Westlake has taken an impressive leap this 2019 season, when they score at least 30 points they are undefeated. Lake Travis is there lone loss during the season when they barely lost 26-25.
The Chaps are rolling this season otherwise. Kirkland Micheaux leading behind center has taken his team to dominant wins over Lehman, Del Valle, Akins, and Austin High. Standing at an impressive 6’5 the senior has played smart football throwing less than 5 interceptions so far in the middle of the season and has 14 touchdowns under his belt. A 73% completion rate at a little over 13 yards per completion it’s amazing to think that for every pass he gains a first down on every drive.
There are three receivers that have over 350 yards this season all averaging over 13 yards per catch. When you pass to Lindley, Greathouse, and Mangum you will get a first down. It’s nice to think that you have three receivers you can rely on to assist in moving the ball down the field against opposing defenses in the Central Texas area. They will be relied on heavily as the season goes along. Micheaux last season had a taste of playoff football before losing to the West Brook Bruins in the Semifinals. A game away from state, he has experienced the playoff atmosphere and is more than ready to lead them deeper in the playoffs this season. A state championship is ready for the taking, can they take that next step?
After loosing Senior QB Taylor Anderson last year to injury late in the season; Coach Todd Dodge has tried a different strategy in 2019. This year he has kept defenses on edge playing three Quarterbacks in the trio of Kirkland Michaux, Cade Klubnik and Drew Willoughby. Should any player go down then all three have had plenty of playing time this season and will be ready for NEXT MAN UP football Friday Nights in late November and December this year.
Micheaux carries his leadership from last season giving Westlake another hope of the prized State Championship in 2019. Coach Dodge has kept his program at an elite level for years reloading with players across the board. With just a few weeks before playoff time Kirkland Micheaux can’t lay off the intensity and therefore must give his team hope into the playoffs. Texas football takes it to another level when the playoffs start. Teams are either pretenders or contenders. This Chaps team along with their quarterback will contend come playoff time.
AUSTIN, Texas –
Westlake High School celebrates its 50th anniversary and Homecoming
with several events beginning Friday. The weekend of events includes
tours of the school, a former WHS staff lunch. an alumni association
tailgate and culminates with the Homecoming volleyball game against Del
Valle at 6:30pm and the football game at 7:30pm (SOLD OUT).
Saturday, the Eanes Education Foundation will host the Inaugural Distinguished Alumni Brunch, which will recognize:
Rich Riley ’92 Former CEO of Shazam & Co-Founder of HomePoint
Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Nick Foles (9) and New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees (9) speaks after an NFL divisional playoff football game in New Orleans, Sunday, Jan. 13, 2019. The Saints won 20-14 to advance to the NFC Championship. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)
Drew Brees ’97 Super Bowl MVP-Winning Quarterback & Philanthropist
Alexis Jones ’01 Author, Activist & Founder of I Am That Girl & ProtectHer
Outstanding Young Alumni
Matt Nader ’07 Advocate of Sudden Cardiac Arrest Awareness
The event will be hosted by KXAN meteorologist and WHS alum, David Yeomans, with guest speaker, WHS alum Alexis Jones.
A
full list of 50th anniversary/ Homecoming events is below and attached.
Westlake junior Ryan Mulcahy created the 50th-anniversary logo
(attached) after a school-wide logo contest.
Friday, Oct. 18, 2019
12:09pm – 1:45pm
Former Westlake HS Teacher Luncheon – WHS Courtyard Former WHS teachers are invited to a free, come-and-go, live music event with lunch provided
5pm
Westlake HS Tour – Front entrance of WHS on Westbank Dr. (near stone marquee)
Alumni are invited to tour the campus, see old hangouts and hear about new student programs
5pm – 7pm
EEF / Alumni Association Tailgate – Across from WHS in Dr. Brian Smith’s parking lot
Free, come-and-go EEF event to gather, recognize and welcome alumni
6:30pm
Homecoming Volleyball Game vs. Del Valle HS – Competition Gym
Tickets required
7:30pm
Homecoming Football Game vs. Del Valle HS – Chaparral Stadium SOLD OUT; reserved seating for alumni and former teachers
Saturday, Oct. 19, 2019
9:45am
Westlake Tour – Front entrance of WHS on Westbank Dr. (near stone marquee)
Alumni are invited to tour the campus, see old hangouts and hear about new student programs
10:30am-12pm
EEF Distinguished Alumni Brunch – WHS Commons
EEF
complimentary brunch (RSVP required) to recognize inaugural class of
WHS Distinguished Alumni and unveil the new Alumni Wall with Founders
Circle in the Commons. All alumni invited to attend.
For
50 years, Westlake High School has been lauded as one of the top high
schools in Texas and the nation. The school was constructed after two
contentious community elections proposed separation from Austin ISD and
the construction of a high school dedicated to Eanes students. The first
vote was in favor of the split, 708-564. After disgruntled residents
challenged the election, another vote passed in favor, 1,000-601. In
1969, Westlake High School opened making Eanes ISD a K-12 school
district.
For information on the history of Eanes ISD and Westlake High School, visit http://ehc.eanesisd.net/.
For information on Westlake High School’s 50th-anniversary events, visit www.eanesisd.net/WHS50.
Friday
night, a decades-long hometown rivalry was rekindled as the Austin High
Maroons took on the Westlake Chaparrals. The student sections were
jammed packed with loyal fans who tirelessly cheered on their team. The
unyielding support compelled both teams to play with more energy and
vigor. This game was one for the books and even broke records as
Westlake’s senior wide receiver Mason Mangum became the all time
receiving leader in Westlake football history.
Westlake
came into this game with 32 consecutive winning seasons as well as a
21-2 record against Austin High dating back to 1994 and were the
favorites in this matchup. Though the odds were against them, Austin
High looked to put up a fight and turn the tides.Ultimately it was not
enough as Westlake overpowered Austin winning 63-8 and pushing the all
time record to 22-2. Putting Westlake in a comfortable 5-0 position,
they look like division favorites this year.
Austin
High received the ball to start the game, coming off a good win against
Lehman they looked to carry the momentum onward. Westlake quickly shut
that down forcing the Maroons backward into a 4th & 20. The Maroons
came out in punt formation. Westlake surged through the left side of the
formation allowing senior wide receiver Ryan Lindley and junior
defensive back Lucas Miruer to get a hand on the ball ultimately
blocking the punt.
Starting
on Austin’s 10-yard line senior quarterback Kirkland Michaux scored on
Westlake’s first play from scrimmage. Kirkland ran the ball in on a 10
yard quarterback keeper putting the first points on the board. In this
game Kirkland was one of four quarterbacks who played for Westlake
Highschool.
Austin
jumped out to a better start on their second drive after picking up a
first down, however they were soon confronted by a problem that lingered
throughout the game. Pass protection. Austin simply could not handle
Westlake’s pass rush as quarterback Charles Wright was in constant
duress. On that drive, Charles was sacked by senior defensive end Bobby
Duncum to ultimately end the drive.
Starting
on Austin’s 44, Westlake hoped to repeat their last drive that ended in
a touchdown. This time Austin’s defense was a little bit stiffer as
they forced Westlake into multiple third downs. Stoping the Westlake
offense on the last two downs, Austin forced them into a 3rd & 2
situation from about the 16. Needing the first down, Westlake running
back Grey Nakfoor took it straight up the middle resulting in Westlake’s
second touchdown.
This
game was truly a battle in the trenches. It was decided by which team
was going to be more aggressive upfront and put the other team in a bad
situation. At times Austin High was able to do that, but ultimately
Westlake won the battle in the trenches. Their offensive line provided
clean pockets as well as running lanes. This was the true defining
factor of the game.
Throughout
the first half Austin was not able to sustain any drives giving
Westlake multiple opportunities to score. Westlake did just that,
scoring over 40 points in the first half, including a 29-yard touchdown
pass from Kirkland Michaux to Mason Mangum and a 10-yard touchdown pass
from Kirkland to Ryan Lindley. After a sack by Austin High’s Abrion
Boudreaux, Westlake quarterback Drew Willoughby threw a 65-yard
touchdown pass to freshman receiver Jaden Greathouse.
Heading
into halftime Austin needed to change something, while Westlake was
focused on preserving their lead. Westlake took their foot off the pedal
in the second half as they ran a slower-paced offense and were more
conservative. On the flip side, Austin came out firing hoping for
redemption or just something to build on.
Austin’s
offense and defense played much better in the second half, though it
was not enough to reclaim the lead, it was a valiant effort.
After
having multiple drives that stalled out on 4th down, Austin needed to
make a play and they did just that. Set up nicely by a PI call Austin
hiked the ball from Westlake’s 26 yard line. On the right sideline
senior wide receiver Colby Kalbacher went deep on a fade route with a
money pass from Charles Wright. Austin had scored their first touchdown.
Austin went on to get the two point conversion. This meant that Austin
scored more points against Westlake than any other team this season.
Offensively,
Westlake quieted down but Austin High middle linebacker Everett Butler
did not. Butler went sideline to sideline making tackles and blocking
passes. Butler was the highlight of the Austin High defense, along with
defensive lineman Abrion Boudreaux.
That
was not say that Westlake did not make defensive plays in their own
right, as demonstrated by senior free safety Sage Luther’s interception
to set the Chaps up in great field position.
Westlake’s
offense was looking to run the clock out when all of the sudden Chaps
running back Zane Minors burst through the middle of the field for a
76-yard touchdown run, he took off and never stopped.
“Great
early field position and good pass rush”, is what Westlake head coach
Todd Dodge attributed to this victory over Austin High. When
asked what area of the team he is most focused on improving, Dodge
said, “I’m most looking forward to improving our running game on
offense.”
“I
will continue to use all three QB’s. Together they lead the greater
Austin area in passing yards, TD passes and completion percentage. Stats
aren’t important but production is. They have all been productive”,
Dodge answered when questioned about his multi-quarterback strategy.
It
was a great game played in historic House Park. Westlake, heavily
favored coming in, came out with a win but the Maroons put up a good
fight. The Maroons have another tough matchup against the Lake Travis
Cavaliers this week while Westlake has a favorable matchup against the
Lehman Lobos.
Westlake and
Cedar Park went toe-to-toe in a competitive scrimmage between two of
the area’s best teams Friday at John Gupton Stadium in Leander, TX.
Cedar Park scored more points with three touchdowns compared to
Westlake’s one touchdown and three field goals, but the Chaparrals
seemed to move the ball better, especially when the first-teamers were
on the field.
Westlake
split reps evenly between three quarterbacks who combined to complete
33-of-46 passes for 317 yards with one touchdown and one interception.
Head coach Todd Dodge may very well continue the quarterback rotation
into the season as senior Kirkland Michaux (15-of-20, 196 yards, one
touchdown), senior Drew Willoughby (7-of-12, 133 yards, one
interception) and sophomore Cade Klubnik (11-of-14, 88 yards) all showed
strong command of the offense while sometimes leaving a bit to be
desired.
“We threw
the ball a bunch tonight and… I can’t wait to get to the video to look
at it,” Dodge said. “There’s going to be some really good things that
were done by all three of these kids, and obviously some mistakes that
were made. A lot of that has to do without getting out in front of
somebody for the first time. When you play the position of quarterback,
sometimes it feels like you’re in a blender, and for all of them it’s
about making things slow down.”
No matter
who’s throwing the ball, Westlake’s group of pass-catchers will make
them look good as Friday’s scrimmage showed just how deep the Chaps are
out wide. Westlake’s first six completions went to six different
receivers. Senior Mason Mangun led the way with five catches for 105
yards and a touchdown, but senior Ryan Lindley (10 catches, 100 yards)
and senior Jack Hoover (five catches, 101 yards) made it clear that
defenses can’t key too much on Mangum without getting burned somewhere
else.
“I was
really pleased with the receivers,” Dodge said. “That’s the strength (of
the offense). Our returning wide receivers and the depth that we have
there… that’s where we have the most experience, and from a receiver
standpoint, we want our offense to be a spread-the-wealth kind of
offense.”
Cedar Park
was able to contain Westlake’s offense, however, with some timely
defensive play. The Timberwolves forced three turnovers (while
committing zero) and held the Chaps to field goals on all three of their
trips to the red zone. The best defensive play came from junior safety
Joshua Bretz, who stripped and stole the ball from a Westlake receiver
to set the Timberwolves up with a short field from which they scored one
of their touchdowns.
“Defensively,
I thought we played outstanding,” said Cedar Park coach Carl Abseck.
“(Westlake is) huge up front, they got a phenomenal receiver core and
they made some plays, but we made some plays, too… and we were very
basic, so I really pleased with how we played with a very basic
gameplan… To see our defense stand in there and stop them inside the red
zone multiple times was fun and encouraging and give us a lot of
confidence going forward.”
It looked
like Westlake’s defense will pick up where it left off with its newly
found tradition on that side of the ball. Former defensive linemen
Braden Cassidy and David Neil helped fuel the Chaps to back-to-back
district titles that last two years, and on Friday it was 6-foot-5,
230-pound Bobby Duncem who led the way as Westlake registered nine-touch
sacks and regularly had the quarterbacks desperately running away on
pass plays that didn’t call for a quick release.
“The one
unit I said I’ll go ahead and praise right now without looking at the
video was the effort of our front on getting pressure,” Dodge said. “We
were running a lot of people in there, and I think before it’s all said
and done, we’re going to have some good depth on our defense line, and
that’s something we’ve been blessed with over the last three or four
years.”
Despite all
the pressure, junior quarterback Ryder Hernandez showed out well by
completing 14-of-24 passes for 116 yards and a touchdown. An average
quarterback would’ve done a lot worse.
“He’s a competitor, and he’s a good athlete and that’s part of the game,” Abseck said. “You’re going to get pressured at times, and there’s going to be times where we hold in there better and just let him sit in the pocket, but him getting out of the pocket is a good things for us, too, because that opens up passing game gives people a little opportunity to get open sometimes.”
Two of Cedar Park’s three touchdowns came when Westlake had its second-team defense on the field.
“This year, something special is going to happen.”
Kirkland Michaux is staring at the throne, the starting quarterback position for Westlake High School’s varsity football team. It’s his senior year, and although college seems like a lifetime away, time is creeping on in. Football season is here. And if the end of last season proved anything at all, it showed how Michaux was ready when the grill got hot. Let’s go back to the fourth round of last year’s state championship quarterfinals against Vela, and Westlake senior starting quarterback Taylor Anderson gets hurt pretty bad in the fourth quarter. Michaux, then a junior and the team’s backup quarterback, took to the opportunity in the same way a relief pitcher in baseball might come in late to finish out a game for a struggling or tired starting pitcher. Michaux entered that particular game once Anderson labored off the field, and then lead the Chaps to a 28-0 victory. “Taylor and I were super-close, and we always prepared together,” Michaux said, who added that being a pitcher for Westlake’s baseball teams helps him get into games so efficiently and “get going where we left off. But, honestly, I love the pressure.If you want to be a starting quarterback in 6A football, you better love pressure.”
He went to lead the Chaparrals two more games into the state championship quarterfinals, before losing to West Brook 35-30 in mid-December and falling out of the tournament. Westlake’s final record was 13-2 (8-0 in 25-6A). “The biggest thing I learned was to be patient. That’s probably the biggest thing that helped me along the way, to be patient and trust my line, and be able to put the ball to people.”
Michaux looks to read option the ball in the 2018 State Playoff match against Beaumont Westbrook. The Bruins defeated the Chaps 35-30 @ Legacy Stadium last December in the “2018 Football State Championships – 2018 Football Conference 6A D2” tournament.
The ability to meet the pressure head-on may certainly be a theme in the young man’s football career thus far. In week three of the 2016 season, Westlake head coach Todd Dodge first brought up the young freshman Michaux from JV to be the varsity’s backup quarterback and he got some playing time. “That helped me so much, because I got to run the offense at such a young age. I think it really helped my development.” His sophomore year, he played quarterback in eight games for Westlake, some of which were starts, but Anderson ultimately had the starting position. That is, until Anderson got hurt late last December. So “I had to step it up. And those were the two most-fun games I’ve ever played in,” Michaux said. “I threw a touchdown, and that gave me some confidence going into the quarterfinals. We just got outplayed in the semifinals.”
His next chapter is still a question for Michaux, now a senior with a 3.6 GPA. He wants to play either baseball or football in college, perhaps even both, and he’s been in talks with Rice, Colorado State and few other schools. But right now he’s undecided on where to attend college. And yet the starting quarterback position is still up for grabs. Westlake head coach Todd Dodge said he will play various players at quarterback the first few weeks of the season to see who fits.
Michaux will surely be working hard to earn the position. Coach Dodge said he feels confident in any player who takes on that role and can lead the team offensively. Yet all that matters to Michaux right now is Westlake getting ready for a strong season where the goal is always the same, coming from such an esteemed program. “Our goal is always to win States. That’s what it’s been for a long time. And the goal doesn’t change,” Michaux said. “We have some guys coming in who don’t have a ton of varsity experience, but they’re learning really well. And we’ve all been playing together since Pop Warner, and I just feel like, this year, something special is going to happen.”
Westlake
coach Todd Dodge’s impassioned postgame speech said it all. After his
team’s season came to an end with a hard-fought 35-30 loss to Beaumont
West Brook in the Class 6A State Semifinals at Legacy Stadium in Katy,
TX, Dodge got emotional with his boys as he expressed the emotion he
felt about the heart and toughness they played with. Despite missing key
offensive starters and trailing by double-digits most the game, the
Chaps came back and had the ball with a chance to win before getting
stopped on fourth down at midfield in the final minute.
“They’re
just a blue-collar, hard-nosed bunch of kids that no matter what the
circumstances are don’t think they should lose,” Dodge said. “Just very,
very proud of this bunch. This one will hurt, but we’re not going to
let it take our joy away.”
West
Brook had shown a penchant for making big plays all season and that
didn’t stop against a Westlake defense that came into the game allowing
only 7.5 points per game. The Bruins scored three touchdowns of at least
66 yards to take a 25-10 lead into halftime. The first was by the
defense as junior defensive end Markel Clark and senior safety Darrel
Hawkins Jr. combined to force a fumble that was recovered by senior
safety Daniel Coleman and returned 70 yards for a touchdown.
Westlake
answered with a 29-yard touchdown pass from junior quarterback Kirkland
Michaux to senior wide receiver Penny Baker on the next drive. But
Bruin senior running back Robert McGrue broke free for a 68-yard score
on the second play of the second quarter, and a few minutes later,
senior quarterback La’Ravien Elia hit junior wide receiver Thaddeus
Johnson on a quick slant, and Johnson bounced off a tackler and darted
to the end zone for a 66-yard touchdown. The Elia-to-Johnson connection
was on all day, as Johnson hauled in eight passes for 205 yards.
“Tonight
for a three-hour window, we ran into a team that was better than us for
this three-hour window, to be honest with you,” Dodge said. “Hats off
to West Brook. They did what they needed to do. They put their athletes
on the field and made plays… What a great job they did. Tons of speed
and good luck in the state championship.”
Michaux,
who was making his first career start, struggled early on. He completed
just 5-of-15 passes for 88 yards while taking four sacks and losing the
fumble that was returned for a touchdown in the first half. But the
second half was a different story. Michaux went 8-for-13 for 138 yards
with two touchdowns (one rushing, one passing), no turnovers and just
one sack taken after the break. His top targets were Baker, who finished
with five catches for 96 yards including his first half score, and
junior Mason Mangum, who hauled in five balls for 105 yards and 38-yard
score near the end of the third quarter.
The
Bruins continued making big plays in the second half. They had three of
40 yards or more, including a trick play where senior wide receiver
Deonte Thompson got a lateral and launched a 46-yard touchdown to a wide
open McGrue to make it 35-17 late in third quarter. But Westlake put
the clamps on West Brook’s last two drives. The Chaps got a
three-and-out following Mangum’s 38-yard touchdown catch, and then
senior linebacker Jake Ehlinger checked in on offense and scored a
four-yard run to cap a nine-play, 67-yard drive that made it a
single-digit game for the first time since the opening moments of the
second quarter.
West
Brook got all the way to Westlake’s five on its final drive, but junior
defensive back Leo Lowin chased down junior Jakobi Holland for a
14-yard loss and Ehlinger made a nine-yard sack to knock the Bruins out
of field goal range. After a fourth down stop, Westlake got the ball and
drove to midfield before stalling out. When Michaux’s fourth down pass
fell incomplete, West Brook’s sideline and crowd roared with euphoria,
while the Chaps’ rampant energy whooshed away. Dodge, however, made sure
to pick their heads back up after the game. West Brook will play for
its first state title since 1982 Saturday at AT&T Stadium.
“We
settled down (after the first half),” Ehlinger said. “At first we got
caught off guard, got on our heels. But we stepped it up. We knew that
we had to leave all that we had on the field because it could’ve been
our last time and it was. We stepped it up and I feel content with how
we played in the second half… It just proves what type of team we are.
We’re a family. We told ourselves that we wouldn’t feel non-content
with ourselves. We knew we would leave it all out on the field and
that’s what we did. We have less points than they do at the end of the
day, but it is what it is.”
Westlake’s football tradition was built on prolific offenses led by legendary quarterbacks like Drew Brees, Nick Foles, and Sam Ehlinger. But for the last two years, the defense has taken over. That was never truer than on Saturday night in Alamodome, where Westlake held San Antonio Brandeis to just three first downs and 52 total yards in a 26-0 win for the Class 6A Div. II Region IV title in San Antonio.
“It’s
what we’ve become accustomed to,” said Westlake coach Todd Dodge. “You
don’t take it for granted, though. Our kids have played well all year.
Our defensive coordinator (Tony Salazar), I wouldn’t trade him for
anybody in the state of Texas. That’s our bell cow. They have been from
day one.”
The
defensive performance was more needed than at any point this season.
Westlake has suffered a rash of injuries on the offensive side of the
ball. Senior center Blake Webster, a 38-game starter, got hurt late in
the regular season. Senior running back Tripp Graham, who had rushed for
1,266 yards and 15 touchdowns, went down earlier in the playoffs. And
senior quarterback Taylor Anderson, who Dodge called “the heart and
soul” of the team, fell to the injury bug last week. All three won’t be
back.
“They now have to take an extra burden,” Dodge said. “We’re just finding ways to win and riding that defense.”
Westlake Todd Dodge coaches his team after winning the Class 6A Div. II Region IV title.
Westlake
used two quarterbacks in place of Anderson. Junior Drew Willoughby
started the game and threw a 33-yard touchdown pass to junior wide
receiver Mason Mangum on the Chaps’ second drive. He finished 4-of-8 for
54 yards with an interception. But junior quarterback Kirkland Michaux
got his chance in the second quarter and played at another level.
Michaux
can thank junior wide receiver Jackson Coker for his first touchdown
pass. Coker came down with a 36-yard bomb in triple coverage to put
Westlake up 14-0 with 8:19 left in the second quarter. But Michaux’s
ability to run the ball got the offense going and reminded everyone of
the fallen Anderson, who had 771 yards and 10 touchdowns rushing.
Michaux rushed for 141 yards and a touchdown on 18 carries while
totaling 99 yards through the air on 7-of-12 passing.
“I told (the quarterbacks) at the beginning of the week that if we’re going to do something special these last three weeks, it’s going to take both of them. The quarterback room is going to quarterback us to something special,” Dodge said. “There’s no ego with those kids. We went with Kirkland a little bit more because of his ability to run the football, obviously, and we got the ‘W.’”
Senior
Rhett Kelly and sophomore Jax Crockett were in charge of taking on
Graham’s workload. Crockett churned out 37 yards on nine carries before
injuring himself. Kelly totaled 62 yards on 16 carries while catching
four passes for 26 yards. Coker led all receivers with 59 yards on three
receptions. Mangum had two grabs for 38 yards. Senior Penny Baker and
sophomore Chapel Stewart hauled in one ball apiece, Baker for 19 yards
and Stewart for 11 yards.
Brandeis
didn’t pick up a first down until its seventh drive, and that
possession ended with junior safety Sage Luther picking off his fourth
pass of the season. Westlake’s defense got a safety late in the third
quarter when senior safety Drew Webster tackled a Brandeis player who
had just recovered his own fumble in the end zone for a 16-yard loss.
The Broncos’ only first down in the second half was immediately followed
by a 10-yard sack from junior defensive lineman Bobby Duncum. Westlake
finished the game with nine tackles behind the line of scrimmage.
“This
is what we expected,” Dodge said “This is a tough blue-collar team.
It’s all about next man up… No one is going to feel sorry for us… This
is a real special game. The tradition at Westlake High School long
before we ever got here was if you make it to the final four, your
picture gets on the wall (in the football offices). That’s a big deal.
This was wall week for us. These kids go on the wall.”
Westlake raced out to a monster first quarter lead and never looked back in a 70-14 beat-down of Hays Friday at Chaparral Stadium in Austin.
The Chaps (7-1 overall, 6-0 District 25-6A) got three touchdown passes from senior quarterback Taylor Anderson and a pick-six from senior linebacker Ben Pankonien to build a 28-0 advantage in the opening period.
From there, it was smooth sailing as the Chaps were able to empty the bench late in the third quarter of a game that was supposed to be more competitive.
“(Getting off to a strong start) is what we talked about all week because against a team like that you never know how often you’re going to get the ball back,” said Westlake coach Todd Dodge. “Every possession has got to be crucial. Sometimes, it’s running the ball, keeping the ball away from them. Tonight, it was we got the matchups we wanted in the passing game. We were able to exploit that.”
Hays (7-1, 5-1) came into the game undefeated but had yet to play an opponent of Westlake’s caliber. The Chaps quickly put the Rebels back in their place.
Typically reliant on a stingy defense and powerful run game, Westlake decided to let loose on this night and Anderson threw for more yards (199) in the first quarter than he had in a single game all season.
He finished the evening 11-of-14 for 260 yards with five touchdowns and no turnovers. Senior wide receiver Mason Mangum led all pass catchers with five receptions for 169 yards and three touchdowns. Junior Jackson Coker had two highlight-worthy scoring grabs in the first half and finished with three catches for 60 yards as the extra attention the Rebels gave to Westlake’s leading wideout, senior Penny Baker (two receptions, 14 yards), freed things up for his speedy teammates.
“They ran man coverage a lot, which can be effective if you have the defensive backs for it, but I don’t think any team has the defensive backs for our four wide receivers,” Anderson said. “If they try to double one guy and leave another guy in man coverage, it’s going to be a touchdown every time and I think tonight showed for that… (Mangum and Coker) are both track guys. They run 4.5s. They’re the fastest guys I’ve ever seen. I trust them every time beating a guy one-on-one even if he knows he’s going deep.”
Westlake’s defense proved ready for the challenge of Hays’ run-heavy offense as they forced five turnovers (three interceptions, two fumble recoveries), had four fourth-down stops and held Hays to 265 yards on 63 plays for 4.2 yards per play.
The first two turnovers were especially crucial. Hays had driven into the red zone on its first possession before senior safety Drew Webster got in the backfield and forced a botched exchange which he jumped on to extinguish the threat.
Down 21-0 late in the first period, Hays went away from its base slot-T look and instead threw the ball out of a shotgun, four-receiver set. The results, however, were catastrophic as Pankonien read the quarterback and stepped in front of his pass for a 33-yard interception return for a touchdown that felt like a Mike Tyson first-round knockout punch.
“All year long you watch (Hays) and they put 15, 16-play drives together, and you look up and the first quarter is over with. Hats off to our defense for not allowing that to happen,” Dodge said. “It helped that we played against a similar type of offense last week. We prepared for Del Valle and played that game, so I think that’s part of it. The second thing is we got a lot of veterans on defense. A lot of kids that got a lot of pride. A very intelligent bunch over there (that’s) very much in tune with what (defensive coordinator) Tony Salazar is putting into a game plan and we came out and executed.”
Not many thought Westlake would beat six-time state champion Lake Travis for the second straight year. Not even the most fervent Westlake supporter would’ve predicted it to happen in a route. But that’s exactly what went down as the Chaps’ superior defense shut down the Cavaliers’ potent offense in a 44-14 win Friday at Chaparral Stadium in Austin.
Lake Travis turned the ball over three times, failed on three fourth-down attempts, mustered only 227 yards on 51 plays for 4.45 yards per play and scored on just one of 10 legitimate drives as Westlake proved last year was no fluke.
“Defensively, there was a belief. This time last year, we won 21-14, held this bunch scoreless in the second half and we believed that we could hold them to that kind of score,” said Westlake coach Todd Dodge. “I’ve got a defensive coordinator (Tony Salazar) who I wouldn’t trade for anyone in the state of Texas. Him and our defensive staff are great teachers of the game of football (on the) defensive side of the ball, and we’ve got a lot of veterans back from last year… and they’re all playing like they’ve played a lot of high school football.”
Westlake controlled the clock and used a couple trick plays to build a 20-7 halftime lead. The Chaps converted a fake punt on the opening drive that led to a 31-yard touchdown pass from senior quarterback Taylor Anderson to senior wide receiver Penny Baker (five catches, 52 yards) on a run-pass option they just installed that week.
They found the end zone in the second quarter on a clever call where Anderson rolled right, threw it backwards to the opposite side of the field for senior wide receiver Rhett Kelley, who then winded up and tossed a 36-yard touchdown to senior wide receiver Jackson Coker (four catches 74 yards).
They also got a pair of field goals from senior kicker Gabe Lozano – one from 40 yards, the other from 38 at the halftime buzzer – and kept Lake Travis’s offense off the field by doubling them in time of possession and total plays.
Lake Travis still came out of halftime believing it could comeback and win, but those hopes took a serious hit when a miscommunication led to Lake Travis junior quarterback Hudson Card throwing to an area with no Cavalier receivers. Westlake senior safety Drew Webster, however, was in the area and turned it into a 61-yard interception return for touchdown that sent shockwaves throughout the stadium.
Card was intercepted again in the third quarter, this time by junior cornerback Leo Lowin, and Anderson dashed for a 64-yard touchdown three plays later to make it 34-7. Anderson added a 29-yard touchdown run in the final period to put the final nail in the coffin. While Card struggled most the night, the less heralded Anderson delighted his coaches with 321 total yards (158 passing, 163 rushing) and three total touchdowns.
“Taylor just continues to be the guy we’ve all known him to be,” Dodge said. “He is a fabulous, fabulous young football player.”
But the key to Westlake’s offense is that it’s a lot more than just Anderson. Senior running back Tripp Graham grinded for 74 yards on 28 carries behind an offensive line that played in complete unison, and the wide receivers repeatedly got open for Anderson downfield.
“Our offensive line continues to right before our eyes get better and better and better. Our wide receiver core is stepping up to make plays,” Dodge said. “We are starting to be an offense that is more difficult to defend by personnel. It’s just not just the Nakia Watson or Tripp Graham show. It’s not just the Taylor Anderson show. We’ve got about four or five skill guys that you’ve got to defend, and if you don’t they’ll make plays, and that’s what we did tonight.”
When Dodge first got to Westlake, his defensive game plans against Lake Travis centered around a heavy blitz package. Last year they decided to rush just three or four and focus more on coverage, which worked. They went with a similar plan again because he was afraid of the more mobile Card shaking off tacklers and creating problems. The secondary rotation of junior Sage Luther, senior Doak Wilson, Webster, Lowin, senior Peyton McDonnel and sophomore Lucas Mireur stepped up the plate and held Card to 4.3 yards per attempt.
They even found a way to quiet superstar senior wide receiver Garrett Wilson, who got behind the defense for an early 42-yard score on a flea flicker, but was held to just six grabs for 31 yards the rest of the night. He did have a 101-yard kickoff return for touchdown, though.
“(Card) is a really, really good quarterback, and he’s going to be a really great quarterback but this was his first time that he played against us and Tony (Salazar) did a great job mixing things up and giving different looks and we were able to capitalize on some errant throws,” Dodge said. “(Limiting Wison was) a huge deal because people had been double-teaming, triple-teaming him all year and he’s still been making plays.”
Q: You’re on the most respected coaches in the state. You could probably coach any school in any city but you choose to coach here at Westlake in Austin. What do you love most about coaching at Westlake and living in Austin?
A: My favorite part about coaching at Westlake is just the great tradition that this place has. I love being at places that have tremendous tradition. There have been a lot of great players and a lot of great coaches that have come before us. Just like we did when we were at our run at Southlake Carroll, we wanted to make sure that we honor what came before us by continuing to raise the bar and making sure that we’re keeping this program in the very top five to ten teams in the state of Texas year-in, year-out. It’s not just a team very year. It’s a program that people have built around here and we want to continue to do that.
Q: One of my favorite parts about covering you last year was seeing the extra respect you paid to your opponents after games. After the Niceville (Fla.) game, you brought all the Niceville kids together and thanked them for coming to Texas. After the Lake Travis game, you went up to (Lake Travis quarterback) Matthew Baldwin and gave him a few extra words of encouragement. Why do you go out of your way to do that and how do you feel about the state of sportsmanship today>
A: One of the things is we want our players always to absolutely respect our opponents. We’re going to prepare extremely hard over the course of the week. We’re going to study them. We’re going to know everything that we can about them. One thing that I think is the biggest form of flattery is that you respect your opponent, and you prepare as hard as you possibly can. The one thing that we want to always make sure that never happens is we don’t get beat because we disrespected someone. As far as the stuff after the games, I take a lot of pride in being in the brotherhood of high school football in the state of Texas. This is something very special. Just because you’re not on the same team doesn’t mean your not in the same brotherhood, and so when the game is over with I want our players, I want our coaches to show respect to the people that we played against. I’ve always got something to say. We’ve been watching them all week long and want to encourage those guys for the rest of the year and let them know what we think about them, that they did a good job, and that’s just something that hopefully will permeate through our entire team.
Q: How you do feel senior quarterback Taylor Anderson has grown since he was first thrust into the starting role as a young sophomore?
A: Taylor is a veteran now. Taylor has started 22 games for us. Probably no one ever expected him to start seven games as a sophomore but we were 6-1 in the starts that he had as a sophomore. Obviously, last year, led us to a 14-1 season. It’s not even close. He is truly an outstanding leader because of his toughness and the one thing about Taylor, Taylor is a guy willing to do whatever it takes for his football team. I think the epitome of mental toughness was in last year’s Lake Travis game. He had a really bad first half as far as production. He threw three interceptions in the first half, and a lot of guys could’ve gone in the tank right there. He comes in at halftime and tells his teammates, ‘hey guys, y’all keep playing. I’m going to be alright. I’m going to get my stuff together.’ He rushed for about 125 yards, a couple touchdowns in the second half, led us to a victory. So that’s who he is. There are a lot of dual-threat quarterbacks in the state of Texas right now. He’s one of them. He’s a guy who rushed for 1,100 and threw for 3,000 (yards) last year and he accounted for about almost 50 touchdowns.
Westlake at Pflugerville 2017
Q: What do you think makes Tony Salazar such a special defensive coordinator?
A: He comes from a great lineage of defensive coaches. He learned under Pete Fredenburg and the guys at Mary Hardin-Baylor that play tremendous defense. He’s very intelligent, very passionate. He’s a guy that’s a tremendous teacher of the game. A lot of times people don’t equate coaches as teachers. We’re all teachers. It’s just our classroom when we’re coaching football is a little bit different. It’s out here in the open. It’s here between the white lines. But Tony is (somebody) I wouldn’t trade for anybody in the world.
Q: Name one player that lot of guys might not know but you think has had a great preseason camp and could potentially turn some heads this season?
A: A guy that a lot of people probably haven’t heard of yet or is not a household name is Drew Webster. Drew played a bunch of football for us last year but he wasn’t a starter at safety. He played enough to almost be a starter. So on the defensive side of the ball, it’s him. On the offensive side of the ball, I think that Tripp Graham – our running back – is going to surprise a lot of people in the replacing of Nakia Watson.
