While Akins ended an up-and-down season, Westlake warmed up for the playoffs in convincing fashion.

The Chaps (8-2, 6-1) exploded for 35 points in the first quarter and cruised to a 55-7 win in District 25-5A play Nov. 5 at Burger Stadium. The victory provided almost an ideal conclusion to the regular season, according to Westlake coach Darren Allman. His starters looked as sharp as a scalpel while dissecting Akins, his team’s reserves garnered plenty of playing time, and the Chaps escaped any injuries prior to this week’s playoff opener against visiting San Antonio Madison.

“And we really showed our maturity,” he said. “Last week, there was a full stadium [against Austin High] and a lot of excitement. Tonight, we came out here with the people that really mattered: the football team, their parents and the die-hard fans.

“We didn’t play in front of a big crowd, and there were no playoff implications, but we didn’t coast through the game. We got better tonight, and that’s what I’m really excited about.”

The statistics didn’t lie when it came to Westlake’s dominance in the first quarter. Paced by quarterback Tanner Price, the Chaps had 279 yards of offense in that opening period, compared to 40 for Akins (2-8, 1-6).

Price had 153 yards and two touchdowns on 6-of-7 passing and added 48 yards on the ground, including a 44-yard touchdown run in the first 12 minutes.

Receiver Collin Shaw served as the trigger to that scoring explosion. He took advantage of single coverage with two touchdown receptions totaling 130 yards on Westlake’s first three drives.

“They manned me up, and we just tried to take advantage,” Shaw said. “This was definitely a great way to go into the playoffs, but we’re only going to celebrate for a little bit. We have to get ready for the playoffs now.”

Brice Dolezal contributed a 36-yard scoring burst up the middle.

Even Westlake’s defense joined the scoring barrage when James Robison leaped into the air to pick off Akins quarterback Kenny Davis and returned the ball 31 yards for the score.

“We felt that we needed to take our shots early and get ahead,” Allman said. “If we did that, we thought that might settle their spirits.”

Westlake’s starters took to the bench after the first quarter, but the Chaps still tallied a season-high 505 yards of offense and held Akins to 78 yards.

Dolezal (12 carries, 93 yards) and Chase Brooks (10 carries, 94 yards, one touchdown) both had career games on the ground, while sophomore quarterback Lewis Guilbeau had his first career touchdown pass with a 43-yad strike to Miles Berger.

Akins hung tough despite the deficit. Defensive end Reggie Flowers, who suffered a frightening neck injury in the fifth game of the season, had a strong game and helped produce Akins’ lone touchdown. He stripped the ball while sacking Chap quarterback Preston Dewey, and teammate Andrew Johnson picked up the ball and rumbled 45 yards for a second-quarter touchdown.