A top 25 battle was all it was hyped up to be.
The Westlake Chaparrals were tested by a tough Dripping Springs squad Friday evening, coming out victorious 27-14 at Chaparral Stadium. The Chaps improved to 7-0; the Tigers fell to 5-2. The Tigers have now lost two consecutive against their district rival. However, they didn’t make it easy for the favored home team.
The Tigers jumped out to a 14-7 lead at halftime, behind running back Jack Tyndall’s game-high 178 rushing yards, including a 71-yard touchdown on the third play of the game.
Running back Rees Wise responded by leading the tuned-in Chaps offense, running for three touchdowns. Sophomore quarterback Rees Wise adequately stepped-in for Paxton Land in his second starting nod, passing for 224 yards, while rushing for three touchdowns on 58 yards. It was his first outing since taking over from Land, who recently accepted an offer by Texas A&M to be a preferred walk-on next season.
But, it’s the stout defense that decided the contest. The unit, led by junior linebacker Elliott Schaper, junior lineman Connor Vasek, and defensive back Judson Crockett held the team scoreless in the second half. Specifically, Crockett was responsible for a critical fourth quarter blocked punt, which was returned 30 yards for a touchdown by Heath McRee. So far, the Chaps have only allowed 63 points through seven games.
Now, the Chaps sit alone atop the 6A-Region 4-District 26 standings. Westlake improves its regular-season winning streak to 41 games. The team hasn’t lost a regular-season game since they were beaten by Lake Travis 26-25 in 2019.
CLICK HERE to listen to the Texas HS Football Podcast, with Taylor Arenz
