A quick glance at the ever-crowded trophy case at Westlake High School offers a misleading fact.

Sure, there’s a barrelful of awards picked up during a most remarkable decade that built on the success of the 1990s. But with the honors came plenty of upheaval in the 2000s.

Longtime coaches left, and some took success with them. New leaders arrived, while the highest of expectations remained. Teams triumphed, others stumbled, but every sport in one of the state’s top athletic programs continued to pile up the wins at the highest level of high school competition in the nation.

And, thus, the Chaps enter the second decade of the 21st century in a familiar spot at the top of the prep pecking order.

The decade didn’t begin with promise, as the departure of longtime girls basketball coach Cathy Self broke up a championship triumvirate. Westlake won state titles in girls basketball, volleyball and football in the 1990s. Each sport had a lone coach during the entire decade, and the presence of Self, Ron Schroeder (football) and Al Bennett (volleyball) served as a linchpin to the athletic program.

In addition, Ebbie Neptune governed with a steady hand as the only athletic director the Eanes school district had ever known.

But Self’s exit portended a coaching commotion. Schroeder left Westlake in 2003 after a remarkable 16-year string that included multiple district titles and a state championship. The girls hoops program went through three coaches in the 2000s, and the beloved Neptune retired before suffering a debilitating stroke that shocked the Chap community.

Ripples of change also swept through programs such as soccer, cross country and softball.

Only volleyball – still under the direction of Bennett – seemed immune from transformation while building a dynasty of regional and state titles.

Change hasn’t, well, changed the track of Westlake sports, however. Football coaches Derek Long and Darren Allman have each led the Chaps to state title games, and the girls soccer program reemerged as a state power.

The boys basketball team reached a new level of achievement despite three coaches in the past six years.

Of course, many programs have stayed in-house while maintaining their winning ways. Coaches such as tennis’ Kim Riley and boys golf’s Callan Nokes, groomed in Westlake’s system, have each led the Chaps to state titles, and steady Jim Darilek stays true to his hardball roots while guiding the baseball team to long playoff runs with regularity.

Westlake’s girls golf team remains among the best, and the cross country squads continue to persistently excel in the postseason. Chaps have won gold medals in swimming, wrestling and track.
All remains good at Westlake, where every sport reached the playoffs multiple times in the past decade.

Because at Westlake, one truth remains undeniable. Student-athletes enter each program with the highest of goals, and they rarely shirk from the work needed for such reach.

And that fact is as concrete as the cups and plaques that continue to collect decades’ worth of dust in the Westlake trophy case.

The decade’s best:

Boys cross country

A consistent regional qualifier, the Chaps haven’t taken the next step toward a state title but remain a contender every year.

Team of the decade: The 2007 team won a district title and finished 16th at the regional race.

Player of the decade: In 2002, Jaziel Crisostomo became the lone Chap to reach the state meet this decade.

All-decade team
Jaziel Crisostomo, 2001-04
Collin Sansom, 2004-06
Rob Secker, 2003-06
Jake Shaw, 2006-2008
Ben Stephenson, 2006-09

Girls cross country

With three trips to the state meet, the Chaps have proven themselves as one of the most consistent programs in Central Texas, regardless of which coach guides the team.

Team of the decade: In 2001, Maribel and Alejandra Apud-Martinez led the Chaps to ninth place at the state meet.

Player of the decade: Lucy Stephenson made two appearances at the state meet, including an individual showing in 2005.

All-decade team
Alejandra Apud-Martinez, 2002-03
Maribel Apud-Martinez, 2000-02
Emily Mase, 2002-04
Ashley Maton, 2008-2009
Lucy Stephenson, 2005-08

Tennis

Coach Kim Riley became the storied program’s all-time leader in wins while leading Westlake to one team tennis title.

Team of the decade: After four straight trips to the state tournament without a title, the 2007 squad finally broke through to claim the school’s first Class 5A championship.

Player of the decade: Drew Petersen played four years on the tennis team and captured a state doubles title with Cal Alpar in 2007.

All-decade team
Boys
Cal Alpar, 2006-07
Russell Bader, 2006-09
Alex Durham, 2006-09
Drew Petersen, 2005-08
Stephen Shields, 2002, 2005
Girls
Emily Cippele, 2003-06
Alysha Kishan, 2004-07
Sophie Lantta, 2004-08
Stefanie Peana, 2005-08
Leonora Slatnick, 2005-08

Girls golf

After years of mediocrity, Coach Chuck Nowland has turned the Chaps into perennial state-tournament participants.

Team of the decade: Westlake has yet to win a state title, but the 2006 team came close with a second-place score of 616.

Player of the decade: Ginny Brown won individual honors in 2005 and placed second behind teammate Daphne Vines in 2006.

All-decade team
Ginny Brown, 2003-06
Haley Brown, 2002-04
Daphne Vines, 2003-06
Kaylin Terry, 2007-09
Jenna Stene, 2006-2009

Boys golf

Two state titles, one state champion and a fresh wave of talent that surges through the program each year. The 2000s were good for one of the state’s premier programs.

Team of the decade: The 2009 squad, loaded with an experienced lineup, shot a 575 to win a state championship.

Player of the decade: Tyler Duncan helped the Chaps win the 2001 state title by shooting a 137 to win individual honors.

All-decade team
Tyler Duncan, 2000-01
Jeff Lanier, 2000-02
Brenden Redfern, 2007-09
Rob Mayo, 2005-07
Trent Redfern, 2006-2009

Football

Despite a relative amount of upheaval at the top, the Chaps ended the decade right where they started: near the pinnacle of the sport.
Of course, the program had plenty of change in between, including an end to a record-setting district winning streak and its dominance over Austin Class 5A schools.

But the Chaps played the best when it mattered most, reaching four state title games and two more regional finals.

Team of the decade: The 2006 squad overcome a frightening heart failure to team captain Matt Nader and a first loss to Austin High to reach the state title game, where they fell 43-29 to Southlake Carroll.

Player of the decade: Quarterback Nick Foles, now starring for the Arizona Wildcats, broke a bevy of school records held by Drew Brees while guiding that 2006 squad.

All-decade team
Offense
QB: Nick Foles, 2005-06
RB: Scott Ballew, 2000-01
RB: Ryan Swope, 2006-08
WR: Aaron Garza, 2000-02
WR: Staton Jobe, 2004-05
TE: Joey Thomas, 2001-02
OT: Matt Nader, 2004-06
OT: Phillip Reed, 2008-09
OG: Gino Troy, 2002-03
OG: Tory Dawson, 2005-06
C: Brandon Behrens, 2007-09
K: Justin Tucker, 2005-07
Defense
DL: Patrick Massey, 2004-05
DL: Omar Ontiveros, 2006-08
DL: Mark Meroney, 2002-03
LB: John Anderson, 2004-05
LB: Craig Welborn, 2000
LB: Bryce Hager, 2007-09
LB: Tyler Gatewood, 2000-01
DB: Steven Jackson, 2003-04
DB: Huston Street, 2000
DB: Jordon Street, 2003-04
DB: Erick Smart, 2000
P: Richard Grey, 2003-04

Boys basketball

Long known more for producing touted big men than playoff wins, the Chaps have become a regional power.

Team of the decade: The 2004 team may have lacked a superstar, but it had plenty of grit while becoming the only squad in school history to reach the regional finals.

Player of the decade: The second McDonald’s all-American in school history, Brad Buckman had a brilliant prep career that predated four strong years at the University of Texas.

All-decade team
F: Connor Kemper, 2007-09
F: Nick Foles, 2004-06
G: Cody Doolin, 2007-09
G: Matt Slatnick, 2002-04
P: Brad Buckman, 2000-02

Girls basketball

Once one of the proudest programs in the state, Westlake remains a perennial playoff team but has spent much of the decade trying to regain the glory days of the 1990s.

Team of the decade: Westlake’s lone appearance at the state tournament came in 2003, when a team led by three-year starters Katie Gross, Blair Massey and Lauren Balon garnered a 29-8 record.

Player of the decade: In her three years on varsity, Blair Massey led the team in scoring three times and rebounding twice.

All-decade team
F: Blair Massey, 2001-03
F: Katie Gross, 2001-03
G: Caroline Wren, 2003-06
G: Caroline Durbin, 2006-09
P: Courtney Duever, 2007-09

Boys soccer

Once a bastion of stability, the program has had four coaches since John Fitzsimons resigned in 2006 and hasn’t won a playoff match since 2007.

Team of the decade: Despite a third-place finish in district, the 2007 squad rallied behind interim head coach Steve Ramsey and reached the regional finals, where Westlake fell to Brownsville Rivera 1-0 in a grueling matchup.

Player of the decade: In his four seasons on varsity, Andres Cuero evolved from a gifted striker to a playmaking team captain.

All-decade team
G: Michael Lisch, 2007-08
D: Carl Kenyon, 2001-03
D: Andy Retersdorf, 2004-06
D: Austin Pyhrr, 2005-07
D: Tyler Walsh, 2006-08
MF: Davey Lozano, 2002-05
MF: Jackson Widner, 2007-09
MF: Andres Cuero, 2004-07
MF: Colby Bishop, 2004-06
F: Grant Rodell, 2004-07
F: Sharad Sood, 2000-01

Girls soccer

Westlake has gone through three coaches in the past five years but hasn’t suffered any dropoff in success. After a mid-decade string of first-round playoff losses, the Chaps have gone at least three rounds in three of the past four years.

Team of the decade: In 2007, a gifted and rugged team won a regional crown for the first time in the decade before falling in the state semifinals.

Player of the decade: Jaime Wheeler capped a splendid career with eight goals in Westlake’s 2007 playoff run.

All-decade team
G: Tara Brace, 2000-02
D: Lauren Peterson, 2006-09
D: Laurie Walker, 2004-07
D: Carmela Doerr, 2006-09
MF: Lauren Torres, 2002-05
MF: Jaime Wheeler, 2004-07
MF: Melissa Nixon, 2000-02
F: Emily Anderson, 2003-06
F: Lauren Crosby, 2002-05
F: Brittany Johnson, 2005-08
F: Lexi Iverson, 2006-09

Softball

In one of the best prep athletic programs in Texas, softball has long been overshadowed by its more successful brethren. The team has gone through four coaches this decade, but playoff appearances have become the norm rather than the exception.

Team of the decade: The 2009 Chaps made school history by reaching the third round of the Class 5A playoffs for the first time.

Player of the decade: Kelly McKee did a little bit of everything in her four seasons on varsity, including pitching, playing third base and popping plenty of hits.

All-decade team
P: Celia Browning, 2006-08
C: Donia Crouch, 2002-04
IF: Kelly McKee, 2004-07
IF: Amber Mockler, 2002-04
IF: Hannah Slovacek, 2007-09
IF: MacKenzie Whyte, 2007-09
OF: Adrianna Martinez, 2007-09
OF: Megan Reichert, 2003-05
OF: Lana Thormahlen, 2000-03

Baseball

The program suffered one season without a playoff berth but closed the decade with four lengthy playoff runs, culminating with a spot in last season’s state tournament.

Team of the decade: A senior-laden and scrappy 2009 bunch broke through a regional semifinal barrier that had stood for three years before falling in a state semifinal.

Player of the decade: Whether at the plate or on the mound, Michael Dixon delivered for the Chaps.

All-decade team
P: Michael Dixon , 2005-07
P: James Ferguson, 2007-09
C: Andrew Stauch, 2005-06
1B: Mark Fisher, 2001-02
2B: Robert Icenogle, 2005-06
3B: Jordan Etier, 2006-08
SS: Huston Street, 2000-01
OF: Aaron Garza, 2001-03
OF: Max Minor, 2005-07
OF: Bryan Bailey, 2003-05

Volleyball

How do you define dominance? Just repeat Westlake’s accomplishments this decade under longtime coach Al Bennett: two state titles, seven state tournament appearances, waves of all-state players.

Team of the decade: One of the best teams in Texas history, the 2004 squad boasted a state title, a 43-1 record and eight future Division I college players.

Player of the decade: Bennett has called outside hitter Sara Shaw, a four-year starter and the school’s career leader in kills, the best player he’s ever coached.

All-decade team
S: Elly Barrett, 2006-08
OH: Sara Shaw, 2006-09
OH: Lauren Dickson, 2004-06
OH Jessica Mihm, 2000-02
MB: Meghan Kainz, 2001-03
MB: Shannon Davis, 2002-04