College football celebrated its annual “Rivalry Week” last week – with an understandable special emphasis on a certain little shindig in College Station. To the folks from Westlake and Lake Travis High Schools, however, the revival of the “Lone Star Showdown” was likely little more than an appetizer for the game that really matters the most: the Chaparrals and the Cavaliers meeting for the second time this year in the 6A D1 Region IV Finals/State Quarterfinals.
When they meet at 7:00 Friday at the Kelly Reeves Athletic Complex, it will mark the second consecutive year these two District 26-6A rivals will clash in a sequel with a spot in the state semifinals on the line.
Both teams have turned away rising Austin area 6A powerhouses such as Vandegrift – also playing in a 6A D2 regional final on Friday – and Dripping Springs the past few seasons to remain the top programs in Central Texas.
Both cruised through their regular seasons relatively unscathed. Westlake (12-1) saw its 44-game regular season winning streak halted by a 39-21 loss to Humble Atascocita back on September 13. (Fear not, Chaps fans; the Eagles clash with North Shore on the other side of the 6A D1 bracket. A win Friday might set up a second sequel.)
Junior quarterback Rees Wise (148-219, 2,121 yds., 19 TD, 6 INT; 12 rushing TDs) guided 3rd-year Head Coach Tony Salazar’s club to an undefeated District 26-6A title and playoff wins so far over Vista Ridge (46-17), SA Brennan (24-7) and Buda Johnson (52-14) to reach the rematch.
Senior quarterback Chaston Ditta (194-331, 2,796 yds., 27 TDs, 4 INTs) and junior running back Vann Hopping (192-1,482, 7.7 YPC, 28 TDs) have guided veteran Head Coach Hank Carter’s Lake Travis squad to its own superb season. At 12-1 overall, the Cavs suffered their only loss of the season back on Oct. 25 to – you guessed it – the Chaparrals. That 28-16 Westlake win in 2024’s first “Battle of the Lakes” at Cavaliers Stadium marked their fifth straight victory over Lake Travis.
Lake Travis regrouped quickly with two district wins, followed by playoff victories over Round Rock (41-14), SA Johnson (55-27) and last week over SA East Central (52-7) to get another crack at the Chaps.
The Cavaliers dominated this series up until just under a decade ago, taking 12 straight games from 2008 to 2016 on their way to six state titles (and five straight from 2007-11). Since then, it’s been all Chaps, as Westlake has won the last five meetings on their way to four state titles of their own.
Battle of the Lakes II will showcase Texas High School football at its finest. And with a berth in the state semifinals on the line, there’s much more than bragging rights at stake this time around.