Austin Westlake And College Station Face Off In New High-Profile Matchup To Open Season

One​ ​of​ ​the​ ​most​ ​highly​ ​anticipated​ ​season​ ​openers​ ​across​ ​the​ ​state​ ​of​ ​Texas​ ​was​ ​going​ ​to​ ​be Austin​ ​Westlake​ ​at​ ​Katy,​ ​but​ the impact of ​Hurricane​ ​Harvey​ has done​ ​away​ ​with​ ​this​ ​matchup.​ TexasHSFootball had been ​ ​gathering​ ​information​ ​on​ ​game​ ​cancellations​ ​and​ ​rescheduling​ ​and per coach Todd​ ​Dodge​, ​Westlake​ ​was​ ​looking​ ​for​ ​a​ ​replacement​ ​game.​ ​The Chaps did find a replacement quickly and​ ​were​ ​able​ ​to​ ​set​ ​up​ ​a​ ​game​ ​with​ ​the​ ​College​ ​Station​ ​Cougars​.

College Station

Photo via Alfredo Vazquez, TexasHSFootball.com

College​ ​Station​ ​is​ ​entering​ ​the​ ​2017​ ​football​ ​season​ ​on​ ​a​ ​high​ ​note.​ ​Last​ ​season​ ​the​ ​Cougars went​ ​14-1​ ​and​ ​made​ ​it​ ​to​ ​the​ ​semifinals,​ ​before​ ​coming​ ​up​ ​short​ ​to​ ​Corpus Christi Calallen​ ​31-30​ ​at​ ​the Alamodome.​ ​The​ ​Cougars​ ​are​ ​entering​ ​their​ ​seventth​ ​season​ ​as​ ​a​ ​program​ ​and​ ​have​ ​improved​ ​every season​.​ ​College​ ​Station​ ​is​ ​ranked​ ​#8​ ​in​ ​Class​ ​5A​ ​and​ ​#2​ ​in​ ​district​ ​behind​ ​Temple.

The Cougars are ​by​ ​QB/WR​ ​Marquez​ ​Perez,​ ​who​ ​was named ​the​ ​preseason​ ​offensive​ ​MVP​ ​for District​ ​18-5A.​ ​Coach​ ​Huff​ ​expects​ ​Perez​ ​to​ ​see​ ​more​ ​time​ ​at​ ​wide receiver ​this​ ​season​ ​to​ ​help​ ​utilize​ ​his big-play​ ​ability.​ ​The​ ​Cougars​ ​are​ ​returning​ ​5​ ​starters​ ​on​ ​each​ ​side​ ​of​ ​the​ ​ball​ ​including​ ​DT Marquis​ ​Conchola,​ ​RB/DB​ ​Quandree​ ​White,​ ​OL​ ​Jeremiah​ ​Williams,​ ​WR​ ​Jaelin​ ​Campbell,​ ​and DB​ ​Brandon​ ​Joseph.​ ​Junior​ ​QB​ ​Brandon​ ​Williams​ ​will​ ​likely​ ​see​ ​most​ ​of​ ​the​ ​snaps​ ​this​ ​season and​ ​will​ ​have​ ​plenty​ ​of​ ​playmakers​ ​to​ ​help​ ​him​ ​out.

Austin Westlake

Photo via Brian Ullestad, TexasHSFootball.com

Austin​ ​Westlake​ ​is​ ​coming​ ​off​ ​a​ ​11-3​ ​season,​ ​where​ ​they​ ​made​ ​it​ ​to​ ​the​ ​quarterfinals,​ ​before falling​ ​to​ ​their​ ​nemesis​ ​Lake​ ​Travis​ ​51-3.​ ​The​ ​Chaps​ ​are​ ​ranked​ ​#7​ ​in​ ​class​ ​6A​ ​and​ ​#2​ ​in​ ​district 25-6A​ ​behind,​ ​you​ ​guessed​ ​it​ ​Lake​ ​Travis.​ ​

Westlake​ ​will​ ​have​ ​to​ ​replace​ ​star​ ​QB​ ​Sam​ ​Ehlinger (Texas)​ ​and​ ​will​ ​look​ ​to​ ​RB​ ​Nakia​ ​Watson​ ​to​ ​carry​ ​the​ ​load​ ​this​ ​season.​ ​Watson​ ​is​ ​the preseason​ ​Offensive​ ​MVP​ ​for​ ​District​ ​25-6A​ ​and​ ​last​ ​season​ ​he​ ​accumulated​ ​1,648​ ​rushing yards​ ​and​ ​22​ ​touchdowns.​ ​Westlake​ ​has​ ​2​ ​guys​ ​that​ ​they​ ​look​ ​at​ ​for​ ​quarterback​ ​in​ ​junior​ ​Taylor Anderson​ ​and​ ​sophomore​ ​Kirkland​ ​Michauex.​

​Anderson​ ​will​ ​likely​ ​be​ ​the​ ​starter​ ​Week​ ​1,​ ​after​ ​a​ ​stellar​ ​performance​ ​in​ ​last​ ​week’s​ ​scrimmage​ ​against​ ​Cedar​ ​Park.​ ​The​ ​Westlake​ ​defense will​ ​be​ ​dominant​ ​up​ ​front​ ​lead​ ​by​ linemen​ ​Braden Cassity (56​ ​tackles,​ ​8TFL’s,​ ​and​ ​4​ ​sacks)​ ​and David​ ​Neil (62​ ​tackles,​ ​6TFL’s,​ ​and​ ​4.5​ ​sacks).

What To Expect

This​ ​game​ ​will​ ​be​ ​a​ ​must​-​see​ ​week​ ​one​ ​and​ ​should​ ​provide​ ​plenty​ ​of​ ​fireworks.​ ​The​ ​matchup with​ ​College​ ​Station’s ​backfield​ ​vs​ ​Westlake’s​ ​defensive line​ ​will​ ​be​ ​very​ ​exciting​ ​all​ ​night​ ​long.​ ​The Cougars​ ​defense​ ​will​ ​get​ ​the​ ​opportunity​ ​to​ ​see​ ​where​ ​they​ ​are​ ​at​ ​while​ ​trying​ ​to​ ​slow​ ​down Watson​ ​throughout​ ​the​ ​ballgame.​ ​The​ ​quarterbacks ​for​ ​Westlake​ ​will​ ​also​ ​get​ ​to​ ​see​ ​what​ ​they​ ​can​ ​do against​ ​a​ ​powerful​ ​defense​ ​right​ ​out​ ​of​ ​the​ ​gate.​ ​

The​ ​game​ ​will​ ​be​ ​played​ ​in​ ​College​ ​Station at 2pm Saturday afternoon,​ ​so​ ​if​ ​you’re​ ​looking​ ​for​ ​an​ ​exciting​ ​ballgame​ ​in​ ​the​ ​Brazos​ ​Valley,​ ​be​ ​sure​ ​to check​ ​this​ ​game​ ​out.

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