On Friday, the year’s biggest Central Texas matchup occurred as the Westlake Chaparrals hosted the Lake Travis Cavaliers. Besides the usual excitement that comes with the rivalry, Westlake is the state’s top-ranked team and the Cavaliers are the eighth-ranked team.
Furthermore, both powerhouse programs have a plethora of Division 1 talent. For example, just looking at Westlake, the Chaparrals feature a Texas commit in 2022 three-star offensive lineman Connor Robertson, as well as Texas targets 2023 four-star offensive lineman TJ Shanahan and 2023 four-star wide receiver Jaden Greathouse.
Week 11:
Keeping Klubnik upright, Connor Robertson, TJ Shanahan, 2022 three-star offensive tackle Bray Lynch and the rest of the Westlake offensive line did a solid job of creating a pocket to throw from. Robertson, the Longhorns commit, was active in pulling from the left guard position to the right side of the line. Due to the offensive line’s ability to execute their blocks and create a push, sophomore running back Jack Keyser was able to run for 173 yards and a touchdown.
On the other sideline, the Lake Travis Cavaliers struggled to keep pace with Westlake’s offensive production. The bright spot for the Cavaliers was 2022 four-star wide receiver Caleb Burton who caught a touchdown pass and ran for another. However, Westlake’s defensive line constantly applied pressure, forcing three sacks and making it difficult for the Lake Travis offense to click. In fact, a day after his team’s win against Lake Travis, 2022 defensive end Ethan Burke received an offer from Baylor. The 6’7″ defensive lineman accounted for two quarterback hurries and a sack against the Cavaliers.
Ultimately, the Chaparrals were able to roll to a dominant 63-21 victory over Lake Travis.
Extra Point:
It is clear that Jaden Greathouse has been hitting the weight room and looks more and more ready to play college football. Like Greathouse, Klubnik has shown that he has worked on his game, greatly improving his pocket awareness as a quarterback. Both Greathouse and Klubnik have certainly developed during their time in the Westlake program and will look to cap off this season with another state title.
Moving on to the offensive line, Connor Robertson is a player that Longhorns offensive line coach Kyle Flood can work with on the Forty Acres. Prior to the early National Signing Day period, Flood and Texas will most likely try to add a couple of more commitments on the offensive line to accompany Robertson. Currently, the only other pledge on the offensive line is 2022 four-star Cole Hutson.
Joining Robertson on Westlake’s line are TJ Shanahan and Bray Lynch. As of today, Shanahan possesses 38 scholarship offers and should be viewed as one of priorities for the Longhorns in their 2023 recruiting class. Now, for Lynch, the offensive tackle is committed to Indiana but might be one of the more underrated recruits in the state of Texas. The 6’5″ tackle holds 14 college offers but has been one of the key pieces to the best offensive line in the state of Texas for multiple seasons.
Friday’s matchup marked the last regular season game in Westlake head coach Todd Dodge’s career. Dodge, a former Texas Longhorns quarterback, has coached high school football in the state of Texas for over 35 years, winning six state titles. The fifty-eight year old football coach has had a heck of a coaching career, revolutionizing the way that offenses operate while building dynasties. While Dodge’s time as a head coach might be coming to a close, he would be the first to tell you that he is not done yet and that his goal is to add one more state championship to his resume.
Although no official statement regarding Dodge’s replacement has been made, it is likely that the Chaparrals will promote from within their program. The leading candidate for the head coaching job is Chaparrals defensive coordinator Tony Salazar, who is the winner of two Broyles Awards, honoring the state’s top assistant football coach. If Salazar is indeed named Westlake’s next head coach, it will be a well deserved promotion for one of the game’s great football minds.
Miles Logged:
18 (Total)
