Round Rock Westwood Warriors
Head Coach: Derek Ward (2nd season; 3-7 record)
Last season: 3-7; 2-6 in district
Returning Lettermen: 20 (6 returning starters on offense; 5 on defense)
Westwood Key Players and Storylines
Westwood entered a new era a year ago. Derek Ward became the first new head coach for the Warriors since 2005 after Anthony Wood retired.
Now with a full offseason leading the program under his belt, Ward believes Westwood’s gains will be evident on the field this fall.
Half of the starters are back from last year’s team, including 6’4”, 265-pound tackle Travis Halla, who started every single game as a junior. Quarterback Cooper Waits (1,420 passing yards and 13 touchdowns) has started each of the last two seasons for the Warriors, and he’s got skill talent to lean on. Explosive receiver Weston Franz (368 receiving yards, four touchdowns) is coming off a first team all-district season, while junior receiver/running back Maps Mehis is a threat both on offense and on special teams as “one of the top punt returners in 6A.”
Defensively, the secondary has clear leaders with 2025 leading tackler safety Canon Olofson (90 tackles, nine TFLs) and lockdown cornerback Dre Kyle, who is coming off a promising sophomore season. Up front, 6’4” defensive end Avery Hilton is eager to build off his strong finish to last season.
Junior Season Highlights
90 Tackles
45 Solo Tackles
9 Tackles For Loss
3 Pass Break Ups
3 Sacks
3 Forced Fumbles
2 Fumble Recoveries@CoachWard2 @rolandogarzajr @WWHSWarrior pic.twitter.com/EdFNFvAPDE— Canon Olofson (@CanonOlofson) February 2, 2026
It has now been nine years since Westwood last made the playoffs. Three of their six district losses last year came by 16 points or less, so the Warriors weren’t too far off from the top four discussion. With that experience and progress made over the offseason, Ward expects his Warriors to be in playoff contention as the season winds down this fall.
Round Rock Westwood Warriors 2026 Football Schedule
*Denotes District 25-6A Contest
