Lake Travis Cavaliers vs. Arlington Martin
Warriors
Cavalier Stadium
Austin, Texas
August 27, 2021
7:30 p.m. Kick-Off
Lake Travis and Arlington Martin will face off in a battle between two 6A powerhouses to open the season on Friday night. The Cavaliers are looking to bounce back after a shocking defeat to Round Rock in the first round of playoffs a year ago, while Arlington Martin was knocked out in the third round by eventual state runner-up Southlake Carroll. With plenty of Division I talent on the field for both squads, this game will be one to watch in the opening week of the season.
Lake Travis Players to Watch
Head Coach: Hank Carter
2020 Record: 6-1
The Edmundson to Burton connection is going to be a nightmare for opposing teams this season. Lake Travis quarterback Bo Edmundson returns after being thrust into the starting role as a sophomore a year ago. It’s safe to say he rose to the occasion after he threw for 1,409 yards and 17 touchdowns in just five starts. Completing this dangerous duo is four-star wide receiver Caleb Burton. Burton, an Ohio State commit, transferred to Lake Travis this spring from Del Valle and is fully healthy after suffering a season-ending knee injury a year ago. Look for Isaac Norris to be another threat offensively after he caught 7 passes for 104 yards in a scrimmage last week.
Defensively, Derrick Johnson (44 tackles), who has nine Division I offers, and Watson Cusick (48 tackles) will anchor the team from their linebacker positions, while defensive lineman Trey Dorsett, who recently earned an offer from East Texas Baptist University, will be a threat off the end. With eight starters in total returning on a Lake Travis defense that gave up just 18.2 points per game a year ago, expect the Cavaliers to be stout on that side of the ball again this season.
Arlington Martin Players to Watch
Head Coach: Bob Wager
2020 Record: 10-2
After the graduation of quarterback Zach Mundell, who will play at Army this fall, dynamic, dual-threat quarterback Cydd Ford (235 passing yards, 212 receiving yards in 2020) will take over the Warrior offense. He’ll have some help from a duo of talented running backs: Fort Worth Nolan Catholic transfer Sergio Snider, who already has 14 Division I offers, and junior Zaire Barrow (373 rushing yards, 5 TDs). However, wide receiver is more of a question mark for Martin after its top two receivers from last year graduated.
The Warrior defense is stacked, and it will be entertaining to watch it go head-to-head with the Cavaliers’ talented offense. Upfront, talented defensive end Ernest Cooper IV (63 tackles, 7 sacks) recently committed to Stanford. Behind him, Martin is well-stocked at linebacker with Texas commit Trevell Johnson (109 total tackles) and Jonathon Okate (79 total tackles). Then in the secondary, five-star cornerback, Javien Toviano returns after earning the District’s Defensive Newcomer of The Year Award as a sophomore in 2020. He already has 22 Division I offers, and it will be intriguing to see if he ends up matched up against Burton.
Both these teams are poised to have big seasons, so expect this Friday night showdown at Lake Travis to be a sneak peek of how these two teams could fare in a big-time Texas high school football playoff matchup later this fall.
Who wins this showdown? Comment below.
