No. 1 Westlake
A closer look at the Westlake Chaparrals , the No. 1 team in our Central Texas preseason countdown:
2023: The Chaparrals went 14-1 overall and 10-0 in the regular season for the second straight year. They took the District 26-6A crown with a 7-0 record. They defeated Round Rock, San Antonio Reagan, Laredo United and Lake Travis before losing in the Division I state semifinals to North Shore for the second straight season.
2024: The preseason schedule is tough: Prosper, San Benito, Atascocita and Cibolo Steele had a combined record of 46-9. Yet there is optimism with the return of QB Rees Wise and receivers Brody Wilhelm and Cal Livengood. The defense will be the team's strength with veteran linemen Maddox Flynt and Connor Vasek, linebacker Elliott Schaper and defensive backs Payton Luther and Thompson Bennett. Starters returning — 7 offense, 5 defense.
WESTLAKE FOOTBALL: 3 questions, key players for the No. 1 team in our preseason countdown
Notable losses: RB Jack Kayser (Army), OL Tyler Knape (Cal), ), PK Spencer Barnett (Texas), CB Judson Crockett (TCU) and CB Denim Collins.
About the Chaparrals: With 58 seniors on the roster, depth will be critical for a team that lost some key starters. Wise has shown more strength and versatility in his second season as the starting quarterback. The Chaps have a history of outstanding offensive linemen, and this team will be no different with Jared Risinger and William Twardowski back in the fold.
After winning state three straight years, the Chaps lost in the semifinals the past two years. As Tony Salazar prepares for his third year as head coach, Westlake is ranked No. 4 in the state by Dave Campbell's Texas Football magazine.
Betcha didn't know: Payton Luther has carved out a nice career at Westlake, but he has two older siblings who have done quite nicely too. Brother Sage Luther, a defensive back, is entering his senior year at Illinois after transferring from Colgate. Sister Dakota Luther swam competitively at Georgia and Texas. She earned All-American status in the 200 butterfly in 2023. She recently announced her retirement after the U.S. Olympic Trials.
Key game: Lake Travis, Oct. 25 — So what else is new? Westlake is ranked as the No. 1 team in Central Texas in the American-Statesman's Top 10 poll. Lake Travis is No. 2. In their last meeting, the Chaparrals edged the Cavaliers 21-14 in the fourth round of the Class 6A DI state playoffs. This year's game is at Lake Travis.
Central Texas top 10 countdown
No. 10 Georgetown
No. 9 Cedar Park
No. 8 Dripping Springs
No. 7 Liberty Hill
No. 6 LBJ
No. 5 Vandegrift
No. 4 Weiss
No. 3 Wimberley
No. 2 Lake Travis
This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: No. 1 Westlake enters 2024 season as Central Texas' top football teams
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