Tag: Austin Westlake

How to Watch: Texas high school football

Catch this year’s Texas HS “Friday Night Lights” action on the NFHS Network

“Friday Night Lights” carries a little more meaning across Texas high school football fields. 

The state has produced some of the greatest teams and players in history, legends of the game who have taken on near-mythical elements—some of that aided by H. G. Bissinger’s novel that was adapted to film and a TV series.

Texas’ trend of top-tier football continues in 2022, as evident in the first release of USA TODAY Sports’ Super 25 rankings, and for fans looking to watch the Lone Star State’s high school football action in 2022, you’re in luck — thanks to the NFHS Network.

The collaboration with over 40 high school state athletic/activities associations, and PlayOn! Sports, provides fans with the ability to live-stream high school sports on any device, from wherever they are: 27 different regular season and postseason sports, plus other high school activities that highlight the accomplishments of student-athletes, student-broadcasters, and high schools.

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Four-star OL TJ Shanahan announces top five schools

One of the nation’s best offensive lineman in the class of 2023 is narrowing down his recruitment to five schools. 

One of the nation’s best offensive lineman in the class of 2023 is narrowing down his recruitment to five schools.

Four-star TJ Shanahan is down to Georgia, LSU, Texas, Texas A&M and USC.

The Austin Westlake product is one of the more college ready prospects at his position at the high school level. Shanahan is 6-foot-4, 310-pounds and shows serious athleticism for his size. He has anchored a Westlake offensive line to back-to-back state championship victories.

247Sports composite rankings list Shanahan as the No. 7 interior offensive lineman and the No. 143 overall player in the 2023 cycle.

Texas has the advantage of being close to home in Austin but experts believe Texas A&M holds the lead for the Westlake superstar. The Aggies have four crystal ball selections in following his June official visit to College Station.

Shanahan spoke with On3 Sports about what stands out from each school in his top five schools.

LOOK: Four-star EDGE Colton Vasek on his official visit to Texas

Austin Westlake’s Colton Vasek enjoyed his official visit to Texas.

Texas does not have to go very far to recruit one of the best edge rushers in the entire country. Continue reading “LOOK: Four-star EDGE Colton Vasek on his official visit to Texas”

Four-star EGDE Colton Vasek announces top five schools

Texas makes the top five for the Austin Westlake product.

Four-star EDGE Colton Vasek has narrowed down his recruitment to five schools.

Texas, Oregon, Clemson, Oklahoma and Texas Tech made the final cut for the Westlake Chaparral. Vasek is set for June official visits to Clemson, Oklahoma and Oregon.

The 6-foot-6 pass rusher is rated as the No. 49 player in the state of Texas and a top 300 player overall for the 2023 class. He was named Defensive MVP in Austin Westlake’s state championship victory over Denton Ryan.

Texas has a few factors going in their favor for this recruitment. The Longhorns signed Vasek’s teammate Ethan Burke in the 2022 cycle. His father, Brian Vasek, played defensive end at Texas from 1991-95. Playing for Texas would mean staying close to home for the Austin native.

The pass rush is a major need for Texas and Vasek could help fill that void for the Horns.

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Four-star quarterback Cade Klubnik commits to Clemson over Texas, Texas A&M

Cade Klubnik announced his commitment to Clemson on Tuesday. The Tigers offered him after missing out on five-star Ty Simpson to Alabama.

When Maalik Murphy committed to Texas in February, a two-quarterback class was not out of the question. Cade Klubnik, a four-star prospect out of Austin Westlake High School, was still in the mix. Then, Dabo Swinney and the Clemson Tigers got involved.

Klubnik announced his commitment to the ACC powerhouse on Tuesday afternoon. Clemson offered him after missing out on five-star Ty Simpson to Alabama on Friday. Four days later, Klubnik was ready to shut down his recruitment and be the Tigers’ quarterback in the 2022 class.

Both Texas and Texas A&M were once considered the favorites for the in-state quarterback. Even with hometown programs interested, when a national power such as Clemson comes knocking, turning down the opportunity is difficult.

The recent succession of quarterbacks has been impressive for Swinney, with Deshaun Watson and Trevor Lawrence being first-round draft picks and D.J. Uiagalelei getting ready to take the college football world by storm.

Klubnik could be next on that touted list.

With Klubnik’s commitment, the dominos have fallen with the elite quarterbacks in the 2022 class. All seven signal-callers ranked inside the top 75 on the 247Sports composite are committed.

  • No. 1 overall Quinn Ewers – Ohio State
  • No. 20 overall Gunnar Stockton – Georgia
  • No. 22 overall Walker Howard – LSU
  • No. 27 overall Ty Simpson – Alabama
  • No. 36 overall Maalik Murphy – Texas
  • No. 71 overall Conner Weigman – Texas A&M
  • No. 74 overall Cade Klubnik – Clemson

Texas had extended offers to Ewers, Klubnik, Murphy, Simpson, and Weigman. Ewers was once committed to the Longhorns before opting to head north to Columbus, Ohio. Steve Sarkisian will still push for the Southlake Carroll product, but Murphy seems to be the future of Texas’ program.

Texas Football Recruiting: Longhorns add pair of Austin Westlake PWOs

Texas added two PWOs over the weekend in running back Zane Minors and defensive back Michael Taaffe.

When recruiting at the University of Texas, keeping in-state players home is the golden rule. Having a pipeline through one of the top football programs in the state in your own city helps the cause.

Texas added two preferred walk-ons over the weekend in running back Zane Minors and defensive back Michael Taaffe. Both are products of Austin Westlake, who is fresh off a 6A-DI state championship and the same high school that Sam Ehlinger attended.

Minors will help with depth problems that the Longhorns have at the running back position. He rushed for an average of 8.5 yards per carry, eclipsing the 1,000-yard mark on the season. Add on 20 touchdowns and Minors was a significant part of the Chaparels’ state championship winning offense.

Taaffe played defensive back for Austin Westlake, gaining attention after intercepting five-star quarterback Quinn Ewers. Over the course of his senior year, Taaffe had 60 tackles, 7.0 which were for a loss. He had five interceptions and a fumble recovery along with 10 passes defended.

With national signing day on Wednesday, Steve Sarkisian will be looking to add more players to his roster. Landing a pair of PWOs from the back-to-back state champions Austin Westlake is a great pick up for the Longhorns.

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Texas re-offers 2022 four-star quarterback Cade Klubnik

Steve Sarkisian and Texas have re-offered four-star QB Cade Klubnik. The Austin native was initially offered by Herman’s staff on Oct. 31.

Steve Sarkisian and Texas have re-offered four-star quarterback Cade Klubnik. The Austin native was initially offered by Tom Herman’s staff on Halloween night and is now one of the biggest names on the Longhorns’ 2022 board.

Klubnik was recently on the national stage after leading Austin Westlake to a 6A-DI state championship. He earned the offensive MVP after going 18 of 20 with 223 yards and a touchdown in the air plus 97 yards and two touchdowns on the ground.

According to Horns247’s Mike Roach, Klubnik accomplished all of that while playing on an injured shoulder, but fortunately the injury will not require surgery. Regardless, it makes Klubnik’s accolades in the state championship game that much more jaw-dropping.

Klubnik ranks as the No. 6 pro-style quarterback on the 247Sports composite. The Chaparral’s star is the No. 24 player within the state of Texas and No. 155 nationally. After his outstanding season, Klubnik is due to move up in the rankings.

If the Longhorns are not able to get back in the Quinn Ewers sweepstakes, Klubnik could be the next answer. Auburn, Georgia, and LSU are some of the other big-name schools to offer him, but in-state rival Texas A&M recently extended an offer on Tuesday night.

The last signal-caller to come from Austin Westlake turned out to be quite the fan favorite. With Klubnik in Texas’ backyard, it’s crucial that Sarkisian and company do not let another quarterback leave for an SEC program.

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Austin Westlake defeats Southlake Carroll to win Texas 6A Division I title

Austin Westlake downed Southlake Carroll in the “Dodge Bowl” to take home the Texas 6A Division I state title on Saturday night.

New division, same result for Austin Westlake in a Texas 6A state championship game.

One year after winning the 6A Division II title, Austin Westlake defeated Southlake Carroll by a final score of 52-34 to win the 6A Division I championship at AT&T Stadium in Dallas on Saturday night.

Junior quarterback Cade Klubnik shined on Texas high school football’s biggest stage, throwing for 220 yards and a touchdown on 18-20 passing to go along with 97 rushing yards and two more scores on the ground. Sophomore wide receiver Jaden Greathouse posted five receptions for 103 yards and a touchdown, while Southlake Carroll star Quinn Ewers, the No. 1 recruit in the class of 2022 went 23-for-39 for 351 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions.

Southlake Carroll jumped out to an early 7-0 lead, but Austin Westlake answered right back on its first play from scrimmage with a long touchdown run by senior tailback Zane Minors. Ewers led Southlake Carroll back down the field for another score on its second series with a 51-yard touchdown pass to senior wideout and Minnesota signee Brady Boyd to put the Dragons up 14-7 midway through the first quarter.

The two teams traded blows for the rest of the first half from that point on, with Austin Westlake taking a 28-21 lead into halftime after a Klubnik rushing touchdown on a read-option play with 1:12 remaining in the second quarter.

Austin Westlake picked up where it left off at the end of the first half coming out of the locker room, scoring on its opening drive of the second half. Michael Taaffe then came down with a spectacular one-handed interception that led to another Austin Westlake score, putting it up 42-21. The 21-point deficit proved to be too much for Southlake Carroll to overcome, as Austin Westlake scored the first 24 points of the second half and went up by as much as 52-21.

Austin Westlake’s win gives head coach Todd Dodge household bragging rights until his team meats Southlake Carroll again, as he defeated his son Riley, who serves as the Dragons’ head coach. The matchup was deemed the “Dodge Bowl” in the week leading up to the game.

It also gives Austin Westlake the third state championship of its storied program. With the Chaparrals returning Klubnik, Greathouse and other pieces of its core next season, there is certainly a chance Austin Westlake makes it three state titles in a row in 2021.

‘The Dodge Bowl’: Texas 6A-1 state title game creates father vs. son coaching matchup

Father and son will do battle as Austin Westlake and Southlake Carroll play for a Texas 6A-1 state championship on Saturday.

Saturday’s Texas 6A-1 state championship game between Austin Westlake and Southlake Carroll is more than just an unlikely matchup between two teams that had to pull off upsets for a chance to play for hardware.

It is also the “Dodge Bowl.”

When Austin Westlake and Southlake Carroll clash this weekend, so will father and son. Legendary Austin Westlake coach Todd Dodge will do battle against his son, 32-year-old Southlake Carroll coach Riley Dodge.

It’s not really something that you ever really think about,” Todd said, per KVUE ABC. “As a son and father, you sit around and talk about, ‘We’d love to coach together someday. I’d love to coach you at the college level. I’d love to win a state championship together’ – which we got to do – but to coach against each other … never.”

Todd coached Riley at Southlake Carroll throughout his high school career before accepting the head-coaching job at North Texas. Todd returned to the high school ranks in 2012 with Marble Fall High School (Texas) before accepting the job at storied Austin Westlake in 2014. In seven seasons at Austin Westlake, Todd has accumulated an 87-12 record to go along with a Texas 6A-2 state title in 2019.

Riley, meanwhile, still dons the Southlake Carroll green and white after taking over as the program’s head coach in 2018. He is 38-3 in three seasons at the helm, but has yet to win a state championship.

Austin Westlake and Southlake Carroll were supposed to meet at AT&T Stadium to kick off the 2020 season before COVID-19 scrapped the father-son meeting. Now, the two will duke it out on Texas high school football’s biggest stage.

“Neither one of us, I don’t think, believed [we would make it here] because we’ve been sharing ideas with each other like we were just two old guys who were never going to play each other,” Todd said. “I think sometimes we wish we wouldn’t have shared as much info.”

Texas Football Recruiting: 2022 Austin QB was waiting on Longhorns offer

In the fallout of the Quinn Ewers decision, the Longhorns needed a replacement recruit. Texas turned to Austin-Westlake’s junior passer.

In the fallout of the Quinn Ewers decommitment, the Texas Longhorns had to find a new quarterback target. ESPN recently reported on what could be next for the No. 1 recruit in the 2022 class. All signs currently point to the Ohio State Buckeyes according to 247Sports crystal ball predictions.

ESPN’s Tom VanHaaren weighed in on the situation.

The Longhorns aren’t technically out of this recruitment, but it is very difficult to get back in after a decision like this without something major happening. Again, if Ewers makes a quick decision, it does not bode well for Texas.

Something major? Like the hiring of Urban Meyer perhaps?

VanHaaren mentioned the Longhorns have Casey Thompson, Hudson Card, Ja’Quinden Jackson in line if Sam Ehlinger does leave after the season. However, missing out on Ewers is massive because he was likely a program changing recruit like Vince Young was.

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Recently newly offered Austin-Westlake quarterback Cade Klubnik spoke with Mike Craven of HookEm.com (Austin-American Statesman). In the article, Klubnik is referred to as a friend of the program. He mentioned that he wasn’t expecting the offer but thought it could happen after the decommitment of Ewers.

“I wasn’t expecting it, but it was something I thought could happen following the decommitment (of Ewers),” said Klubnik said. “I was pretty excited. It felt like I had a great connection with the Texas coaches for a while, so it was satisfying. I had been waiting for that offer.”

“Sam is a good friend of mine, and of course I’m coached by Todd Dodge,” he said. “Those guys are legends, but they’re not going to pressure me at all. They want what is best for me. It is a blessing to lean on those guys because they can answer any question I could come up with in the recruiting process. Coach Dodge has helped a dozen quarterbacks go through this.”

“The culture of the school because I want to be comfortable being a student even if football doesn’t work out is going to be really important, as will the people inside the program,” Klubnik said. “Consistency of greatness also matters because I want to be improved as a player after I get to college. And, of course, education because we all know football will end.”

While he might not be ready to make an offer, Klubnik is likely the best option at this point for their 2022 quarterback. At least barring a miracle that could bring Ewers back to the program he grew up cheering for.