Longhorns Recruiting Road Trip: Playoffs Rounds 3 & 4

So far during the holiday season, I have ventured around the Central Texas area to cover several Austin-area high school football powerhouses, including: Lake Travis, Dripping Springs, and Vandegrift. With the lights of the playoffs shining bright, the pressure to stay alive was turned up a notch as the chance at a state championship appearance grew larger.

Round 3:

For the first time in a long time, the Lake Travis Cavaliers entered the third round of the playoffs as an underdog against a team from San Antonio. This time, it was the San Antonio Brennan Bears who stood in their way, led by senior quarterback Ashton Dubose, who has five scholarship offers, including one from UTSA.

In the regional semifinals matchup, Dubose continued to do what he’s done all season long – score touchdowns. Against Lake Travis, Dubose scored a total of five touchdowns, four of them passing, including one touchdown pass to his twin brother Aaron. Furthermore, Ashton looked comfortable in the pocket all night and connected on some difficult throws, involving multiple receivers. As previously mentioned, senior wide receiver Aaron Dubose was one of the wideouts involved in the scoring action, and he used his 6’3″ frame to his advantage – making a few sizable catches on the night.

For Lake Travis, the offensive line did a solid job of creating a push in the running game, resulting in a 300-yard rushing night. Moreover, junior running back Nico Hamilton led the Cavaliers in rushing with 158 yards on 23 carries. Junior offensive linemen Adrian-Izic Oratokhai and Legend Cabello have created a sizable push on the left side of Lake Travis’s offensive line this year. As a result, do not be surprised if you hear their recruitment picking up before next season.

However, the Cavaliers offense has been plagued by a lack of playmakers all season and this problem came back to haunt them in the third round of the playoffs.

Despite of a close game going into halftime, with Brennan leading Lake Travis 13-10, the second half was all about the Bears who pulled away in a dominant 34-17 victory.

Round 4: 

In the regional finals round of the playoffs last weekend, I travelled to Cedar Park’s Gupton Stadium to watch the Vandegrift Vipers play the Dripping Springs Tigers. Last Friday, after trailing for a good portion of the matchup, Vandegrift somehow managed to find themselves with the lead late in the contest. Led by senior quarterback Austin Novosad, the Tigers marched their way to the Vipers 1-yard line before failing to convert on a devastating fourth-and-goal situation on their final drive.

Despite of an uncharacteristic off-night by Vandegrift senior quarterback Brayden Buchanan, who threw two interceptions, the Vipers were able to produce yards on the ground via senior running back Alex Witt, who rushed for 148 yards and two touchdowns. Led by Vipers offensive linemen Blake Frazier and Ian Reed, both of whom are future Division 1 athletes, Vandegrift has had no problem creating space for their playmakers this season.

For Dripping Springs, Friday’s matchup unfortunately marked the end of Austin Novosad’s high school football career. The four-star senior quarterback is committed to joining the Baylor Bears once he graduates, and will graduate holding most of his school’s passing records.

Extra Point:

Following Hudson Card‘s graduation from Lake Travis, the Cavaliers have been stuck in a little bit of a predicament. During Card’s senior season, the Austin-native practically willed the Cavaliers into tough wins after the team was suffering from the graduation of wide receiver Garrett Wilson. However, thanks to inconsistencies at the quarterback position, Lake Travis’s need for talent at the skill position has been on display. As a result, I will be curious to see who will lead the charge for the Cavaliers next position on offense.

Miles Logged:

136