Westlake has proven to be a conveyor belt for football players who become valued members at the college level. No one is going to feel sorry for the Chaparrals for losing players, but head coach Tony Salazar will spend much of the spring hunting down replacements for talented seniors from last season’s Class 6A state semifinalist team whose high school football days are over.
For Salazar and every other high school head coach in the state, that’s part of the game. The biggest challenge for them is finding suitable players who might make a difference on Friday nights.
So, when Salazar and son Cruz, 7, returned from a vacation golf outing in Port Aransas on Tuesday, it was time to get back to work. Westlake coaches are looking to fill starting positions left by college-bound seniors such as running back Jack Kayser (Army), offensive lineman Tyler Knape (California), wide receiver Heath McRee (San Diego State), long snapper Jake Helms (Air Force), kicker Spencer Barnett (Colorado State) and safety Judson Crockett (TCU).
Westlake, which returns 60 players who’ll be seniors, is among the positive storylines in Central Texas. Despite the losses noted above, the Class 6A powerhouse is loaded almost everywhere else.
Offensively, quarterback Rees Wise should show improvement after a stellar sophomore season, and he’ll be surrounded by weapons on all sides. Kayser will be tough to replace after rushing for 1,234 yards and 22 touchdowns, but the Chaps return experienced running backs Grady Bartlett, Justice Johnson and Sebastian Henault.
Wise will throw the football to returning receiver Brody Wilhelm and Cal Livengood, a player Salazar describes as a “Swiss Army knife” because he has so many skills. Westlake returns four of its five offensive linemen. And defensively, linemen Maddox Flynt, Cullen Devine and Connor Vasek headline the team’s strongest unit. Linebacker Elliott Schaper, the American-Statesman’s Central Texas defensive player of the year last fall, will lead a group that had five shutouts in 2023. Senior Payton Luther is the only returning player in the secondary.
Westlake opens spring football on April 25 and will play its spring game on May 16.
Here are a few more storylines for Austin-area high school football teams this spring:
Lake Travis: center of attention
The Cavaliers lost a lot of outstanding seniors, and coach Hank Carter is pinpointing the offensive line and defensive backfield as areas that need support during spring ball. Center Cooper Hudson anchors the offensive line. As for defense, Cooper Webb, Cooper Nelson, Aiden Archer, Carson Currie and Ben Soules will compete to fill the spots vacated by departing seniors.
Hutto: starting over
Will Compton has rebuilding on his mind. The Hutto coach was blessed to have the No. 1 quarterback (total yards passing) and No. 1 wide receiver (total yards receiving) in the state during the 2023 regular season. But Will Hammond (Texas Tech) and Alex Green (Tulsa) have waved bye-bye. So the Hippos are reloading at quarterback with Kaden Stefek and Hunter Frenette trading snaps this spring.
As for Green’s spot, look for junior Braeton Anderson to have “a breakout year,” the coach said. And look for Keilan Chavies to have a big year, too, after contributing 638 yards and eight touchdowns last fall.
Regents: a sudden hole to fill
Probably no team in the Austin area suffered a greater unexpected loss than the Knights. TAPPS all-state quarterback Quinn Murphy announced in December that he was transferring to Argyle Liberty Christian, the same team coached by former Dallas Cowboys great Jason Witten that beat Regents 52-10 in the TAPPS Division II state championship in Waco. But Regents coach Tim Phillips believes the Knights will be in good hands with sophomore-to-be Jack Devine, who played in the state final because Murphy was injured. Devine has “a very high ceiling,” said Murphy, who calls him the “next QB up.”
Anderson: Trojans are making moves
The Trojans already received good news this year when they dropped down to Class 5A in UIL realignment, a move that avoids a Class 6A district that includes state heavyweights Westlake, Lake Travis and Dripping Springs. Another positive development happened last week when junior-to-be quarterback Max Gerlich was cleared to play after suffering an injury last season. He already has offers from Texas Tech, Houston, UTSA, SMU, Pittsburgh and Connecticut.
Finding a steady running back would certainly help Anderson, and coach Donald Hatcher hopes Dominic Mays and Jay Fullmer can fill that need.
Wimberley: great players leave, good prospects emerge
It’s good to have a team that begins with returning Central Texas offensive player of the year Cody Stoever at quarterback, but there are other holes to fill. Head coach Doug Warren’s biggest concerns are the offensive line and defensive secondary.
Three key blockers will graduate in May. Among the players who will fill their cleats are Brock Williams, Will Kellerman, Chase Lawson, Tison Sames and Cameron Farquhar. They will be joined by two returning linemen who earned their stripes during a 14-1 season last fall.
In a town with a great football culture, Warren always has a new crop of talent. The secondary has some holes, but he believes newcomers Ethan Talley, Danny Effiom, Nolan Waida, Jake Dewell, Conner Michael and Jace Morales will fill the void.
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Pflugerville: on the rise
The Panthers, who sneaked into the playoffs last fall by winning three of their final four games, might be among the area’s most improved teams in 2024. And its fans might see an offensive onslaught every Friday night. It starts with Cole Taylor, an all-district quarterback who showed signs of brilliance as a sophomore. He set a pair of school records by passing for 2,381 yards and 16 touchdowns.
“We will have to replace a couple key pieces on the offensive line, but we return just about everyone else on offense,” Panthers coach Charles Taylor said.
Speaking of school records, returning receiver Kyran McFrazier set a pair last year with 753 yards receiving and eight touchdowns. He will be complemented by tight end Jaivion Martin, who contributed 37 catches for 557 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
Manor: rebuilding the running game
The Mustangs had only 14 seniors on last year’s team, but one of them, running back Titus Petteway, will be hard to replace, coach James Keller said. But he has a few players who can make a significant impact, including sophomore Jordan Walker, a diligent worker in the weight room who also runs track. Also on the running backs list are senior Da’Rion Godley, who played linebacker and safety last year, and Max Logan, another track runner who played football for the JV team.
This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Austin-area high school football teams face rebuilding job this spring
