yet another nail in the coffin.
Kirkland Michaux totaled 215-yards on scoring plays alone, and 302-yards on the day. Mason Mangum lead in the receiving game with 143-yards, all three of his touchdowns were in the 30-40 yard range. Jackson Coker who had 100-yards on the night averaged 33.3-yards per touch as well as a 66% touchdown rate for every touch.
Coach Todd Dodge talks with his Quarterback after a touchdown drive in the 2nd quarter of the 6A Division II semifinal at McLane Stadium in Waco TX Saturday December 14th 2019.
Westlake’s backups came in to the game for the remainder of the fourth quarter. Head coach Todd Dodge and his 2019 Westlake Chaparrals are heading to AT&T Stadium next Saturday to attempt what has not been done in the last 23 years…Bring a championship title home to Westlake. The Chaps will face the number four ranked Texas team Denton Guyer, who is fresh off a 35-17 win over Westfield.
Eight teams entered the Texas high school 6A Division II Regional playoffs, only four teams emerged with a shot at the state championship. The Alamodome was where the Westlake Chaparrals took on the Brandeis Broncos in what turned out to be a one-sided affair as the Chaps dominated in a 42-14 win over the Broncos and took their next step towards a ring.
Westlake received the ball to start the game, hoping to repeat last year’s victory in which they over powered Brandeis 26-0. It was a shaky start for Westlake after quarterback Kirkland Michaux’s first pass was nearly intercepted. On third down receiver Jackson Coker threw the ball on a reverse play to Mason Mangum who dropped it, luckily for them, Ryan Lindley was in the right place at the right time as he caught the tip for a 33-yard gain. Kirkland Michaux threw a fade to 6’4″ freshman Jaden Greathouse who elevated over the defender to make an epic 21-yard touchdown grab.
Unlike Westlake, Brandeis was looking to change the result of last year’s game, starting with an explosive kick return the Broncos would be positioned at Westlake’s 34-yard line. After six moderate gains and a holding penalty, the Broncos were on the 18-yard line. Star running back Corion Holmes was lined up at tight end and for good reason, as Holmes sneaked past the defense finding himself wide open in the end zone for the touchdown.
Westlake would get the ball back and look just as dominant. Brandeis may have them in a 3rd & long but Kirkland Michaux and company would always find a way to move the chains. A great example is 3rd & 14 in which Michaux found Jackson Coker for 16-yards to keep the drive moving. The Chaps would than find themselves on the 1-yard line and the call was obvious, quarterback keeper, Kirkland Michaux powered his way in for Westlake’s second touchdown.
After an Austin Mcclendon sack Brandeis would be forced to punt the ball away to the dangerous Chaps offense. Kirkland Michaux was getting it done on the ground as he rushed for 49-yards at this point. He was basically a human bowling ball knocking over the Broncos like pins. The Chaps offense would not get a strike or a spare that drive in fact they had a gutter ball as they missed the field goal.
The next Westlake possession was similar to the second and dissimilar to the third. Jaden Greathouse would once again make his presence felt with an 18-yard catch, in the first two-quarters Greathouse had four catches for 55-yards and a touchdown. This helped set up Kirkland Michaux for yet another 1-yard touchdown run moving the lead to 21-7.
Heading into halftime Westlake’s offense was looking good and in my opinion had one standout, Jackson Coker. Coker is essentially playing the Taysom Hill (Saints quarterback) role on this team. Coker totaled 109-yards throwing, running and receiving the ball. One player the Chaps needed to get involved was junior running back Zane Minors who had four carries up until this point for 18-yards.
Brandeis would get the ball to start the second half and they were looking for any glimmer of offense they could find. Junior quarterback Jordan Battles sparked that with a 36-yard run that would be put to waste as Brandeis missed the field goal. Westlake now in possession took my advice and feed the beast in Zane Minors.
Minors would get the first four touches on the drive and earn 17-yards. Much like Brandeis, Westlake would not be able to put up any points after turning the ball over. With reinvigorated energy Brandeis was fired up, so was Westlake’s Bobby Duncan as he would strip Battles of the ball and Taevin Brown would recover for Westlake.
Westlake would later go onto run the score as well as stat lines. With a 20-yard pass to Ryan Lindley, an 11-yard touchdown run by Zane Minors, a 22-yard touchdown throw from Michaux to Greathouse, a 6-yard touchdown run by Zane Minors and just for fun an interception by Westlake safety Sage Luther.
Kirkland Michaux (who would be taken out later in the game) threw for 153-yards and a touchdown while completing 17/24 passes, Michaux also added 50-yards on the ground and two touchdowns. Zane Minors would rush for 66-yards on 13 carries. Ryan Lindley had 93-receiving yards, Jaden Greathouse totaled 93-yards.
In the end, Westlake played very well on both sides of the ball. They will face a formidable opponent in the State Semi-finals round that has been somewhat challenging in recent years. Westlake will look to change that narrative as they face the winner of the upcoming Katy Taylor/Cy Creek game next Saturday in Waco.
The Westlake Chaps have been dominant in regular season play and look to continue their streak in the second round of the playoffs. A team that is used to winning expects to win. They handled the Cibolo Steele Knights convincingly 30-7 in the first round with ease.
Up next are the Brennan Bears at Texas State stadium over in San Marcos, last year they cruised to a 49-7 win, but Coach Dodge doesn’t want to look past them as they travel down IH-35. “We’re very excited to play at Texas State stadium we haven’t played there. Brennan is a very good team, we played them last year, but it didn’t show how well of a team they were, we jumped on them early.”
Coach wanted to make sure the Chaps doesn’t overlook their opponent. With just one loss this entire season he understands not to look at their next challenge. Every game is important. This week Coach Dodge wanted his team to take in this is a whole new year. “They (team) understand that Brennan is 9-2, they’re good and a very athletic team.” A one game at a time approach. A great team is disciplined and continues to get better.
Coach Todd Dodge asks for an explanation from an official on the sidelines in the Battle of the Lakes game at Lake Travis on October 11th 2019. The Cavs defeated Westlake 26-25!
Coach Dodge has one phrase of how his guys will respond when he needs them to make plays. “Next one in line.” Dodge believes in his players, no matter the conditions. He’s led them to a near perfect season. Westlake’s lone loss came against Lake Travis as they lost by one. Close games will not be an issue for his team.
As the next playoff stage of teams get ready to play it will all come down to coaching. Coach Dodge has earned himself as Central Texas’s top tier coaches.As the playoffs filter out the elite teams closing out their games let’s hope Westlake will stand victorious in San Marcos.
For the second straight year, Hays went into the Westlake game
undefeated and within reach of a district title. And for the second
straight year, Westlake turned it into a laugher. The Chaps scored
touchdowns on each of their first nine possessions and got another
outstanding game from their defense in a 65-7 route Friday night at Bob
Shelton Stadium in Buda, TX.
After spending the season’s first eight weeks rotating
quarterbacks, Westlake finally handed the keys to senior Kirkland
Michaux. The tall righty showed exactly why the coaches put their trust
in him by completing 15-of-23 passes for 287 yards with four touchdowns
and no interceptions. He also added a touchdown on the ground.
“There comes to be a point where you have to give one of them
more reps than the others,” Westlake coach Todd Dodge said of the
quarterbacks. “Kirkland has been in our quarterback room since he was a
freshman. A lot of people don’t remember, but he was the guy that was a
play away during his freshman season, so he’s been around a long time… I
thought he played really well against Lake Travis before his injury. He
led us on some big-time drives, ran the ball well, was very accurate
and he continued it tonight.”
Most of Michaux’s completions went to senior wide receiver Ryan
Lindley, a crafty slot-man who finished the night with nine receptions
for 111 yards and a touchdown. Arkansas commit Mason Mangum – also a
senior – had two touchdowns on his three catches for 62 yards. Freshman
Jaden Greenhouse (3 catches, 62 yards, TD) continues to flash talent
beyond his years and junior running back Zane Minors (10 carries, 87
yards, 3 TDs) gave the running game a punch that will come in handy as
Westlake chases down a state title.
“We’re becoming harder to defend by personnel. We’re spreading
the ball around to a lot of different people. Our running game is
starting to pick it up,” Dodge said. “We’re getting so many more people
involved, not only in the passing game but in the run game. Grey Nakfoor
and Zane Minors are really stepping up at the running back position.
It’s a nice little 1-2 punch. Our quarterbacks are running the ball
well. A lot of the night tonight, even though he made some big plays,
they chose to double Mason Mangum and we went in some different
directions and spread the ball around, so that’s where we are. We are
getting a lot of production from a lot of different people.”
Hays came into the game averaging almost 400 rushing yards a
game with its old-school slot-T offense. The scheme is so different from
what most kids are used to that it can cause major problems, even for
the most talented defenses. Westlake’s resistance, however, was ready
for what came at them. Hays mustered only 112 yards on the ground on 2.4
yards per rush. The Chaps also got a blocked punt from senior Jackson
Coker and an interception from senior defensive end Austin McClendon
deep in Hays territory to set up easy touchdowns.
“Absolutely great preparation. This is a tough team to prepare
for because of the slot-T. You only see it probably once a year, and I’m
so proud of our defense,” Dodge said. “It’s just about kids just being
gap sound, being unselfish. You really have to be unselfish when you
play a team like this. The defensive line, we tell them, if you don’t
make a tackle, you could play a great game just by holding up, not
getting trapped, staying in your gap, getting hats to the ball. In
today’s era of spread offenses, our kids are pretty physically. But,
boy, you have to really turn it up against a team like this and put your
big boys pants on in this kind of physical matchup.”
