6A

Austin Westlake Chaparrals Season Recap

by
KP Kelly
December 27

The Chaparrals came into the season looking to return to a state championship final, which they had been to three years in a row, before missing out in 2022. Somehow, going 14-1 in 2022 felt like a disappointment for a Westlake team that had gone 30-0 over the last two seasons.

The 2022 roster had 7 seniors who went on to start as freshmen for their Division 1 college football teams. But, as usual, Westlake still was loaded with returning talent, like running back Jack Kayser and defensive lineman Connor Vasek. Despite going 14-1 in 2022, it felt like Westlake had fallen a notch below North Shore, Duncanville and DeSoto. But, as the 2023 season got underway, it was quickly apparent that the Chaparrals were title contenders.

In week one, Westlake beat a Ridge Point team, 31-21, that ended up going 9-2 in the regular season. They followed that up with 47-0 and 64-o wins over Judson and Akins. Then, they faced off with the Lake Travis Cavaliers for the “Battle of Austin.” After a 7-5 record in 2022, Lake Travis was a drastically improved team.

In the battle against Lake Travis, the Chaparral’s defense continued to shine as it had all year, but the offense struggled to move the ball against a very good Lake Travis defense. However, despite the close 10-7 score at halftime with Westlake ahead, it seemed like the Chaparrals were in control. They took a 21-7 second-half lead, and held on for a 20-14 win.

After the Lake Travis game, Westlake put away their next two opponents early in the first half. Week 7 against a very good Dripping Springs team was a closer 27-14 win, then Westlake outscored their opponents 196-17 in their last 4 games of the regular season. The Chaparrals found themselves in their usual position as a top 20-ranked team in the nation in most national polls.

Westlake beat the then-undefeated Reagan Rattlers in the first round of the playoffs, 45-28, and dominated Laredo United, 59-14, in the next round to set up another matchup vs. Lake Travis on December 2. Lake Travis had knocked off the Vandegrift Vipers earlier in the playoffs, a team that was expected to advance far in the playoffs.

Lake Travis once again showed they were up to the challenge of playing Westlake. This game was scoreless until late in the first half, in which Westlake scored to take a 7-0 lead. Westlake then went up 14-0, but Lake Travis came back and had the ball with a chance to tie the game in the second half, but ultimately, Westlake held on for the 21-14 win.

Westlake Beats Lake Travis, Faces North Shore Next

Westlake then advanced to face the undefeated North Shore Mustangs for the second year in a row in the State Semifinals. Westlake fell short again in 2023, losing to North Shore 23-14 and ending their season. Westlake ended the season as a top 5 team in 6A, and was still ranked in the top 25 in the nation in multiple national polls.

Westlake was led offensively in 2023 by Jack Kayser. The Chaparrals’ running back averaged over 88 yards rushing per game and had 24 touchdowns on the season, and QB Reese Wise, who threw for over 1,800 yards and had 32 total touchdowns on the season. Elliott Schaper led the defense. Schaper had 108 total tackles; 13 of those were tackles for loss. He also had 9 sacks on the season.

This was a great season for Westlake. They would have liked to beat North Shore and get a crack at Duncanville, but a 14-1 season is something the Chaparrals should be proud of. Westlake is now 73-3 over the past 5 seasons.