Westlake Picayune

When: Thursday, 7 p.m.

Where: Chaparral Stadium

Radio/TV: 1370 AM/Fox Sports Network.

Records: Westlake 0-1; Lake Travis 1-0

Last season: Westlake won 28-21.

Foe to know: Garrett Gilbert – The future Longhorn QB set plenty of records while leading Lake Travis to the Class 4A Division II state title a year ago. He picked up where he left off with 312 yards and three TDs in a 27-20 win over Westwood last week. 

Stat that matters: 42.2 – Completion percentage for Gilbert in two games against Westlake, both Chap victories. 

Rundown: Receiver Cade McCrary had 203 yards receiving last week. … Westwood amassed 504 yards of offense and ran more than twice as many plays as LT. … Westlake was the only team to defeat the Cavs last season.

Picayune’s pick: Westlake 35, Lake Travis 28.

By Thomas Jones, Sports Editor 

It only took one game to see how much things have changed for Westlake’s offense.

Last season, the Chaps had more passing yards than rushing yards just once. But Friday, junior quarterback Tanner Price shook off a sore ankle and riddled Cedar Park’s secondary for 202 yards on 13-of-21 passing while Westlake’s running game picked up 120 yards. [Read more →]

Commentary

By Thomas Jones, Sports Editor

For better or worse, Westlake has been down this road before. And that means a lopsided home loss to Cedar Park in the season opener shouldn’t force the Chap faithful to find the keys to the panic room. [Read more →]

By Thomas Jones, Sports Editor 

With their tournament season now behind them, Westlake coach Al Bennett can look back at the first month and pinpoint areas of improvement.

And that search begins at the service line.

Service errors continued to plague the Chaps at last weekend’s Pearland tournament, where Westlake (18-7) won four of six matches to place sixth out of 76 teams. [Read more →]

By Thomas Jones, Sports editor

A game of keepaway helped keep Westlake from a season-opening win for the second consecutive year.

Leaning on a bruising running game and an opportunistic defense, Cedar Park strolled out of Chaparral Stadium with a 31-21 win Friday night before a stunned crowd of approximately 8,000. The setback won’t linger as long as usual, however, as defending Class 4A state champion Lake Travis visits Westlake Thursday for a regionally televised game. [Read more →]

By Thomas Jones, Sports editor

Quarterback Tanner Price remained questionable for Friday’s opener against Cedar Park with an injured ankle. If Price can’t play, Coach Derek Long said that the Chaps will likely rotate reserve quarterbacks Preston Dewey and Blake Brown.
The two backups split time with Westlake’s starters in Saturday’s scrimmage against Round Rock McNeil after Price went to the bench. They both earned praise from Westlake’s coaches.
[Read more →]

Long says team ready for Cedar Park

By Thomas Jones, Sports Editor

If Westlake’s coaches wanted the preseason to provide a stern test, they must have enjoyed Saturday’s final summer scrimmage.

The banged-up Chaps squared off with a rugged Round Rock McNeil bunch at Chaparral Stadium and came away with a handful of positives, said Coach Derek Long. Westlake’s first team scored two touchdowns despite injuries to running back Ryan Swope and Tanner Price, and the defense had three takeaways.

“I was real pleased with how the guys responded,” Long said. “Overall, I thought our offensive line did a good job, and some guys stepped up and made some plays when they had to.” 

[Read more →]

Welcome to the new westlakepicayune.com. With our new site, we’ll be able to provide you with your news as soon as you need it in addition to our award-winning printed edition each Thursday. Check back here for updates on the Chaps’ season-opening football game and much, much more.