After losing the second-leading rusher in school history, Jack Kayser, rebuilding the running back room has been a task for head coach Tony Salazar. Senior running back Grady Bartlett, when available, has eased the transition from Kayser for the Chaps, rushing for 347 yards and seven touchdowns in his first year as a starter. He missed two games at the beginning of the season due to an injury suffered in the season opener.

“It was tough early with people asking who was gonna be the next Jack Kayser,” Bartlett said. “But everybody around me makes it so much easier, because no matter what, it’s not just put on me. I still talk to him, and he helps me out through all the things I need.”

A week after the passing game took center stage for the Chaps offense, the rushing attack was the focal point against Bowie on Friday at Chaparral Stadium. Bartlett ran all over the Bulldog defense, finishing with 12 carries for 48 yards and two touchdowns despite barely playing in the second half.

Westlake (6-1, 3-0 District 26-6A) overwhelmed the Bulldogs (5-3, 1-3 26-6A) at the line of scrimmage, out rushing them by 202 yards behind a dominant performance from the nine different Chaps that got carries in a 48-7 win.

“We wanted to be more physical up front,” Bartlett said. “It showed today, and we really were. The O-line was doing a great job of moving them back. They made it really easy to get some yards.”

The Chaps opened up the game with three-straight rushes, though they didn’t amount to anything. Bartlett carried three times for seven yards, getting dropped in the backfield for a loss on third down.

This didn’t deter the rushing attack, however. On their second drive, they marched down the field behind rushes by Bartlett, junior quarterback Rees Wise and senior wide receiver Cal Livengood. Bartlett punched the ball in from seven yards out, striking first for the Chaps.

Livengood stepped into a much larger role on the ground with senior running back Justice Johnson injured. He was productive, adding to a 217-yard rushing game for the Chaps.

“We’ve been practicing that all week,” Livengood said. “There were a couple guys banged up, so they asked me if I could run the ball. I said, ‘yeah’, I want to do my best to help the team win games.”

Through the first two drives, Westlake only threw the ball one time. Livengood and Bartlett powered the ball down the field once again on the Chaps third drive of the game, accounting for every single yard on a drive that set them up on the one-yard line before Bartlett found the end zone once again on the first play of the second quarter.

“[The rushing game] was dictated by their defense,” Salazar said. “They run a Tampa defense, which takes away the passing game. In that case, there is a light box and we run the football.”

The Chaps kept their foot on the gas, following up a pick-six with their third rushing touchdown of the game. This time, Wise finished off the drive from one yard out, making the score 28-0. In one of the most dominant ground games of the year, Wise ran for 20 yards and a touchdown.

“Rees did a great job of spreading the defense out,” Salazar said. “He ran efficiently and helped us get some momentum there at the end of the first half.”

The ground game will help the Chaps with their biggest road test of the year against an undefeated Lake Travis team. The next rendition of the ‘Battle of the Lakes’ will feature star running backs on both sides of the field. Bartlett will try to outrush Cavalier junior running back Vann Hopping, who has rushed for 824 yards and 18 touchdowns on the season.

“We need to kill the will,” Bartlett said. “Finishing all of our drives and scoring in the red zone every time we get there is gonna be important.”