Westlake Beats Lake Travis 38-17 in Battle of the Lakes

The Chaparrals simply lined up, ran the football and controlled the game.

Westlake defeated Lake Travis 38-17 on Friday, October 23, at Cavalier Stadium, answering last year’s 31-10 loss with one of its most physical performances of the season. The win moves Westlake to 7-1 overall and 4-0 in District 25-6A.

Lake Travis struck first. Quarterback Jason Carter found Gray Garrick for a 53-yard touchdown on the Cavaliers’ opening possession, giving the home crowd an early reason to believe another Lake Travis celebration might be coming.

It did not last long.

C.J. Jones tied the game with a 27-yard touchdown run, then scored again from four yards out before the first quarter ended. Patton Jones added an eight-yard rushing touchdown early in the second quarter, and Anton Kopp connected on a 37-yard field goal to send Westlake into halftime leading 24-10.

The biggest difference from last season was obvious up front.

Lake Travis sacked Westlake quarterbacks 10 times in the 2025 meeting. That performance ended a six-game Westlake winning streak in the rivalry and gave the Cavaliers their first victory at Chaparral Stadium in a decade.

This time, the Chaparrals’ offensive line controlled the matchup. Jackson Cook, Zion Guevara, Luke Walker, Jordan Cannon and Cash Boenig kept Patton Jones clean enough to operate and opened consistent running lanes. Westlake finished with 218 rushing yards and five touchdowns.

C.J. Jones led the way with 116 yards and two scores on 16 carries. Patton Jones added 67 rushing yards and a touchdown while completing 9 of 16 passes for 113 yards. Chase Brodhead turned three carries into 45 yards and two touchdowns, including an unusual third-quarter score after he recovered a loose ball in the backfield and carried it into the end zone.

Lake Travis cut the margin to 31-17 on Henry Hopping’s fourth-quarter touchdown run. Brodhead answered with a 14-yard score to finish the scoring and end any thoughts of a late rivalry comeback.

Westlake finished with a 331-282 advantage in total offense and converted four of nine third downs. Lake Travis converted just two of 13. The Chaparrals also played turnover-free football while recovering the Cavaliers’ only lost fumble.

Friday marked the 20th regular-season Battle of the Lakes and the 23rd meeting overall, counting three playoff games. Westlake won the first matchup 38-14 in 2006, but Lake Travis answered by winning 10 straight from 2008 through 2016. That run included a 51-3 state quarterfinal victory in 2016.

Westlake eventually flipped the series. Beginning in 2017, the Chaparrals won eight of 10 meetings before Friday, including regional-final victories in 2023 and 2024. By the pregame series count, Friday’s result gives Westlake nine wins in the last 11 meetings and trims Lake Travis’ overall advantage to 12-11.

The player list helps explain why this rivalry matters far beyond Central Texas.

Nick Foles led Westlake to victory in the first meeting before eventually becoming a Super Bowl MVP. Other Westlake players in the rivalry have included Justin Tucker, Sam Ehlinger, Michael Taaffe and Cade Klubnik. Lake Travis has countered with Garrett Gilbert, Michael Brewer, Baker Mayfield, Charlie Brewer, Garrett Wilson, Cameron Dicker and Hudson Card.

Mayfield produced two of the rivalry’s defining moments. He accounted for 372 total yards and three touchdowns in a 35-7 win in 2011, then delivered a 97-yard game-winning touchdown pass the following season.

For all those famous names and dramatic finishes, the 2026 chapter was more straightforward. Westlake won the line of scrimmage, protected the football and made Lake Travis chase the game for nearly three quarters.

The Chaparrals host Cedar Ridge next Friday. Lake Travis, now 3-3-1 overall and 2-2 in district play, travels to Round Rock.

Westlake 38, Lake Travis 17