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Westlake win 3rd Straight Title

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

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.

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.

WESTLAKE STATE CHAMPS

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

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.

Westlake Advances to Semi-Final Round defeats Brandeis 42-14

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

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.

Westlake prepares for area round against Brennan Bears

Written by Charles Branch on . Posted in HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL.

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.

Westlake defeats Cibolo Steel in first round 30-7

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

A familiar playoff matchup took place at Chaparral stadium between the Cibolo Steele Knights and the Westlake Chaps. Just two years ago Westlake had knocked the Knights out of the playoffs in a 28-14 victory. The Knights were trying to rewrite history in the first round of Texas high school playoffs. History repeated as the Chaps beat the Knights 30-7 in what was a much closer game than the score implied. 


Steele received the ball to start the game, a game that would be dominated by defense. Steele would go three and out setting the Westlake Chaparrals up in great field position. After picking up a first down or two the Chaps found themselves in a 3rd&16 situation after a fumbled snap by Kirkland Michaux. Michaux found star receiver Mason Magnum for 13-yards but with a price as Magnum took a massive hit flipping him in the air.
Going for it on fourth down Kirkland threw up a fade to 6’4″ freshman receiver Jaden Greathouse who drew a pass interference call. The Chaps would later make a field goal, giving them a 3 point lead.  


Steele’s drive would open with an explosive play as receiver Daryn Mcknight took an end-around for 33-yards. Coming into the game Mcknight had only had four carries those had gone for 112 yards and an average of 28. Steele would not be able to push the momentum forward as they threw three incompletions. With the kicking unit coming onto the field they were hoping to tie up the game, star Westlake safety Sage Luther had a different idea as he blocked the kick, Braden Duncan would recover and return it to the 47-yard line. 


Westlake would replicate the opening drive as they drove down the field and finished it off with a field goal. Only up by 6 points, Steele could take the lead back with a big play. Steele placed together another strong drive highlighted by Daniel Jackson’s 15-yard catch and De’Quavion Thomas’ 5-yard touchdown run.


There was one matchup in particular that every fan loved watching and had a undeniable impact on the game. It was #5 vs #5 Daryn Mcknight vs Sage Luther. Mcknight was a big-time playmaker for Steele as they never stopped feeding him the ball. He was always covered by Westlakes promising safety Sage Luther. One would make a giant play and then the other would come right back with one of their own. Sometimes they would cancel each other out, regardless, it was a great matchup of two competitors. 


Kirkland Michaux answered Steeles touchdown instantly as he found senior receiver Ryan Lindley on a 38-yard corner route for a walk-in touchdown. This set the Westlake section on fire, it was the big play they needed to assert dominance and take over the game. 
Westlake would soon get the ball back after a Steele punt and they tried to repeat history in throwing the corner route again. This time history was not so forgiving as Kirkland’s pass was intercepted by Maison Sharp who made an excellent catch on the sideline. 


The Knights were officially in their two-minute drill trying to get a score and even the game up before half time. The drive started with a 40-yard pass to Daryn Mcknight who was tackled by Sage Luther. Steele quarterback Wyatt Beagle scrambled for 11-yards just enough to convert on 3rd down. Beagle would than find Daniel Jackson on a 15-yard pass over the middle. On the next play, Beagle would overthrow his receiver and be snatched out of the air by Westlake defender Michael Taffee. Westlake would capitalize on the field position and score a field goal putting them up 16-7 heading into halftime. 


Heading into halftime both teams have played great games but both also needed to improve certain areas of their game. For Steele, it was about getting into the endzone and cashing in on possessions. They were to close too many times to have only scored 7 points in the first half. For Westlake they needed to run the ball more effectively, they needed to move the chains and not force turnovers if they wanted to keep their lead. 
Westlakes offense started heating up in the 4th quarter. Steele’s defense felt defeated and Westlake took advantage of that running the ball straight up the gut down after down. Westlake receiver Jason Croker (lined up at running back) sprinted through the running lane than dove into the endzone for a 4-yard Westlake touchdown.


Westlake will move onto the second round of the playoffs where they will face Brennan High who are fresh off a 35-13 win over Roosevelt. Coincidentally Westlake squared up against Brennan in round two of the playoffs last year with Westlake winning 49-7.  

Westlake takes down Hays

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

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.”

Micheaux Chaps QB in 2019

Written by Charles Branch on . Posted in HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL.

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 Makes Valiant Effort, Westlake Continues Winning Streak

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

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 QB Kirkland Michaux on the 2019 season.

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

“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.”