It took something, well, special for Westlake to seal a comeback win in one of the district’s most foreboding settings.

In a span of 14 seconds in the fourth quarter, the Chaps’ special teams accounted for 10 sudden points that helped lift Westlake to a 30-19 win over Pflugerville at Kuempel Stadium. The flurry of points broke open a taut defensive battle, and it gave credence to an undeniable fact evident through the first half of the season.

Special teams has become a significant team strength for the first-place Chaps (4-1 overall, 2-0 in District 25-5A).

That strength never meant more than on a 49-yard field goal that Cody Rademacher booted through the uprights with 4 minutes, 33 seconds left in the game. The clutch field goal gave the Chaps a two-possession lead at 23-13, and it set up a timely pooch kick on the subsequent kickoff that caught Pflugerville off-guard.

Brice Dolezal recovered a high, spinning kickoff by Dillon Short at the Panthers’ 19-yard line. Two plays later, Chap quarterback Tanner Price rumbled around the left side for a 9-yard touchdown run that effectively ended the game and sent the Pflugerville faithful streaming toward the exits as their team – which claimed a share of the district title a year ago – fell to 2-3 overall and 0-2 in District 25-5A.

“Dillon had been working on that all week,” Westlake coach Darren Allman said. “He told us at practice ‘Coach, you need to watch me do this.’ He got some height, a little English and some backspin. We wanted to try it at some point when we had the lead, so we took a shot, and it worked out.”

Westlake’s poise under pressure worked out, too. Despite a fumble on the opening kickoff and a 10-0 first-quarter deficit, the Chaps never panicked against a team that had beaten Westlake in all three meetings between the schools since 2005. Westlake’s defense played particularly well in the second half, giving up just 35 yards and no points until Pflugerville’s final drive ended with a Hail Mary touchdown catch by Sammy Flowers in the end zone with no time on the clock.

Overall, Westlake held Pflugerville to 235 yards and forced three turnovers.

“We had to keep our composure tonight, and that’s what I’m most proud of,” Allman said. “We were down, we came back and got the lead, and that’s a good sign for our football team. We didn’t panic, and we were able to take control of the game.

“There were some frustrating things that happened like some turnovers, but I didn’t see any bickering or finger-pointing. The guys stayed together.”

Chap quarterback Tanner Price, who threw for 163 yards and a touchdown and ran for 40 yards and two more scores, agreed with Allman.

“We had some bad plays, but we knew we were a lot better than that,” he said. “We never worried when we were down, because we were stopping ourselves.”

Down by two scores midway through the first quarter, Westlake responded behind Price. The senior lefty went 3-for-3 for 61 yards on an 80-drive touchdown drive and received plenty of help from receiver Miles Berger, who hauled in a long pass on the left sideline and danced through the Pflugerville secondary for a 56-yard score. Berger ended the game with three catches for a team-high 76 yards.

Price directed a 39-yard scoring drive that ended with a 37-yard field goal by Cody Rademacher on the next Chap drive to even the score, and Westlake turned a Panther fumble into the go-ahead touchdown with 43 seconds left in the half. He hit both of his passes on the 43-yard drive, including a 10-yard completion to a leaping Jason Prideaux on third-and-nine. The drive ended with a 2-yard touchdown plunge by Price.

That final drive capped a stellar first half for Price, who has struggled to trigger a downfield passing attack while adjusting to Westlake’s power spread. Price completed seven of nine passes for 117 yards in that first half, helping the Chaps amass 178 yards of offense against a traditionally tough Pflugerville defense.

Westlake built on its 17-13 halftime lead with a pair of field goals by Rademacher, including his career-long 49-yarder in the fourth quarter.

“That was the most nervous I’d been in a long time, but I’m glad they [the coaches] gave me the chance to take it,” said Rademacher, an Air Force recruit. “I knew I could make it. I was just focused on what I was trying to do and not worry about the score.”

Westlake will host Bastrop next Friday in a battle between unbeaten district squads.