Tag: Westlake

No. 7 North Shore defense dominant as Mustangs outlast No. 15 Westlake

North Shore held Westlake to only three completions in the Texas UIL 6A D1 semifinals.

In a season in which North Shore (Houston, Texas) had yet to score fewer than 30 points in a game, the No. 7 Mustangs needed all the defense they could muster to take down No. 15 Westlake (Austin, Texas) in the UIL 6A D1 semifinals.

Behind a superb defensive effort, North Shore beat Westlake 23-14 to secure its fifth appearance in the Texas championship game in the last six years.

The score of a football game often does not tell the story of the game. A glance at it doesn’t depict the battle deep into the fourth quarter. It doesn’t properly explain the importance of two late interceptions by the Mustangs. It doesn’t show how close Westlake came to winning despite completing only three passes in the game.

North Shore took a 17-14 lead in the third quarter when quarterback Kaleb Bailey created the chance to complete a fourth-and-six conversion. He maneuvered around tacklers to complete an eight-yard pass that kept the drive alive and put kicker Jonathan Soto in position to nail a 26-yard field goal.

That lead stood well into the fourth quarter after Westlake had two turnovers on downs, the second of which delivered the ball to North Shore at the Chaparrals’ 39-yard line with about five minutes to play. Despite that, Westlake’s defense held strong, preventing the Mustangs’ fourth-down conversion with about three minutes left that likely would have iced the game if successful.

Westlake had three minutes to recharge an offense that struggled to move the ball against the stout Mustangs’ defense. The Chaparrals averaged only 2.7 yards per play, according to the Houston Chronicle, and sophomore quarterback Rees Wise completed only three of 18 pass attempts for 29 yards and was sacked four times.

The Chaparrals once again could advance, and Wise was intercepted. North Shore returned the ball to around 10-yard line.

The Mustangs, seeing a steeper priority in running out the clock than attempting to force a touchdown or field goal, turned the ball over on downs deep in the Westlake red zone with about 10 seconds to play. The Chaparrals had not shown the offensive ability to drive the ball about 95 yards in 10 seconds, and North Shore trusted it would remain that way.

It did. A screen pass from Wise was tipped and caught by North Shore junior linebacker Charles Ross inside the end zone as time expired, securing the final points of the game:

Westlake finishes its season with a 14-1 record, falling just shy of advancing to the championship.

North Shore, meanwhile, will take on its well-known foe in Duncanville in a postseason matchup that has practically become tradition, with the two teams splitting the games over the last two years.

No. 7 North Shore takes on No. 15 Westlake: How to watch the Texas high school football playoff game

6A Texas high school football features a massive Super 25 matchup in the semifinal this Saturday!

The Pfield in Pflugerville is back in the spotlight this Saturday as No. 7 North Shore (Houston, Texas) lines up against No. 15 Westlake (Austin, Texas) in a Super 25 showdown.

The 6A-Divison I state semifinal matchup features two undefeated teams from programs that need little introduction to the national stage, a direct result of Texas high school football supremacy — North Shore has five state titles. Westlake has four.

Which teams gets the chance to add another next week?

Westlake enters the game ranked No. 15 in the Super 25 with a defense that has allowed 136 points allowed in 14 games. And while the offense has averaged over 45 points this season—led by sophomore QB Rees Wise and senior RB Jack Kayser—how the Chaparrals create stops on the other side of the ball will be a crucial factor.

And what tough task that will be…

No. 7 North Shore’s 2023 season has been one of the most dominating among the best of the best, with the Mustangs hanging in the top 10 of the Super 25 since September.

Quarterback Kaleb Bailey’s dual-threat ability has created a ton of problems for defensive coordinators—while becoming one of the more uplifting stories this season, a positive turn from his injury during the middle of last year.

His top target out wide is senior Christopher Barnes, who, along with Air Force commit Terrance Guillory, has been effective at boosting a running game—that doesn’t really need the help—featuring D’Andre Hardeman Jr. and Chris Thomas in the backfield.

To top it off—and arguably, a massive reason for the 46 averaged each game—is an offensive line that has steadily improved and impressed this season.

From the other side of the ball, one name headlines the defense: 5-star CB Devin Sanchez. The class of 2024 standout has been electric this year, disrupting offenses while making the surrounding 10 a better unit.

Will it be enough to repeat last year’s 49-34 win over the Chaps?

In the land of 6A Texas football, anything can happen after kickoff.

High school football fans around the nation who are looking to watch the must-see matchup can live stream the game on the NFHS Network.

Watch: North Shore vs. Westlake

Westlake Chaparrals quarterback Rees Wise (9) quarterback Paxton Land (7) and tackle Tyler Knape (74) celebrate their 27-14 win against the Dripping Springs Tigers at the District 26-6A football game on Friday, October 13, 2023, at Westlake Chaparral Stadium — West Lake Hills, TX.

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Texas high school football quarterfinal matchups set with major Super 25 implications

See the Texas high school football schedule for the 6A D1 and 6A D2 quarterfinals.

The quarterfinals are set for the Texas high school playoffs as December nears. Four teams from the Super 25 national rankings remain in the 6A D1 and 6A D2 divisions, meaning these next few weeks may have massive implications not just for the Texas state championships but for how country-wide rankings will land.

The remaining nationally ranked teams are:

  • No. 5 DeSoto (6A D2)
  • No. 6 North Shore (6A D1)
  • No. 13 Duncanville (6A D1)
  • No. 14 Westlake (6A D1)

While these teams are ranked high, their opponents also have a chance to prove themselves as one of the 25 best teams in the nation. See matchups below and how each team got here, starting with University Interscholastic League (UIL) 6A Div. 1.

California HS football player dies after severe asthma attack

His name was Julius Poppinga, and he played defensive end for Westlake in their season opener against Taft (Calif.) two weeks ago. 

According to a report by LA Times’ Eric Sondheimer, a football player at Westlake High School in California, has died after suffering a severe asthma attack.

His name was Julius Poppinga, and he played defensive end for Westlake in their season opener against Taft (Calif.) two weeks ago.

Head coach Mark Serve told Sondheimer that he visited Poppinga at the hospital earlier this week, and he seemed to be improving. The 17-year-old wanted to talk about football rather than his health.

“He didn’t want to talk about his health. He wanted to talk football… We talked about him getting back on the field. I was texting last night, letting him know, ‘I love you.’ This morning, I got the news.”

At a team meeting, players were informed of Poppinga’s death. Principal Jason Branham informed the rest of the school via email.

Westlake (1-1) will visit Thousand Oaks (Calif.) this Friday night. Their next home game will come against 2-0 Paraclete (Calif.) the following Friday.

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SCORES: Live in-game results around the nation as they happen

Live-Stream High School Sports on the NFHS Network

UGA football offers Westlake WR Travis Smith

The Georgia Bulldogs have extended a scholarship offer to wide receiver recruit Travis Smith

The Georgia Bulldogs and wide receivers coach Bryan McClendon have extended a scholarship offer to recruit Travis Smith. Smith is a member of the class of 2025.

Travis Smith plays high school football for Westlake High School in Atlanta, Georgia. The 6-foot-4, 190-pound wide receiver is currently an unranked recruit.

Smith currently holds scholarship offers from Tulane, Ole Miss, Texas A&M, Liberty, and more top college football programs. The Westlake standout also participates in track and field.

The talented wide receiver recruit is a good student. Travis Smith is well on his way to becoming a ranked recruit. He has taken recent visits to Florida and Georgia.

Kirby Smart and Georgia football have landed commitments from multiple five-star recruits in the class of 2025. The Dawgs are off to a strong start in the 2025 recruiting cycle and should have another top class.

Travis Smith announced his scholarship offer from the University of Georgia via Twitter:

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High school football playoffs: Top 5 matchups of the week

Here are the top-five games on the schedule.

This week, several other Super 25 teams will be lining up across from each other, setting the stage for more playoff drama. Here are the top-five games on the schedule.

(Photo by Meg Oliphant/Getty Images)

California: No. 1 St. John Bosco vs. No. 19 Serra

St. John Bosco (12-1)

To get here the Braves beat out the Monarchs in dramatic fashion last Friday night, winning 24-22 after holding off a late rally by Mater Dei. In the end, it was quality line play that won the day for Bosco. On defense, they stood tall in the red zone with several successful goal line stands. Their offensive line also played a key role in crunch time.

Serra (13-0)

Still undefeated on the season, Serra hasn’t really been challenged since back in Week 2, when they defeated De La Salle (Calif.) by a field goal. The Padres have beaten every team they’ve faced since by at least 12 points, including a 41-14 route of Archbishop Mitty (Calif.) last week.

Watch live or on-demand on the NFHS Network

(PAUL RYAN / CORRESPONDENT)

Florida: No. 4 Central vs. No. 13 American Heritage (12/16)

Central (13-0)

The Rockets began their 2022 campaign with a 20-14 win over IMG Academy (Fla.), getting their journey off on the right foot. That was about as tough as it’s gotten for Central this year. All together, they have beaten seven of their opponents by 30 points or more. Last week they took out Lakewood (Fla.) 39-21 to advance.

American Heritage (13-1)

(USA TODAY Network)

Texas: No. 8 Westlake vs. No. 10 North Shore

Westlake (14-0)

They have some strong competition for the title, but Westlake might be the most-dominant high school football team in the nation this year. Their season began with a 30-point blowout over Ridge Point (Texas) and they haven’t looked back. Along the way, they’ve posted several lopsided wins by scores of 73-7, 66-17, 70-0, 45-0, 70-10 and 58-10. They did it again last week against Brennan (Texas), winning 47-7 on the road.

North Shore (14-0)

While not quite as dominant as Westlake, the Mustangs are also undefeated on the season. They have done it by running up the score on their opponents. They have put up at least 38 points in 12 different games this season. Last week they put up 38 again vs. Atascocita (Texas) in a 31-point landslide.

Watch live or on-demand on the NFHS Network

(Fiel)

Georgia: No. 20 Carrollton vs. No. 24 Mill Creek

Carrollton (14-0)

If you get to this point in the schedule and you still haven’t lose a game, you’re doing something right. The Trojans won their first game this year against Gadsden City (Ala.) 69-7, setting the tone for a dominant campaign. Carrollton boasts one of the top defenses in the country, holding eight opponents to 14 points or less. They beat Colquitt County (Ga.) on Friday, 35-27.

Mill Creek (13-1)

With the exception of a close call Week 1 against Walton (Ga.) and a 12-point loss to Buford (Ga.) in mid-October, Mill Creek has been rolling over their competition all year. They won their next two games by a combined score of 99-0 and have blown out every other opponent by at least 24 points. Last week they beat Milton (Ga.) 48-14.

Watch live or on-demand on the NFHS Network

(USA TODAY Network)

Arizona: No. 18 Basha vs. Saguaro

Basha (11-1)

The only team that’s beaten Basha this season is Liberty (Ariz.), a 35-7 blowout back in early October. Since that point their defense has tightened up considerably, not allowing more than 25 points in a single game. It’s getting better with time, too. To get here Basha pitched a shut out against Chandler (Ariz.) in a 13-0 playoff win last weekend.

Saguaro (9-3)

The Sabercats had a shaky start to their 2022 season, losing their first game and three of their first five matchups overall. However, since then they have gone on a tear, winning seven straight games, including a one-point road victory over Liberty on Saturday, 43-42. That avenged a 26-17 loss to Liberty on September 30, which was the last time Saguaro lost a game.

Watch live or on-demand on the NFHS Network

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.

Find your Texas football teams here

(USA TODAY Network)

Other states

Learn how to watch your team’s football games here

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Texas offers 2023 four-star defensive end Colton Vasek

Big time offer for the Austin native.

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Texas’ 2023 class is still in its infancy, as the staff is still putting the finishing touches on the class of 2022.

However, that doesn’t mean they aren’t looking to add to the next class, as they have been sending out offers left and right to talented future seniors.

Texas hosted their elite Junior Day on Saturday, where some of the nation’s top prospects came to campus to visit and meet with the staff. Multiple offers came out of the visit today, and one of the more notable ones was to Austin native and Westlake product Colton Vasek.

The big-bodied defensive lineman is someone who the Longhorns badly want and need in order to help solve their pass rush problems. It may work in their favor that they signed his high school teammate Ethan Burke who played at the other defensive end position this past season as they helped lead their team to a state championship.

Rating

Stars Overall Position State
247 3 – 23 47
Rivals 4 – – –
ESPN – – – –
247 Composite 3 340 26 52

Vitals

Hometown Austin, Tx
Projected Position EDGE
Height 6-6
Weight 230

Recruitment

  • Offered on Jan. 22

Primary Offers

  • Baylor
  • Cal
  • Oklahoma
  • TCU
  • USC

Crystal Ball

No crystal ball predictions at this time.

Film

Twitter

Clemson reaching out more to teammate of 5-star signee

Following an impressive performance in Texas’s 6A State Championship, in which he was named the game’s offensive MVP, Clemson has vamped up its interest in the teammate of a class of 2022 signee. Jaden Greathouse, a 2023 four-star wide receiver from …

Following an impressive performance in Texas’s 6A State Championship, in which he was named the game’s offensive MVP, Clemson has vamped up its interest in the teammate of a class of 2022 signee.

Jaden Greathouse, a 2023 four-star wide receiver from Austin’s (Texas) Westlake High School was in contact with Clemson wide receiver coach Tyler Grisham, as recently as this past weekend.

Greathouse is teammates with Clemson’s five-star quarterback signee Cade Klubnik. The two maintain a close relationship on and off the field, one which could continue at the next level, now that the Tigers are expressing more interest.

“With Cade [Klubnik] being committed to Clemson already, he has a good relationship with the coaches, so he’s been helping out, giving them info on me,” Greathouse told The Clemson Insider in a phone interview Monday. “So, they’ve started to reach out a little bit more.”

Greathouse is planning on sending his season highlights to Grisham in the near future and is hopeful that they’ll continue to have communication. 

“I’ve been talking to Coach Grisham a little bit, here and there,” he said.

Greathouse is a strong, physical receiver who loves to watch wide receivers like Julio Jones and Davante Adams. He’s always studying their film and copying their moves to take his game to the next level.

It certainly helped for Klubnik to have a receiver of that caliber out wide.

What would it mean for Greathouse to have an opportunity to play with his close, personal friend at the next level?

“Cade’s my brother for sure,” Greathouse said. “We’ve been playing for so long and we have incredible chemistry. I’m sure that would continue at the next level. 

That, of course, was on display in Westlake’s 40-21 state championship victory this past Saturday. Greathouse recorded 236 receiving yards — a Texas state championship game record — and three receiving touchdowns (62, 69 and 71 yards) in the win.

Westlake was down 14-13 to Denton Guyer at halftime, but veteran leaders like Klubnik and Greathouse never flinched. They went out there and executed, outscoring Guyer 27-7 in the second half, to secure the program’s third-straight state title victory.

“None of us were worried, we’ve been doing this for so long now,” he said. “We knew how the second half was gonna go. We just needed to go out there and execute the game plan.”

Besides Westlake’s now-former legendary head coach, Todd Dodge, there are few people better equipped to talk about the person Klubnik is on and off the field. We know how good of a player he is, but Greathouse was able to give a better look into who his friend and teammate is as a person.

“Cade’s one of the greatest people that I know,” Greathouse said. “He’s an incredible role model and an incredible leader. He’s a man of God and has a great relationship with his faith. I mean every single day he’s just looking to improve himself, help others and live the best life that he can.”

With that being said, what has Klubnik told Greathouse about Clemson?

“He loves all the coaches there,” Greathouse said. “He took a lot of time with God to help guide him in his decision and he feels very confident about it.”

As far as his own recruitment is concerned, Greathouse is hopeful that now that his junior season is over, he can start taking a lot more visits, while continuing to build relationships with all the coaches that are currently recruiting him.

What are some of the more important factors he’s looking for in a school at the next level?

“Just a place where I can get my degree and become not just a better football player, but a better man,” he said. “And hopefully, a place that’ll develop me and take me to the next level.”

Greathouse ranks as the No. 17 wide receiver and No. 106 overall prospect in this 2023 recruiting class, per the 247Sports Composite rankings. He currently holds offers from Arizona State, Arkansas, Baylor, Kansas, Oklahoma, Penn State, South Carolina, SMU, Texas,​​ Texas A&M and West Virginia.

As mentioned before, his recruitment is wide open at the moment. There is certainly mutual interest between him and Clemson.

“My recruitment’s open to everybody and obviously, I would love to get in communication a lot more with them, start building relationships and take a visit out there,” Greathouse said.

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5-star Clemson QB signee goes out a winner: ‘You couldn’t have written it up any better’

If there’s one Cade Klubnik knows how to do, it’s to win. Clemson’s five-star quarterback signee out of Westlake (Texas) finished out his high school career on a high note. He led Westlake to its third straight state championship in a 40-21 win over …

If there’s one Cade Klubnik knows how to do, it’s to win.

Clemson’s five-star quarterback signee out of Westlake (Texas) finished out his high school career on a high note. He led Westlake to its third straight state championship in a 40-21 win over Denton Guyer (Texas) on Saturday night.

But, it wasn’t all pretty.

Klubnik was a little erratic in the first half and Westlake went into the locker room at halftime down 14-13.

They faced adversity, but Klubnik and his teammates didn’t back down from sending their head coach and their senior class out as winners. After an uneven first half of play, Klubnik rallied back with a huge second half, finishing 14-of-21 for 280 yards and four passing touchdowns.

“He’s such a leader,” Westlake head coach Todd Dodge said of Klubnik. “He is such a great player.”

They went into the locker room and got back to the basics. They were playing in their third consecutive state championship for a reason and there was still work to be done.

“Coach Dodge just let us know we can’t play any worse than that,” Klubnik said postgame. “I take all the ownership in the first half. I was kind of all over the place, not making some throws, with the pick and stuff. I just had to put trust in my teammates.

“We just went out and we played like we’re in a place that we always dreamed of playing — the state championship — we just had so much fun with it, let loose in the second half, and just played like us.”

Klubnik never lost in his high school career. He went a perfect 27-0.

What a way to go out for Clemson’s future quarterback, who will officially enroll on Jan. 9, 2022.

“You couldn’t have written it up any better” Klubnik said. “You just couldn’t have. It means the world.”

Christmas is right around the corner.  Once again Clemson Variety & Frame is ready to make it a special holiday for your favorite Tiger.

Order today to make sure your gift arrives in time for Christmas.