Varsity football earned a hard-fought 24-17 win over Lake Travis Dec. 6. It took all four quarters, but the Chaps used an all-around effort to decide the game, and give Westlake their sixth-straight ‘Battle of the Lakes’ victory. They move on to face the winner of Atascocita and North Shore next week-the only two teams to beat the Chaps in the last five years. They have fallen to North Shore in the last two years in the playoffs, and were stunned by Atascocita this season. Here are my five takeaways from this week’s game:
- Experienced WR core stepping up
When senior wide receiver Cal Livengood went down with a season-ending ankle injury in the first round of the playoffs, the Chaps lost a Swiss Army knife, head coach Tony Salazar said. The experienced wide receiver core has really stepped up in the absence of their leading pass-catcher. Seniors Chase Bowen and Brody Wilhelm have done an admirable job not only Livengood, but junior wide receiver Lawson Grimes on the shelf as well. Bowen was particularly effective in the first half, shaking off an early drop to haul in the most yards of any Chap. Heading into a matchup against either North Shore or Atascocita, both of which have talented secondaries, the Westlake receiving core will have some serious pressure to produce for the offense, especially after a game where they aired the ball out so much.
- Defensive dominance starts with Elliot Schaper
Elliot Schaper has been the most dominant player for Salazar and the Westlake defense all season. He continued that against the Cavs, tormenting LT quarterback Chaston Ditta all night long. Schaper grabbed two picks, and further cemented himself as one of the best linebackers to ever play at Westlake, Salazar said. The defense runs through the linebacker core, and Schaper spearheads that effort every single week. He leads the team in sacks, tackles, and tackles-for-loss, and has consistently performed all season long. Tonight, he single-handedly accounted for a third of the interceptions Ditta has thrown all season. He set the team record for single-game tackles against North Shore a few years ago, and he will need to replicate that performance on Saturday in Katy.
- Rushing Defense Is Key
Vann Hopping is averaging over 100 yards per carry this season. In two games against Westlake, he totaled significantly less yards. Senior defensive ends Cullen Devine and Connor Vasek, as well as linebackers like Schaper, contained him all night, constantly pushing him into the interior defensive line, where he often got swallowed up. That type of rushing defense will be necessary next week, especially if the Chaps end up playing Atascocita and their star running back Cardae Mack, or North Shore and D’Andre Hardeman Jr. Westlake always dominates in the trenches, and they exemplified that on the defensive end of the ball tonight. The experienced defensive line really performed against a solid offensive line. However, chunk plays, mostly through the air, need to be limited.
- Winning the Turnover Battle
Westlake has won the turnover battle in every single playoff game this season, which is also key in winning the field position battle. Against Lake Travis, they won it 4-1, and will need to keep that momentum up next week. Against North Shore in the season-ending loss last year, the Chaps got absolutely dominated in the turnover battle, throwing three picks. A more experienced front seven should be able to put more pressure on the offense next week, but the secondary has to replicate this week’s performance and lock down the deep ball. Junior quarterback Rees Wise has taken care of the ball better as of late, but can’t have another game like he did this season in the 39-21 loss to Atascocita where he turned the ball over three times.
- Third Quarter Struggles
The first part of the third quarter looked rough tonight. Westlake let LT right back into the game, salting away a few opportunities to grab the momentum in the second half. Despite a late forced fumble and touchdown, the Chaps need to come out of the half better next week on both sides of the ball. The room for error shrinks against either team the Chaps could play, and the momentum of the third frame will be crucial to Westlake making it all the way to Arlington for the state championship.
