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Westlake dominate Maroons

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

Set to kick off an old rivalry rekindled between the 4-2 Austin Maroons and the 7-0 Westlake Chaparrals. UT commit quarterback Charles Wright lead the dangerous spread offense of Austin High. On the flip side you had a balanced attack from junior quarterback Cade Klubnik, senior running back Zane Minors and explosive sophomore receiver Jadden Greathouse.  

Westlake received to start and blew the game open on the first play when Klubnik threw a quick screen pass to Zane Minors who exploded down the sideline for a gain of 28-yards. Westlake marched steadily downfield, capping off the drive with a 5-yard touchdown run by Zane Minors.   Austin High quickly surged downfield in their hurry-up offense with 8-yard strikes to Nick Anderson and receiving back Josh Garcia.

Westlake put a stop to the drive forcing a punt from makeshift punter Charels Wright. Westlake asserted their dominance with Jaden Greathouse rumbling downfield and breaking tackles for 28-yards. Nicholas Watanabe moved the Chaps into the red zone with a gain of 21 setting up Zane Minors for another touchdown run: this one for 4-yards.   Now 14-0 the game quickly turned into a one sided affair with the Maroons picking up a few first downs but always being forced to punt. Cade Klubnik scored on a read option for a 3-yard TD run. Zane Minors padded the stats with his third touchdown rush for 9-yards.

Klubnik showcased his arm with a 29-yard laser down the seam to Luke Nicklos for another touchdown. Klubnik scored another rushing touchdown from 1-yard out, at this point the second team replaced the starters.   Though losing 62-0 Austin High still has playoff chances. The offense showed moments of promise, consistently moving the ball, though they failed to convert, you know this will be a major talking point of the Austin High coaching staff. Another bright spot was senior receiver Nick Anderson who has been a stud hauling in the majority of touchdown passes and yards throughout the season. Austin High has a must win game against Del Valle next week.  

Another solid game by Westlake though they knew it was not going to be much competition. Regardless a win is a win in the books as the Chaps look to have an undefeated season though that will not be easy as they match up against Lake Travis next week. Lake Travis had to cancel this week’s game against Akins due to a member of the coaching staff testing positive for coronavirus. Announcements will be made soon if there is any delay in the game against Westlake next week.

Doug Warren: Wimberley Texans Football

Written by Tucker Stephenson on . Posted in HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL.

Texas Sports Monthly recently chatted with Wimberley head coach Doug Warren about the Texans’ playoff run, as well as their explosive offense. Coach Warren also gave his thoughts on the school’s budding athletic rivalry with nearby Canyon Lake High School.

Q: Coach, your offense has averaged over 40 points per game through the first 12 contests of the season. How has that group been able to light up the scoreboard so consistently?

A: It starts with our quarterback, Cooper McCollum. The offense runs through that guy and he gets us in a lot of good spots. Moses Wray, our running back, had a really good night [against Raymondville] and rushed for about 200 yards and is a big part of that. We’ve got several receivers also — Christian Marshall, Josh Limely, Jaxon Watts, Kolby Goforth, Colby Boyle. All of those guys fit into the picture, and there are two or three others as well. 

Q: Who is anchoring the defensive side of the ball so far? 

A: Our linebacker, Cole Schroeder, has really kind of stepped up and settled into a role. (Safety) Colby Wiegman is another guy that’s on that side who flies around and has been somebody to lean on, and I think

Jadon Potts is another one. Those three guys have really kind of been the steady hands for us. 

Q: In the second round of the Class 4A Division II playoffs against Raymondville, you guys won 63-35 in a shootout. What was that game like to experience from the sidelines? 

A: It was back and forth. Neither defense could stop the other’s offense. At halftime it’s tied 21-all and then it’s 35-35 after the third quarter. Then from that point on, we were able to hold them defensively and score 21 in a row. We’ve been in some tough games and some tough situations already this year, so I think that’s an advantage for us in these playoffs.

Q: Is your third-round opponent, Rockport-Fulton, going to be similar to any team you’ve faced earlier this year?

A: They’re a Slot-T based team and run-heavy. Canyon Lake is along those lines and Navarro is along those lines, so we’ve seen teams that are like that. We know it’s a tough challenge for us. They’re going to take the ball and just try to grind it out and shorten the game down and limit our possessions on offense.

Q: Canyon Lake has become a rival of Wimberley since it opened its doors in 2007. There’s even a name for the prize between the two teams — the Battle of the Backbone Trophy. (The Texans won this season’s matchup 45-7). Has it been exciting for the kids and fans to look forward to that game every year?

Coach Doug Warren Wimberley Texans.

A: Any time you have a rivalry, it adds a little bit to the game. They’re just right down the road, so it’s pretty natural. You don’t have to throw in a trophy to make to special — that doesn’t really add anything in my opinion. It’s already what it is, and it’s not just football. It carries over into basketball, volleyball, you name it. Two schools that compete very hard against each other when they play.

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.

Hutto Reloads 2019

Written by Daniel Jones on . Posted in HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL.

Despite losing key players, this year’s team shouldn’t be taken lightly.

Last season, the Hutto Hippos stomped its District 5A-11 competition, many times outright embarrassing their opponents and taking no mercy whatsoever. The team beat Pflugerville Connally 78-14, Cedar Park 65-21, Pflugerville 59-13, Manor 65-35, Rouse 40-0 and McCallum 58-7. Thanks to two powerhouse players and Division I commits, quarterback Chase Griffin (UCLA) and running back Chux Nwabuko III (Texas Tech), the team continued its prowess well into the playoffs but found its match in Foster, who beat Hutto 41-31 in the third round of the state championship semi-finals. “I think everybody knows that the target is on our backs,” Hutto head coach Brad LaPlante said. “I think that’s a big challenge for our kids to repeat as district champions. Yet I know they’ve worked hard to get that opportunity to repeat.” He said his players have a winning mentality, and they care about each other and give their best to their teammates and their coaches. “And that’s a great place to be.”

The 2018 season was the fifth consecutive year Hutto made the playoffs when the team had an 11-1 (6-0) record; so that team isn’t a one-year wonder. Coach LaPlante said that’s because he and his staff are building a program, not just a team from season to season. Sure, last year’s team lost a lot of experience and talent, but he said this year’s team also has a lot of talent and experience returning. This includes a hard-running offense lead by senior tailback Mekhi Kimble, who runs the forty-yard dash in 4.4 seconds; just as speedy is senior slot receiver Dajon Harrison. Coach LaPlante believes senior outside receiver Trey Pinelli “is the best blocker in all of CenTex,” who LaPlante also anticipates will get more ball action this season.

Of course the big question mark is filling the quarterback position now that Chase Griffin graduated and off to UCLA. Hutto has two or three possible quarterbacks, with rising sophomore Grayson Doggett and senior Brock Bujnoch being the top two competing for the position. Key returners on defense are senior outside linebacker Landyn Watson, “a key to the defense’s success.” Senior noseguard Lordswill Uwa has some Division I interest, and junior defensive end Braylon Sugg “at times has the best hands and feet out of all them,” coach LaPlante said. Senior Logan Tipton is a three-year starter at left tackle, and Jayson Vogelpohl is a returning all-district linebacker. 

“We’re going to control our own destiny. We’re really good when we want to be. But we have to make that decision every day to be really good. I like the fact that we are in control. I think we have the pieces to the puzzle to make a run. We may just have to do it in a different way that we did last year.” Coach LaPlante said the returning players have to create a team identity, which will have to start on defense, an element of the team that he feels particularly confident about. Altogether, Hutto’s defense will have about eight returning starters on the line, at linebacker or in the backend as well. Naturally, Hutto’s offense will be forced to fill in big shoes left by Nwabuko and Griffin, who last year was named a Gatorade Player of the Year in quarterback for the state of Texas. Last year, Griffin had 4,051 passing yards, 51 passing touchdowns, 415 rushing yards and eight rushing touchdowns. “You can’t replace them,” coach LaPlante said. “But you find a way to manage the players that you do have. Our offensive coaching staff has done a good job at that. I think everybody thinks we’re done. We had a lot of big-time seniors leave last year, but I think we’re going to sneak up on some people with our team’s speed and how well we play together.”

Top 10 Power Rankings 2019 High School Central

Written by Russell Dowden on . Posted in HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL.

These are our top teams in central Texas based on their rank and returning players for the upcoming season. High School Football kicks-off in 20 Days!

1. Lake Travis

2. Vandegrift

3. Westlake

4. Hutto

5. LBJ

6. Cedar Park

7. Liberty Hill

8. Dripping Springs

9. Cedar Ridge

10. Lampasas