After a three week hiatus from their home ground, the varsity football team returned to Chaparral Stadium Friday night for some 6A Region IV District 26 action between the Chaps and the San Marcos High School Rattlers. In addition to the district game, it was also Senior Day for the Chaps. Despite the forecast indicating rain and the fact that one of the largest music festivals in America was kicking off just down the road, Westlake fans still showed plenty of support come gametime and stayed loud and proud for the entirety of the matchup. 

The three Fridays away from home were well spent for the Chaps, as they took a week off on a bye, and sandwiched the off week between blowout wins over Mansfield Summit and Del Valle. The two wins featured a very strong performance on both sides of the ball from the Chaps, where they scored a total of 122 points and won by a combined 95 points between the two outings. The Chaps were back home, riding a 28 game winning streak, and had an opportunity to put on a show for both the home crowd and the seniors on their special night. 

The Chaps took no time to get going early, as quarterback senior Cade Klubnik scrambled out left and made two Rattlers defenders miss en route to an electric 40 yard touchdown run just minutes into the game, giving the Chaps the lead early. The Rattlers kicked off their first drive and promptly fumbled the ball on their own 18 yard line, and defensive back senior Carter Barksdale fell on the loose ball, setting up great field position for the offense. The speedy drive ended with a six yard touchdown run from running back sophomore Jackson Kayser, extending the Chaps lead to 14 early in the contest. 

Another stop and an impressive punt return from wide receiver junior Hunter Luke put Westlake deep in San Marcos territory for their next drive. The Chaps capitalized on the opportunity, as Kayser ran in for another quick score to put the Chaps up 21 points before the halfway point in the first quarter. The Westlake defense held strong once again, forcing yet another punt, Klubnik quickly found the end zone on the ground for a second time. The score gave the Chaps a 28 point cushion at the end of the first quarter of play. 

The Chaps opened up the second frame with the ball, and didn’t miss a beat from the first quarter. Westlake scored quickly on a 14-yard pitch and catch from Klubnik to wide receiver junior Bryce Chambers, extending the lead to 35 early in the second quarter. The Chaps offense stayed dormant for a few plays on their next drive, but overrode the Rattler’s defensive efforts, converting on a 3rd and 20 attempt, scoring from 42 yards out on a nifty catch and run by wide receiver junior Keaton Kubecka. Westlake now maintained a dominant 42-0 lead with some time to spare before the half. The Chaps extended the lead even further just a few plays later, capitalizing off of a poor punt attempt from San Marcos, and scoring their seventh touchdown of the first half on a 14 yard strike to wide receiver junior Jaden Greathouse. Westlake headed to the locker room at halftime on top, 49-0. 

The Rattlers started off the second half with the ball, and they gave it back up almost immediately with yet another punt. Light rains began to fall over Chaparral Stadium, so the Chaps proceeded to keep the ball out of the misty air, and keep it on the ground with some hard-nosed running for the majority of their first drive. However, near the goal line the Chaps took to the air for the first time of the drive, and it resulted in a 7 yard score for wide receiver senior Adam Sullivan, increasing the lead to 56 early in the second half. On Westlake’s next drive, they were forced to boot the ball away after a nice stop from the Rattlers, making it their first drive of the night that didn’t result in a touchdown for the Chaps.

As the rain and the wind began to pick up, the unfortunate weather mixed with the blowout score caused fans to head for the exits at the beginning of the fourth quarter. The weather also continued to keep the ball on the ground for the Chaparral offense, as they ran down the clock, handing the ball off and gaining yardage in small chunks. Both offenses appeared to be at a standstill, with both teams exchanging punts throughout the fourth quarter. Westlake got the ball back around the 50 yard line, and showed signs of their first half efforts, as running back senior Kamsi Nzeribe raced up the middle for a 34 yard gain before the Chaps turned the ball over on downs inside the red zone.

As the clock wound down and the game was nearing a close, Westlake continued their stellar defensive efforts and cruised to a 56-0 win, improving to a perfect 5-0 on the season. While the Chaps only put up one touchdown on the scoreboard in the second half, there was no reason to be worried about the Westlake offense. The Chaps offensive unit racked up over 300 total yards, and looked dominant in both the pass game and the run game. The Chaps split their 8 touchdown scores evenly, with 4 rushing and 4 passing. Although the offense was stellar, it was a job that couldn’t be done without the success of the defensive unit. The Westlake defense held the Rattlers to zero points, and allowed only six first downs throughout the entire contest. It seemed that every offensive drive for the Chaps started in San Marcos territory, and the combination of success on both sides of the ball led the Chaps to an impressive showing on senior night. Westlake returns to Chaparral Stadium next Friday night for some more district action versus the Bowie High School Bulldogs. Both teams maintain an undefeated record, and it’s sure to be a fun one back on the Chaps home turf.