Plenty of new faces, but the same intensity as Westlake and Lake Travis clash

Lake Travis coach Hank Carter can tell it's Westlake week. 

"I'm a little more popular with the media this week with people calling to talk and wanting to talk to players," Carter quipped. 

Yes, Central Texas high school sports' biggest regular-season matchup has arrived as Lake Travis hosts Westlake Friday in the Cavs' college-esque renovated stadium. A year after Lake Travis broke a six-game losing streak in the series with a dominating 31-10 win, there are mostly new faces that will determine this year's game. 

Though both teams have a handful of players who saw significant snaps a year ago, each has a new quarterback, running back and several positions on both sides of the ball where players will make their first start. 

But no matter who is suiting up, the intensity of the contest remains the same. 

"The price of and the stakes of the game get a little bigger when you play Lake Travis," said Westlake coach Tony Salazar, who's 5-1 against the Cavs. "And the game's a little faster. It's obviously an opportunity for our kids to get ready for playoff football and play at that speed for four quarters."

There are no secrets between Westlake, Lake Travis

Lake Travis and Westlake could be the prime example that familiarity does in fact breed contempt. The players have mostly faced each other growing up, whether it's been in a sub-varsity game, middle school or youth football. And though they may not all know each other on a personal level, as Westlake linebacker Eric Abraham said, "It's the guys right across the street."

While there's a strong respect for one another - both Carter and Salazar mentioned more than once how well-coached the other team is - this is arguably one of the top rivalries in the state. Lake Travis assistant athletic director Marisa Tuzzi said Thursday more than 10,000 tickets have been sold and they were "still selling."

With that kind of fervor comes plenty of outside distractions, which both coaches and players said is important not to get caught up in. 

"You just need to stay calm in it because there's a lot of social media stuff throughout the week, and then the student sections get pretty hot," Westlake quarterback Patton Jones said. "I feel like the pressure around it, the culture … it really makes the rivalry get going. Since we know these people so well, coming together with all the student sections and having stuff on each other makes it a lot of fun."

New starters to make an impact 

Like Lake Travis quarterback Jason Carter, Jones will be making his first start in the series, something he said he's "been waiting 10 years for." Their play will be crucial, but other matchups could be just as vital.  

Cavs wideout Westin Smith is the only returning skill player on either side who had a major impact a year ago, making five catches for 136 yards and two touchdowns. How he and fellow Cavs receiver Luca Antoun fare against the Westlake secondary is the most intriguing matchup when Lake Travis has the ball, while the mostly senior-laden Chaps offensive line vs. a less experienced Cavs defensive line will be key in Westlake possessions. 

"They're really talented," Westlake offensive lineman and Texas commit Jackson Cook said. "I think that talent does not equal experience, which we have. … I think that it'll be a good matchup for them to get better against us, but you know, I think that experience ultimately wins."

Neither offense has been stopped this year. Westlake's lowest point total is 33 and it scored 40 in its only loss. Lake Travis is averaging 40 ppg, which includes 28 points in a game that was called in the third quarter due to lightning.

"I think the ‘X' factor here is which defense can find a way to stop a high-powered offense," Salazar said.  
 
How the teams handle the wild atmosphere early in the game will be key. Each coach noted being too amped up can lead to mistakes, which in a close game can be the difference between winning and losing. 

"We need to have everyone be focused on the little things and everyone doing their job," Lake Travis linebacker Owen Aird said. "It's an intense week and it's going to be electric, but this is what we look forward to all year."

Those who don't pay attention to history ...

Does last year's game matter? 

It depends who you ask. 

"I don't really buy much into that," Hank Carter said. "Last year, we got the better of them. But what does that really mean? Last year we were able to dictate the tempo of the game. What does that bear on this year? Not a whole lot."

The Lake Travis defensive line that produced most of the team's 10 sacks - which was the game's storyline - is gone, with all four starters currently suiting up for college programs. But the loss, which really wasn't as close as the final score indicates, is something that has stuck with Salazar and the Westlake players who played in it. It also kicked off the stretch of the Chaps losing three of four to end the season. 

"I don't think you can walk in and forget about what happened last year," Cook said. "I think there's definitely a chip on our shoulder."

Salazar had Westlake rewatch the game earlier this week.

"There was opportunities we left on the field, and a lot of times we're looking at it and say, ‘Is that them or is that us?' And when you look at it structurally, it was us," he said. "It was us being out of position. It was us not making a play. It was us missing a tackle. But the guys were in a competitive football game for a while, and then they kind of made some plays down the stretch to kind of open it up in the second half. … I think that game, along with several last year, were uncharacteristic of this program. And that's what this team is out to do, is to right a wrong and to make a stake for what their character is going to be of their team." 

For Lake Travis players, the game a year ago is something to aspire to. 

"I'm even more motivated than I was last year," Cavs tight end Gage Prebenda-Wilson said. "Now, we have a standard to keep." 

A fresh venue

This will be the second game in Lake Travis' renovated stadium. After going more than a calendar year between home games due to construction, Carter said he simply appreciates playing on campus, not just the fresh stadium itself, which seats around 11,000.

Though Westlake's home stadium is nothing to sneer at, even the Chaps players said they're looking forward to what the venue offers. 

"I went to the first game there, and it's as close as you can get to college in high school," Cook said.  

Salazar hasn't given much thought to the stadium; he just knows it will be loud.  

"That place has always been hostile, regardless of new stadium or not," he said. "When Westlake comes to town, it's going to be filled up. We know that, and so we're anticipating that. … These kids want to be the biggest show in town, and this week they're going to get that opportunity."

The "Battle of the Lakes" will produce the energy, emotion and pageantry of some of the best high school atmospheres in the country. But when it comes to the actual football being played, it's the basics that will decide the outcome. 

"The team that executes and takes care of the football and makes the big plays in the big moments is going to win," Hank Carter said. "… Those things get magnified in a game that's expected to be close." 

This article originally published at Plenty of new faces, but the same intensity as Westlake and Lake Travis clash.