By Thomas Jones, Sports Editor 

BASTROP — Westlake confirmed one of football’s basic tenets during a district win at Bastrop Friday.

A team effort trumps individual achievement.

Behind a bruising and balanced running game that produced 372 yards on the ground, the Chaps (2-4 overall, 2-1 district) raced to a big lead and held on for a 49-36 win over a young Bastrop (1-5, 0-2) squad that looks to have a bright future. Bears sophomore quarterback Josiah Monroe threw for 293 yards and two touchdowns and ran for another 150 yards and three touchdowns, but his singular excellence couldn’t overcome a Westlake team determined to stay in second place in District 25-5A. 

Still, Monroe’s playmaking never allowed the Chaps to completely relax despite a 42-14 lead entering the fourth quarter.

“It never felt like we had a big lead because No. 8 (Monroe) was zip-zapping around all over the place,” Westlake coach Derek Long said. “When you have a weapon like that, it adds a dimension. He’s not a Vince Young obviously, but he put a lot of pressure on the defense (like Young) with his ability to make things happen when a play breaks down.”

Thing appeared broken down for the Bears until they scored 24 points in a frantic fourth quarter. Monroe trimmed Bastrop’s deficit to 42-20 with a 23-yard pass to Matt Homesley, and the Bears’ receiver Reshawn Lincoln recovered the subsequent onside kick. Five plays later, Monroe broke loose from the pocket, dodged several Westlake defenders and hurdled over Chap defensive back Louie Swope to cap a 17-yard scoring run with 7:04 left in the game.

“He’s a really quick guy,” Chap noseguard Kalae “Cannonball” Cordova said about Monroe. “And when he took off, it was just random. It was real tiring, but we have fresh legs every play and a lot of guys that can perform.”

One of Westlake’s big-play performers stepped up after Monroe’s scoring scramble. On a wild play that blunted Bastrop’s momentum, Chap receiver Mike Walker picked up a loose ball after a fumble by quarterback Tanner Price and raced 61 yards for a touchdown at the 5:26 mark. Price had run near the first-down marker on the third-and-six play, and the officials ruled that a Bastrop defender had knocked the ball loose, thus making Walker’s run legal. Bastrop’s coaching staff argued vociferously that Walker couldn’t advance the fumble, but the score held up and Westlake held on for the win.

“Everyone is used to seeing us win and, hopefully, we’ll get every game wrapped up from here on out and take district,” Westlake running back Ryan Swope said. “I thought that we had a good scheme tonight, and we executed it really well.”

That scheme involved plenty of Swope and fullback Jeff Ballew. Long said that the Chaps planned on a heavy dose of running plays against a Bastrop defense that had problems slowing the run, and Westlake’s backfield didn’t disappoint. 

Swope had 188 yards and three touchdowns on 18 carries, and Ballew added 127 yards and a score on seven carries. Price only threw nine times, completing five passes for 96 yards including a 40-yard pass to Walker for a touchdown that helped the Chaps enter halftime with a 28-14 lead.

“To control two guys in the running game is hard,” Swope said. “To have Jeff blocking and running like he did helps the whole offense.”

Combined with an opportunistic defense, that running game helped Westlake sprint to a quick lead. The Chaps scored on their first four possessions, and the Bears had two turnovers on their first three drives. By the time Monroe scored his first touchdown, Westlake had built a 21-0 advantage.

The Chaps stretched that lead to 42-14 after two third-quarter touchdown runs by Swope, and Monroe began freelancing on every play in order to keep the Bears competitive.

“We didn’t work on their broken plays,” Long said with a laugh. “It’s tough playing a guy like that. As your rushing, you have to keep your lanes and keep your feet moving. We probably weren’t as quick as we should have been, but it’s hard chasing a guy like that.”