December 16, 2017

Joe Taylor

GAME DAY: WESTLAKE vs. CY-FAIR

December 16, 2017

Joe Taylor

“It’s a Great Day to be a Chaparral”

— Ebbie Neptune

Westlake’s undefeated 2017 season continued after the Chaparral defense shut down the star-studded Steele rushing attack which lead to a 28-14 win and a Region IV Championship. The Knight offense that averaged 245 yards rushing per game only managed 92 total yards last Saturday night at the Alamodome.

“That was the biggest offensive line we’ve faced all year. Our guys adjusted and forced Steele to be one-dimensional.”

— Todd Dodge

While Brenden Brady rushed for 101 yards on 26 carries, the game’s first touchdown was the only time the senior Rice commit found the end zone. Late turnovers in the second quarter allowed for second and third chances for Steele’s offense that saw freshman quarterback Wyatt Begeal tie the game with a four-yard touchdown run.

In what has become customary in these 2017 playoffs, the Chaparral offense made a statement in their first drive of the 3rd quarter. While Westlake’s opening drive was capped by Nakia Watson’s second rushing touchdown, it was the start that ignited the offense. After fumbling a punt, the Chaps needed a spark on special teams and that ignition switch was senior, Cary Andreo. The defensive back turned wide receiver, tried his hand at kick-off returns and delivered on a 40-yard return to set up the Westlake offense on a short field.

“There’s no secret why everyone on this team loves Cary. He’s just one of those guys that will do anything we ask him to do. His second return changed the mood on the sideline and we went to work with a 60-yard field.”

— Todd Dodge

Armed with a 21-14 lead, the Chaps committed their fourth turnover in the fourth quarter when Jaylon Jones recovered a Nakia Watson fumble at the Westlake 44-yard line. The Knights moved nine yards in the first three plays following the fumble and geared up for a fourth down and one-yard play. In an attempt at misdirection, the Knights play call went right, but Begeal pitched left to Brady who couldn’t secure the ball. With the ball loose near midfield, Brady recovered, but on 4th down, the ball went to Westlake.

Watson shredded the Steele defense in one play that defined the Region IV Championship. Watson’s 50-yard run may not have been his longest from scrimmage, but it delivered the fatal blow to a Steele team that struggled in the second half. Behind the offensive line, Watson tallied his 11th start this season of 100 rushing yards or more in a game and finished with 189 yards on 27 carries.

“That got us over the hump. This was the game we lost last year so we were hungry for this one.”

— Senior Captain Garrett Aylor

As champions of Region IV, the Chaparrals will hit the road to face the Champion of Region III, the Cy-Fair Bobcats. The Cypress Fairbanks school district consists of 10 teams and they all play each other in a monstrous 17-6A round robin to earn their playoff spot. Most of the district lost out on their one and only non-district game due to the damage inflicted by Hurricane Harvey, but the Bobcats rolled through 17-6A with superb defense and a strong rushing attack.

Saturday’s State Semifinal will mark the second meeting between Westlake and Cy-Fair. That 1998 game saw Westlake cruise to a 41-14 win over the Bobcats. Cy-Fair has only advanced to Texas High School Football’s version of the final four once before. The 1985 Bobcats fell to the Permian Panthers 10-7. This year’s Cy-Fair squad is 13-0 and the Bobcats’ Region Championship win over Langham Creek tied the mark for most wins in a season in program history. A win over Westlake this weekend would take Cy-Fair to its first ever state final appearance.

Cy-Fair head coach Ed Pustejovsky will lead his Bobcats into Saturday’s semifinal with 28 playoff games under his belt. In his 14th season at the helm for Cy-Fair, Pustejovsky has amassed a career record of 114 wins and just 54 losses with a 19-9 playoff record.

Defensively, Cy-Fair is as legit as they come. The Bobcats are allowing a miniscule 11.5 points per game and just 66 rushing yards per game. That number is even less in their four-game playoff run as Cy-Fair has allowed just 10.5 points per game. Langham Creek and Cy-Woods are the only two teams to score more than 14 points against the Bobcat defense. Like their counterparts, the main Bobcat goals are to make the opposition one dimensional and score off turnovers. Cy-Fair has scored 84 points off turnovers in 2017, making protecting the football a top priority for Westlake following the four turnovers the Chaps surrendered to Steele.

In the middle of the defense is linebacker, Patrick Atkinson, who leads the Bobcats in tackles securing 96 in 13 games. Atkinson has been a beast in the backfield as well logging 15.5 tackles for loss to go along with six sacks. Joining him in the linebacking corps is Jace Bobo. He heads up the weak side and is the team’s second leading tackler. In tandem, Bobo, Atkinson, and hybrid linebacker Peyton Lewis have sacked opposing quarterbacks 19 times in 13 games. Erick Hallett can line up as a corner or switch to safety and create issues in the Westlake passing game. Hallett’s five interceptions leads the Bobcat defensive backfield and he’s had a knack for scoring on defense as well. In the Bobcats 41-14 first round win over Westside, Hallett returned a fumble for a score and returned an interception 34 yards for a touchdown.

Cy-Fair Seniors Erick Hallett (left) Cam Arnold (center) Trenton Kennedy (right)

“[Hallett has] been a tremendous player all year long, at cornerback, as far as the secondary goes, and then he returns punts and kickoffs for us and we’ve used him in some four-wide situations on the offensive side, and he’s done well there, too.”

— Ed Pustejovsky

The box score doesn’t tell the true story behind Cy-Fair’s 31-14 win over Langham Creek. For starters, the two teams met in their final district game. At the time, both teams were 8-0 and vying for the district championship. While Cy-Fair defeated Langham Creek 30-21, the region final was close in the fourth quarter. After trailing 14-7 at the half, Langham Creek scored with nine minutes to play in the fourth quarter and trailed Cy-Fair 17-14. The Bobcat defense put Langham Creek on lock down and snagged two fourth quarter touchdowns off defensive stops.

Which brings us to the Cy-Fair offense featuring heavily recruited senior running back Trenton Kennedy. His four touchdowns a week ago put away the Lobos for the second time this season and secured Cy-Fair’s 13th win. Successful senior campaign doesn’t quite scratch the surface when it comes to describing Kennedy’s performance. In four playoff games, Kennedy has rushed for 588 yards and nine scores. Like Brenden Brady, the Chaparral defense will once again have their hands full with Kennedy as he’s averaged 147 yards rushing per game in four win-or-go-home scenarios. Kennedy’s 182 yards and four touchdowns against Langham Creek marked a career playoff high for the senior Bobcat.

Cy-Fair Senior Running Back Trenton Kennedy

Like Steele, Cy-Fair hasn’t asked much of their senior quarterback. The success up front on the offensive line and the Bobcat rushing attack has allowed Cam Arnold the freedom to control the pace of play. Arnold marches into his sixth playoff start on Saturday completing 66 percent of his passes. The Northwestern State commit has fired 16 touchdown passes to go along with his 1,784 passing yards. If there’s a blemish in Arnold’s playoff performance, it’s the three interceptions in four games.

Once again, a Westlake opponent’s quarterback will be the deciding factor in a playoff game. In the 28-14 win over Steele, Westlake held Wyatt Begeal to just 71 yards passing. This week, the Chaparrals face a more seasoned signal caller that will look to keep the football away from Taylor Anderson and Nakia Watson. While dominating on defense in 2017, two telling stats emerge in favor of the Bobcat offense. Cy-Fair’s average time of possession is just north of 26 minutes. Cy-Fair’s third down conversion rate suggests the Bobcats know how to keep the chains moving. Cy-Fair has converted on third down 47 percent of the time. If the game is close at halftime, look for the third quarter to be a crucial ingredient to a Chaparral win. Cy-Fair has yet to allow a point in the third quarter in four playoff wins.

Saturday’s game will not be televised live or tape delayed this week. The State Semifinal will be carried live on radio in Austin on AM-1300 The Zone. We’ll also have live audio available on the Westlake Chap App, our broadcast website WestlakeChaps.com, and our Chap Signal inside NRG Stadium. If you wish to see this game live, head to NRG on Saturday. See you in Houston.

RADIO

Our tailgate show begins live at 2:30pm on AM-1300 The ZONE. Listen live to No Huddle with Todd Dodge. Make sure you stay tuned to our halftime coverage as we recap the first half highlights. Our halftime features the thoughts of Garrett Aylor, our Chap of the Week. As you leave NRG Stadium, let us join you on The Drive Home as we review the game, run the stats, and hand out our own helmet stickers.

THE CHAP APP

Head to the App Store on any Apple or Android device. Listen to live coverage of Westlake Football all year long. Make sure to UPDATE your Chap App as we're rolling out a new and improved app that will feature ALL Westlake Sports Teams. Westlake football is live and at your fingertips with the Westlake Chap App.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE CHAP APP ON iTUNES

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WEBSITE

Go straight to our live streaming broadcast on any desktop or lap top.

LISTEN LIVE ON YOUR DESKTOP OR LAPTOP!

SOCIAL MEDIA

Follow Westlake Athletics all year long on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Click the links below and like and follow our sites that feature Westlake student-athletes.

TELEVISION

We hope you enjoyed our television coverage last Saturday evening. The Region IV Final was Westlake Technical Entertainment Crew's first ever live television broadcast. Our sincerest thanks to the TEC student film crew and congratulations to our seniors on 14 amazing broadcasts this season.

We've enjoyed our partnership with KBVO-TV and hope we will continue to showcase the best television coverage of high school football in 2018. Our thanks to KXAN Vice President and General Manager Eric Lassberg and Production Manager Korey Wisland for their support. I'd also like to extend my personal gratitude to David Poole, Jeff Strange, Dale Baker, and the entire TEC team. Each week, these Westlake students amazed the most seasoned television professionals. Your effort, positive attitude, talent, and hard work are truly appreciated.

#GOCHAPS

December 9, 2017

Joe Taylor

GAME DAY: STEELE vs. WESTLAKE

December 9, 2017

Joe Taylor

“It’s a Great Day to be a Chaparral”

— Ebbie Neptune

The 2017 Westlake Chaparrals rolled into Portland, Texas just outside of Corpus Christi last Friday night and delivered yet another stellar playoff performance as the Chaps defeated the Vela SaberCats 70-14. The Westlake defense allowed seven Vela points while the special teams gave up a 98-yard kick-off return to Brandon Guzman. The Chaps allowed 246 yards of total offense to a Vela team that averaged nearly 410 yards per game in their 12 wins. Despite the lone scoring drive in the second quarter, the SaberCat rushing attack was held to just 66 yards, far below their per game average of 191 yards.

“We’ve got a lot of guys that have played a lot of football for us. They understood that we had to take care of business early. We weren’t perfect. We’ve got work to do to improve. ”

— Tony Salazar

With a sack of Nathan Garcia in the first half of the Region IV Semifinal, junior David Neil recorded his 12th sack of the season and brought his career total to 16.5. Neil now holds both the single season Westlake sack record and is the current career leader in the category beating out the previous mark of 15 career sacks held by Elias Garcia. Senior Braden Cassity is right behind Garcia with 14 career sacks which puts him third all-time. Both Cassity and Neil have recorded 15 tackles for loss in 2017, a single season Westlake record.

“We’re proud of David and he’s one of several players that have logged a ton of football for the Chaps. When you think about it, David will be starting his 28th high school football game on Saturday and he’s just a junior.”

— Todd Dodge

As impressive as the defense has been in the run to the Region IV Final, the offense has flourished and improved since the 21-14 win over Lake Travis. The Chaparral offense has scored a minimum of 51 points against the six opponents that have followed Lake Travis. In those six games, three of which have been playoff contests, Westlake has outscored those six foes 353-100.

Senior Nakia Watson shined yet again against Vela with 151 yards rushing on 13 carries and two touchdowns. Watson recorded his 10th game with 100 or more yards rushing while junior quarterback Taylor Anderson rushed for 111 yards on just seven carries and recorded two touchdown runs of his own. Through the air, Anderson has become lethal with his accuracy of late. Of his 19 passing attempts, Anderson completed 15 and five of those completions went for scores. Perhaps more importantly, Anderson has embraced the Todd Dodge offensive mantra of “share the wealth” as seven different receivers hauled in those 15 completions. Mason Mangum snagged two touchdown receptions, while Steven Crider, Jake Ramos, and Cary Andreo caught the other three scores.

Steele’s history is brief, but successful. Since their launch in 2006, the Knights have waged an all-out crusade and have become one of the top teams in the greater San Antonio area. Steele boasts a 105-15 record that spans eight seasons including 2017’s campaign. The Knights competed in back-to-back state championship games in 2010 and 2011 and took home the 5A Division II crown in 2010 with a win over Guyer. Steele fell to Dekaney in 2011 in the state title game and lost to Desoto in the 2016 championship game.

Steele High School opened in 2005 and went 3-7 in its first varsity season in 2006. The Knights have never known a losing season since. In 12 seasons, the Knights are 135-22 and have advanced to at least the state semifinals in six of the past seven seasons.

Steele’s four-game losing streak began with a 34-31 loss to Lake Travis, followed by losses to the eventual playoff trio of O’Connor, Smithson Valley, and Judson. Dropping district games at Steele is a lot like Thursday’s snowfall in Austin; it doesn’t happen often. In fact, the two district losses to Smithson Valley and Judson represented the first time that the Knights had lost twice in district play in the same season since 2009.

Steele head coach David Saenz looked at Steele’s worst start in school history as an opportunity to reboot the season. Senior Onyx Smith was the top target for Xavier Martin in Steele’s 2016 run to the state title. With recruiting on his mind and some quarterback experience, Smith began the year behind center. After a 1-4 start, Saenz relied on his senior leadership, the infamous Knight rushing attack, and a big offensive line to protect 15-year-old quarterback Wyatt Begeal. The freshman was elevated to the starting position at halftime during Steele’s third district game with New Braunfels. Steele led the Unicorns 6-0 and although Begeal fired only four second half passes, he completed all four tosses including a touchdown pass to senior Caden Sterns. Steele beat New Braunfels 26-3 and the Knights’ first district win became the catalyst for the eight-game win streak headed into Saturday’s region final.

“Wyatt is a very serviceable quarterback. He makes good decisions and thinks quickly. His job is to get the ball into the hands of their best athletes and let them make plays and he’s done that very well.”

— Todd Dodge

With Smith back in familiar territory at wide receiver and steady play by Begeal, the Knights have rolled off eight straight wins. Smith settled in immediately and despite starting six games at quarterback, the senior leads the Knights in receptions and yardage. Armed with 385 yards on 28 catches, Smith is averaging 13.8 yards per reception. Fellow receivers Daniel Jackson and Terrance Ingram all share the team lead in touchdown receptions as the trio has accounted for nine of the 13 touchdown passes.

Steele’s run the ball reputation won’t change with Saenz at the helm. Though this is his inaugural season as head coach, he’s been on the Steele staff since 2007. Collectively, the Knights have rushed for over 3,192 yards and 36 scores in 2017. Leading the Steele attack is a man named Brady. Senior running back Brenden Brady’s 1,837 rushing yards account for 58% of Steele’s ground game. The Rice commit has accrued 24 of the team’s 36 touchdown runs making Brady the prime directive for Tony Salazar’s defense.

There’s no secret to Steele’s offensive game plan. While running Brady right, left, and up the middle might be an obvious goal, the last eight games have proven that teams have a tougher time finding the weakness in the true armor of the Knight offense, the offensive line. Right tackle Nicholas Holiday, center Stanley Mark, and left guard Charley Zeno all returned from the 2016 state finalist team. No Knight lineman is shorter that six-feet-two inches and no lineman weighs less than 265 pounds. The average weight of this fearsome quintet is approximately 284 pounds.

Senior Offensive Lineman Nicholas Holiday

In addition to the explosive run game and the rugged offensive line play, the Steele defense has been a key asset to the eight-game win streak. Since the 35-28 loss to Judson, the Knight defense has held opposing offenses to just 12.9 points per game allowing only one opponent to amass more than 20 points; Weslaco East.

Leading the Knights is strong safety and University of Texas commit, Caden Sterns. The senior defensive back heads into Saturday night’s region final with 90 total tackles, four interceptions, and two fumble recoveries making him an obvious threat to the Westlake passing attack. Along with the quarterback switch, David Saenz elevated Chance Cromartie to a starting role alongside Stearns. The junior’s 85 total tackles trails only Stearns and senior linebacker Alex Allamby for the team lead. If Stearns is the star knight atop the defensive horse, Allamby is the lance. Despite the four early losses, Allamby has delivered a glittering report card. 142 total tackles, 10 tackles for loss, a pair of interceptions, a fumble recovery, and two caused fumbles are more than enough evidence that Steele means business in their linebacking corps.

Allamby’s success has roots and they lie in the brilliant play by senior defensive end, Juan Henry. Assigned to challenge opposing quarterbacks, Henry has 11 tackles for loss in 13 games and leads the team in sacks with seven, hurries with 12, and caused fumbles with three.

If there’s a wrinkle in the Knight defense, it’s in the details of defending the run. Strong tackling in the defensive backfield has kept opponents in check, but in Steele’s four losses, the Knights allowed an average of 200 rushing yards per game. In their most lopsided defeat at the hands of Smithson Valley, the Rangers racked up 291 rushing yards. While Steele’s 36-21 win over East in the region semifinal was dominant, the Wildcats still ran for 308 yards on 57 rushing attempts.

Westlake and Steele have met on only two occasions and both games went the way of the Knights in non-district match-ups in 2012 and 2013. Saturday night at the Alamodome will be the first time these two programs meet in the playoffs.

RADIO

Our tailgate show begins live at 7:30pm on AM-1300 The ZONE. Listen live to Getting Defensive with Tony Salazar. Make sure you stay tuned to our halftime coverage as we recap the first half highlights. Our halftime features the thoughts of Doak Wilson, our Chap of the Week. As you leave The Alamodome, let us join you on The Drive Home as we review the game, run the stats, and hand out our own helmet stickers.

THE CHAP APP

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE CHAP APP ON iTUNES

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE CHAP APP ON GOOGLE PLAY

WEBSITE

Go straight to our live streaming broadcast on any desktop or lap top.

LISTEN LIVE ON YOUR DESKTOP OR LAPTOP!

SOCIAL MEDIA

Follow Westlake Athletics all year long on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Click the links below and like and follow our sites that feature Westlake student-athletes.

TELEVISION

We hope you enjoyed our television coverage last Saturday evening on our new home for Westlake Football, KBVO-TV. Tonight's Region IV Final broadcast will air LIVE on KBVO-TV in Central Texas. So set your reminders and your DVRs for tonight at 8pm. You'll see our weekly broadcast live. Please check your provider for the correct channel.

#GOCHAPS

December 1, 2017

Joe Taylor

GAME DAY: WESTLAKE vs. VELA

December 1, 2017

Joe Taylor

“It’s a Great Day to be a Chaparral”

— Ebbie Neptune

The road to state is never an easy task and the 51-31 victory over Smithson Valley served as a reminder that teams can't be defined by record alone. At 10-1 and a win over Judson, the Rangers showed Westlake that they too had big play capabilities. An explosive run followed by a sensational catch and Westlake saw its first double digit deficit in 2017.

“I was looking up and down the sidelines at our players. I kept looking for panic. I never saw it.”

— Todd Dodge

The offensive line took center stage against a rugged 4-3 Smithson Valley defense. The goal was to be physical and the quintet of Armstrong, Wilkin, Webster, Sherhart, and Aylor churned out not one but two 100 yard rushers. Nakia Watson's 152 yard performance on 28 carries wore down the Ranger defense in the second half. Taylor Anderson sliced and diced his way to 102 rushing yards while igniting the Westlake passing game. Anderson completed 71 percent of his passes while throwing for three scores and running for another. Watson found the end zone on four occasions, two by land and two by air.

While the usual suspects in Taylor Anderson and Nakia Watson took the majority of the headlines, it was junior Penny Baker that proved to be a more than reliable target for the Westlake passing attack. Baker secured eight receptions for 90 yards and a 31 yard touchdown reception. Baker along with Mason Mangum caught 14 of Anderson's 21 pass completions.

Despite the explosive plays that lead to the 24 first half points allowed by the Westlake defense, Tony Salazar's squad regrouped in the second half. Smithson Valley completed just one offensive series in the third quarter. The Rangers' second possession carried over into the fourth quarter and the Chaparrals allowed just seven points in the second half. Those adjustments went along with a mind-boggling third down conversion rate. The Chaparral offense converted on 10 of 12 third down opportunities, causing the chains to move 83 percent of the time.

“That might be the highest third down percentage I’ve ever had in 30 years as a football coach. That’s a testament to how focused we were as a football team last Friday.”

— Todd Dodge

The Vela SaberCats are the other 12-0 team in the Region IV semifinals. The young men from Edinburg are led by their first year head coach John Campbell who's orchestrated a high powered offense to go along with a defense that specializes in the turnover. In 12 games, the SaberCat defense has forced 27 turnovers and given Vela a staggering +17 turnover ratio. The Vela defense has scored five times and have taken three punt returns to the end zone in 2017. Daniel Enriquez (#36) is the proud owner of three interception returns for scores and the aforementioned punt returns can also be found in the safety's portfolio. In total, Vela defenders have intercepted opposing quarterbacks 16 times and Daniel Enriquez has acquired nearly half of that lot with seven picks.

Offensively, the Vela SaberCats have torched their 2017 opponents. Vela has scored 40 points or more in seven of their 12 wins and go into the Region IV Semifinal averaging just over 45 points per game. However, the playoffs have humbled the powerful SaberCat offense. Vela is averaging just 31 points per game in their two playoff wins, a full 14 points below their regular season average.

That said, Vela has already faced adversity in these 2017 playoffs. The Bi-District Championship game featured a knock down drag out affair with Hanna. Despite a 28-14 lead at halftime, Hanna scored 12 unanswered points before the SaberCats added a fourth quarter field goal to lead Hanna 31-26 with eight minutes to play. The Eagles took the next drive downfield and scored the go ahead touchdown with five minutes left in regulation. While their two point conversion try failed, Hanna still had a 32-31 lead.

Vela's next possession resulted in a punt and gave Hanna a chance to seal the victory. However, with just over one minute to play, Hanna punted the ball back to Vela. With the wind behind him, Austin Garza took aim from 54 yards away.

Garza was the Vela offense in the second half as the SaberCats relied on his six points to edge out Hanna. The momentum carried into the Area Championship with a 28-10 win over Eagle Pass. Sophomore quarterback Nate Garcia is yet another dual threat quarterback who operates at a maturity beyond his age. Of the two captains listed for Vela, Garcia is one of them cementing his leadership role in spite of his graduation year. Garcia has the stats to back up his captaincy. The sophomore has completed 67 percent of his passes while throwing for 2,580 yards, 25 touchdowns, and just five interceptions.

Garcia manages a passing attack that features a fellow sophomore and the lone SaberCat wide receiver north of six feet in height. Justin Cantu (#2) leads all Vela receivers with 61 catches for an eye-popping 819 yards and seven touchdowns. Cantu might not be the only threat in the SaberCat offense, but if the Vela offensive line can hold off a quick Westlake defensive front and give Garcia time, he'll find Cantu.

On average, the Vela offensive front checks in at 246 pounds per man. Helping out that average are two bookend tackles and both tip the scale at 280 pounds. Jayden Borjas (#77) boasts a six-foot-five-inch frame making him the man to beat especially when the Cats decide to run. As deadly as Vela has been through the air, the SaberCats average right at six yards per rushing attempt and have scored 41 of their 64 touchdowns on the ground. Leading that rushing attack with 18 touchdown runs is Aaron Alvarez. The 190 pound junior battering ram shares the duty with senior Sam Valenzuela, but Alvarez is the main man as he's run for 795 yards on 117 carries.

RADIO

Our tailgate show begins live at 7pm on AM-1300 The ZONE. Listen live to No Huddle with Todd Dodge. Make sure you stay tuned to our halftime coverage as we recap the first half highlights. Our halftime features the thoughts of Luke Armstrong, our Chap of the Week. As you leave Akins Wildcat Stadium, let us join you on The Drive Home as we review the game, run the stats, and hand out our own helmet stickers.

WESTLAKE CHAP APP

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE CHAP APP ON iTUNES

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE CHAP APP ON GOOGLE PLAY

WEBSITE

Go straight to our live streaming broadcast on any desktop or lap top.

LISTEN LIVE ON YOUR DESKTOP OR LAPTOP!

SOCIAL MEDIA

Follow Westlake Athletics all year long on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Click the links below and like and follow our sites that feature Westlake student-athletes.

TELEVISION

We hope you enjoyed our television coverage last Saturday evening on our new home for Westlake Football, KBVO-TV. Tonight's broadcast will air on Saturday, December 2nd at 7pm. Please check your provider for the correct channel.

#GOCHAPS

November 17, 2017

Joe Taylor

GAME DAY: MacArthur vs. Westlake

November 17, 2017

Joe Taylor

“It’s a Great Day to be a Chaparral”

— Ebbie Neptune

While the goals of perfection in a regular season and an outright district championship were achieved in the 55-14 win over Vista Ridge, the celebration didn’t last too long. The district title had eluded Westlake for six seasons, but the 2017 Chaparrals added a sorely missed piece of hardware to the trophy case and now, the final phase of the season has arrived, the playoffs. While, the Chaparrals enjoyed the win, the team went right back to work on Monday with the mentality that the district championship and a 10-0 record are now the past and the attention is on the present playoff opponent, the MacArthur Brahmas.

“We reminded them every day that winning a district title and going undefeated were important. They listened. Now, they’re all about the next game. That mentality is what’s made this group special.”

— Tony Salazar

Now that the playoff scenarios are firm realities, the Westlake Chaparrals welcome the MacArthur Brahmas. MacArthur is led by 7th year head coach Ben Cook. Despite the 25-46 career record, Cook’s teams have made the playoffs three of the last four seasons. Cook has spent nearly his entire coaching career in San Antonio. After a 10-year stint as an assistant at Churchill, Cook joined the staff at Roosevelt for the 2009 season before being named the offensive coordinator at MacArthur in 2010. A season later, then Brahma head coach Van Fuschak left for Antonian Prep and Cook was promoted to his first head coaching job.

Outside of MacArthur’s potent offensive attack, the Brahmas’ largest weapon might be team resilience. Through six games, MacArthur had a record of 1-5 and all five losses were to eventual playoff teams. However, a 52-42 win over Madison jumpstarted a four-game winning streak that saw the Brahmas defeat Madison, Roosevelt, Churchill, and Lee consecutively. With a 4-2 record, MacArthur finished third in District 26-6A behind Johnson and Reagan.

Senior quarterback Tyler Vitt is at the helm of his team’s success in the last four weeks. Vitt is a true dual threat behind center. As a passer, he’s completed 197 of his 287 throws and 24 of those tosses have gone for touchdowns. As a runner, he leads all Brahmas in yardage with 969 and scoring as he’s found the end zone seven times in 2017.

“Vitt is the kind of guy that you hate to see on 3rd and long. His abilities as a runner make him very difficult to defend.”

— Tony Salazar

Vitt averages nearly 29 passing attempts per game and like Westlake, MacArthur knows how to spread the wealth. Wide receivers Ethan Gottschalk, Cameron Acker, and Lanir Shabazz all have a minimum of 40 receptions. Gottschalk and Shabazz have combined for 1,309 yards receiving which accounts for 57 percent of Vitt’s 2,289 passing yards. Gottschalk leads the trio in scoring with seven touchdown receptions.

MacArthur Wide Receiver Ethan Gottschalk

The Brahma defense has allowed just over 33 points per game this season and during the four-game winning streak, the defense still allowed an average of 26.5 points per game. In that same stretch, the MacArthur offense scored 44.5 points per game and eclipsed 50 points in back-to-back games in their wins over Madison and Roosevelt. The offense put up a minimum of 31 points in all four wins to close out district play.

Despite the yardage and points allowed, the Brahma defense is armed with top-notch defensive players who can take the football away. MacArthur forced 15 turnovers in 10 games. Defensive backs Kahjah Matthews and Giancarlo Martinez secured eight turnovers combined with seven interceptions and a fumble recovery.

The strength of the MacArthur defense is up front. The man in the middle of the Brahma defense is Pete Smith. The senior stands at six-feet-two inches and weighs an even 300 pounds and is one of the largest defenders Westlake has seen this season.

“Smith leads their front. They’re physical and get plenty of pressure with those three guys. It frees up the linebackers to run to the ball and their defensive line play is key to their success.”

— Tony Salazar

If there’s a key to Tyler Vitt’s success throwing and running the football, it’s the MacArthur offensive line. The Brahma is an appropriate description when the average man weighs in at 255 pounds. The biggest bull of them all is left tackle Frederick Jones who checks in at six-feet-five inches tall and weighs 298 pounds. The offensive line play is vital to MacArthur’s success, especially in the last four games. The Brahmas are averaging 434.4 yards per game and it’s due in large part to their ability to run the football and keep defenders away from Tyler Vitt.

Westlake will once again enjoy the opportunity to host a home playoff game. Tonight, wear red, arrive early, and join the spirit line at 7:10pm. The line will form from the field house to the entrance to Ebbie Neptune Field. The road to the 2017 State Championship starts in Westlake.

RADIO

Our tailgate show begins live at 7pm on AM-1300 The ZONE. Listen live to Getting Defensive with Tony Salazar. Make sure you stay tuned to our halftime coverage as we recap the first half highlights. Our halftime features the thoughts of Owen O'Neill, our Chap of the Week. As you leave Chaparral Stadium, let us join you on The Drive Home as we review the game, run the stats, and hand out our own helmet stickers.

WESTLAKE CHAP APP

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE CHAP APP ON iTUNES

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE CHAP APP ON GOOGLE PLAY

WEBSITE

ON-THE-AIR

Go straight to our live streaming broadcast on any desktop or lap top.

LISTEN LIVE ON YOUR DESKTOP OR LAPTOP!

SOCIAL MEDIA

Follow Westlake Athletics all year long on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Click the links below and like and follow our sites that feature Westlake student-athletes.

TELEVISION

We hope you enjoyed our television coverage last Saturday evening on our new home for Westlake Football, KBVO-TV. Tonight's broadcast will air on Saturday, November 18th at 7pm. Please check your provider for the correct channel.

#GOCHAPS

November 10, 2017

Joe Taylor

GAME DAY: WESTLAKE vs. VISTA RIDGE

November 10, 2017

Joe Taylor

“It’s a Great Day to be a Chaparral”

— Ebbie Neptune

The hunt for perfection is never easy, but at Westlake between 1990 and 2002, perfection seemed attainable every year. In 1996, the Westlake Chaparrals delivered on the quintessential perfect season claiming the school’s only state championship in football with a 16-0 record. Tonight, the 2017 Chaparrals have an opportunity to secure the first undefeated regular season since 2000 and capture an outright district championship, a claim that Westlake hasn’t made since 2011.

As you may have noticed, the Austin area has grown since the year 2000. Want proof? Last week’s opponent, Leander, was a single high school district for 99 years. From 1899-1998, if you lived in what is now the sprawling suburban area of Leander/Cedar Park, you were a Lion. In 1998, Leander ISD opened a second high school in Cedar Park. Nine years later, Leander ISD now has six high schools with three of those schools competing at the 6A classification.

Vista Ridge opened in 2003 and in 2008, the school got serious about football and hired Rodney Vincent. The former Austin High head coach was hired at Vista Ridge following three consecutive playoff appearances. Vincent was also the head coach of record during Austin High's infamous two wins over Westlake. How many times has Austin High beat Westlake in football? You guessed it; just twice.

Vincent went 1-9 in his first year at Vista Ridge, but the 2010 team roared back with a nine-win season and a playoff berth. The Rangers have made the playoffs in five of the last seven years and in 2015, the Rangers earned their first trip to the 5A State Semi-Final. Vista Ridge finished 2015 with a 12-3 record.

Vista Ridge’s first year of 6A football was filled with adversity. An injury ridden season led to a 3-7 record, but the Rangers still earned a bi-district playoff game with San Antonio Churchill. Vista Ridge exploded offensively in the first quarter, scoring 21 points and the Rangers lead the Chargers at the half 31-24. Vista Ridge took Churchill to the limit but fell 41-38 to end their 2016 campaign. For perspective, the Churchill squad that narrowly escaped a first round loss to Vista Ridge managed to advance to the state quarterfinals a year ago.

In 2017, Vista Ridge has secured four wins while playing one of the toughest schedules in Central Texas. Their five losses include Dripping Springs, Bowie, Vandegrift, Hays, and Lake Travis. All five are playoff teams.

Senior quarterback Jacob Taute has remained healthy this season and at six-feet and four-inches, he looks like a traditional pocket passer, but it’s his running ability that keeps opposing defenses honest.

“Taute is a tough guy. He makes quick decisions and he’s got athletes all around him.”

— Todd Dodge

Taute’s 80 carries for 425 yards and four rushing touchdowns accounts for one-third of the impressive Ranger run game. Traditionally, Vista Ridge has enjoyed success in the passing game, but 2017 has seen the Rangers rush for 2,110 yards, 20 touchdowns, and an average of 6.9 yards per carry. Joe Goodwin has supplied the lion share of the carries and leads the team in rushing with 701 yards on 102 carries. The explosive feature of the Ranger running game is Jamil Pittman who is averaging 10 yards per carry. Pittman has less than half the carries as Goodwin, but has scored nine of the 20 rushing touchdowns.

Through nine games, Taute has completed just 48 percent of his passes for 1,466 yards. However, the improvement from 2016 to 2017 can be seen in the turnover ratio. Coming into the regular season finale a year ago, the Rangers had turned the ball over 20 times with 15 of those coming via interception. This year, Taute has thrown 13 touchdown passes and just five interceptions.

Jamil Pittman is the Rangers’ swiss army knife. As mentioned above, he can line up and run the ball as a traditional running back. Pittman can also split out as a true wide receiver and stretch the field with his speed. He is the team’s leading receiver and heads into his final home game with 30 receptions for 657 yards and five touchdowns. Pittman can even sneak in at the quarterback position and catch opposing defenses off guard. In 2017, Pittman has thrown two passes, completed both, and both for touchdowns. His versatility extends to the defensive side of the ball. On October 6th, Pittman returned an interception 63 yards for a score that sealed the win over Leander. Overall, Pittman has scored 15 times in 2017 and has had a hand in 17 of the Rangers’ 36 touchdowns.

Todd Dodge’s message to his team this week is simple.

“What’s your motivation? Is an undisputed district championship important to you? Is an undefeated season important to you? With this bunch, it is.”

— Todd Dodge