Westlake dominates Prosper 35-14: Texas football recruit impresses, plus other takeaways

Facing Prosper in a season-opening neutral site clash of expected Class 6A state powers, Westlake walked away with a 35-14 win Thursday night at Mary Hardin-Baylor in Belton.

It was a tight game until late in the third quarter, when the Chaparrals — No. 25 in MaxPreps' preseason rankings — began to assert their dominance over the Eagles, ranked No. 15. Westlake quarterback Rees Wise was electric, collecting four touchdown passes and a 2-point conversion. The Chaps outscored the Eagles 22-0 in the second half.

Here are some takeaways from Thursday's game as Westlake (1-0) prepares for its home opener next week against San Benito:

Texas football target Zaden Kremplin impresses

Prosper's offensive line wasn't good for most of the game, unable to get much push in the interior, and the running game was never properly established. Junior offensive lineman Zaden Kremplin , however, lived up to his four-star status as a prospect being recruited by Texas , Texas A&M and host of other Power Four programs.

Westlake's three-star edge, Connor Vasek, rarely lined up on Kremplin's side, showing respect for the left tackle's strength. Bulky defensive ends couldn't move Kremplin, while linebackers found themselves 8 yards deep in a futile attempt to get around him. They threw stunts and blitzes his way instead, challenging his ability to recognize when to pass off defenders and win his matchup.

Kremplin handled it all — even as the rest of the line struggled.

There were a few times that free rushers were able to zip right past the line for a big hit on quarterback Braeden Imhoff. Kremplin shared some blame, but some of that also could be pinned on poor scheme and miscommunication. The four-star didn't have any highlight blocks on run plays as Prosper trailed for most of the game.

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Westlake's Brody Wilhelm: a big night

Three of Wise's four touchdown passes went to Chaps tight end Brody Wilhelm . Two of those scores came when Wilhelm, who is 6 feet 5, "mossed" smaller Prosper defenders who had no chance at contesting the catch.

Last season, Wilhelm caught 39 balls for 663 yards and seven touchdowns. That's a solid year, but Thursday's game could be the beginning of a true breakout season for him. With three scores against a regular playoff team, there's no telling what kind of damage he'll be able to do against the weaker defenses Westlake will play.

Wilhelm is currently a three-star prospect, according to 247Sports' composite rankings, having drawn interest from Texas State, Navy and Old Dominion. Westlake's ranking and reputation will attract scouts throughout the season, and it'll be hard to ignore Wilhelm if he keeps this up.

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Westlake's defense prospers

Westlake's first half was uncharacteristically sloppy. The Chaps missed a short field goal, had a blocked extra point and extended a Prosper drive by running into the punter, a penalty that led to the Eagles' first touchdown.

Speaking of, Westlake had five penalties for 59 yards in the first half, which played a part in the Chaps trailing 14-13 at the break. However, its defense stayed stout despite giving up two touchdowns. Prosper had just 26 yards rushing in the first half.

Imhoff, making his first varsity start for Prosper, was forced to put the ball in the air to compete with Westlake and Wise. He threw two touchdown passes but could not keep it up throughout the game, especially with the pressure Westlake was putting on Prosper's offensive line. The Eagles did not get into the red zone throughout the entire second half.

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This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Westlake dominates Prosper 35-14: Texas football recruit impresses, plus other takeaways