63° F
Football / Top Stories
Westlake rips Rockets, reaches third round
Saturday, November 21, 2009
|
|
11
CONVERSE – In an area playoff matchup rife with tradition, Westlake (10-2) delivered a rare home loss to Converse Judson (9-3) while advancing to the Class 5A Division I Region IV semifinals with a 43-17 win.
The Chaps dominated the contest from the opening kickoff while silencing a Rocket crowd not used to seeing such results. Judson has won six state titles and has played in 12 state championship games since 1983, but that tradition didn’t phase a Westlake squad used to its own legacy.
Westlake scored on three of its first four possessions, including an opening drive that began with a 64-yard pass from Tanner Price to Miles Berger on the first offensive play of the game.
“That’s really what we wanted to do,” Westlake coach Darren Allman said. “We wanted to get out to a quick start and hopefully get an early lead and try and keep the crowd out of it. It worked out.”
The initial play also worked out. According to Berger, the Chaps had game-planned that bomb down the seam since the team first watched film of Judson.
“We had planned that all week,” he said. “We thought we could hit one on them, and we thought that would make an early statement.”
Judson seemed to recover from that initial blow, forcing a three-and-out and capitalizing on a 21-yard punt by Westlake’s Cody Rademacher against a blustery north wind with a field goal.
However, Price converted two third-down passes on Westlake’s next possession, including a touchdown 4-yard dart to Collin Shaw. The Chaps then reeled off a 96-yard touchdown drive midway through the second quarter that gave Westlake a 20-3 halftime lead and seemed to sap the spirit from Judson.
Led by linebackers Conor Byrne and Bryce Hager, Westlake’s defense kept dangerous running back Quaylon Jones under wraps until the sophomore slipped free for a 61-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter. Jones ended the game with just 65 yards on 10 carries as Judson’s high-powered offense produced fell well short of its 39-point average.
Quarterback Tanner Price threw for 215 yards and two touchdowns and added 77 yards on the ground for Westlake. Running back Van Gramann had 110 yards of offense and scored three touchdowns, including a 1-yard plunge that gave the Chaps a 37-3 lead at the end of the third quarter.
The Chaps will face Harlingen in a regional semifinal next Friday at 4 p.m. in San Antonio’s Alamodome, which means a coveted day of practice on Thanksgiving.
“Any high school coach or player wants to eat some turkey and play some football,” Allman said. “I’m glad we get to play another game and get better.”
This team was built to beat Clark.
Harlingen won’t pose much of a threat.
Arrogance.
It’s a warm up game for SA Clark. This is Central Texas.
I agree with Valleyite and want to address the repeated assinineness of “great”: his is arrogance none of us need or want to hear when asking for more of all of our money for athletic facilities. Maybe if WHS were to lose, the arrogance and pompousness of WHS football boosters would diminish. Ya think that is possible? I am willing to cheer for Harlingen if that would help put our money and values into perspective.
Valleyite and Rah Rah—let’s see what you have to say on Saturday. I’ll check you then. Happy Thanksgiving…by the way, you’re the turkey.
Hey Y. Maraner (weimaraner) – are you related to Rex the Dog and Frank Furter? Same arrogance for sure. Let’s see what you have to say on voting day when the proposed bond for yet more athletic improvements fails.
Way to root against the kids in your own district. Good for you!
And no. Westlake has lost games before. It could happen this week, that’s what makes the sport interesting. We will still support the Chaps.
So now anyone who is for athletics at Eanes is arrogant? Some of us see the value of athletics in education.
“Great” – Open and fund your own private sports club and stop expecting the taxpaying public (and public school) to fund your hobby. Then you can be as arrogant as you want … and no one will care at all.
And some of us see the value of teachers’ jobs before football.
We aren’t rooting aginst our kids, we are rooting FOR their education and not for the arrogant attitude of some parents who think we should pay like crazy for their kids sports while increasing class sizes across the district (except of course for football student/coach ratios). My varsity athlete kids at WHS gain alot from athletics (and do it without multiple coaches) but it is also SECONDARY to keeping good teachers and small class sizes, and it certainly is not worth another football sports facility that we just don’t need and can’t afford.
I support the Chaps. I don’t support the spending on ten different football coaches and football facilities (under the guise that it will be for everyone b.s. when it is for football)) at the expense of OUR KIDS’ EDUCATION.
The high school football team is still winning and yet Eanes ISD wants to pass a bond for a covered football field so the players won’t get cold or hot during practice. Without it, the district argues, they just can’t compete. Earth to Eanes: The team is not making your point.