Week 45of the Texas High School Football season is here and with that it's time to look at 5 of the top games across the San Antonio and Austin area this week. This weeks matchups focus mainly on the matchups happening in 26-6A and 12-5A with some big games with big implications.
LAKE TRAVIS VS WESTLAKE
In what is easily the game of the week, Lake Travis travels to Westlake to take on the Chaparrals in this 26-6A matchup. Bo Edmundson has yet to play a game for the Cavaliers this season and it is unclear at the time of this writing if he will play Friday. Westlake has looked every bit as dominant as it did a year ago with a balanced offense that has been down right brutal for opponents to stop. Led by Jack Kayser the Westlake running game is putting up over 200 yards a game, while the passing game is also around the 200 yards a game mark. With Edmundson out, Lake Travis has also relied on the run game going for almost 300 yards a game. The inexperience at the QB position in the absence of Edmundson could prove to be the difference in this game. The Cavaliers haven't faced a defensive opponent the likes of Westlake at this point in the season and if the Chaparrals can stop the running game it could be a long night for Lake Travis. Outside of maybe Dripping Springs, this looks to be the most challenging game left on Westlake's schedule so a key win could go a long way to seeing if this team can 4-peat.
SMITHSON VALLEY VS NEW BRAUNFELS CANYON
Talk about a grueling 4 game stretch for the Cougars. After defeating New Braunfels and Boerne Champion, Canyon now turns itself to game 3 against Smithson Valley with Hays waiting in the wings. The Cougars will face one of the favorites in district 12-5A in former 6A squad Smithson Valley. After losing their 2nd game of the season, the Rangers have rebounded with 2 wins in a row. But behind the arm of Deuce Adams, the Cougars have been off to a 4-0 start and look to be one of the favorites in the district as well. Adams has thrown for over 1300 yards and 16 touchdowns so far averaging around 350 yards a game, while their run game is an added bonus going for around 160 yards. Adams is the difference maker in this one. The Junior has looked like one of the best quarterbacks in the area so far and a good game for him could lead the Cougars to a 5-0 start.
DRIPPING SPRINGS VS BOWIE
What has Dripping Springs done so far since moving up into the 6A classification? They've only gone undefeated with wins over one of the best 6A schools in the area in Vandegrift and won their first district game 77-0. Led by Baylor commit Austin Novosad, the question was could Dripping springs be competitive in 6A and so far they have answered that question with a resounding yes. But now comes the real test as over the next 5 games they will play Bowie, Westlake and Lake Travis. Their first test comes Friday against Bowie. The Bulldogs come into the season at 4-0 after coming away with a thrilling 27-24 win over Anderson last week. Led by the quarterback/running back duo of Conner Kenyon and Max Barnes, Bowie has created an effective run-pass combo that has been hard to stop thus far. Anderson though put up a good fight last week showing if you can manage the run game (46 carries for 185 yards) then you will have a shot.
HAYS VS BOERNE CHAMPION
Hays has been absolutely on fire this season, their first since moving down to the 5A classification. They are utilizing their run game to perfection averaging over 350 yards on the ground a game. Leading the way for the Hawks is Kyree Payton who has put up 577 yards on the ground and 9 touchdowns so far this season. They have not played in a close game yet either with their closest game being a 20 point win Week 2 vs Churchill. They are averaging over 50 points a game and look to continue that dominance against Boerne Champion, the question is will they? While Boerne sits at 2-2 they could easily be 3-1 and are probably Hays' toughest opponent to date. The Chargers will go as far as quarterback Jordan Ballin will take them. He's thrown for over 1200 yards and 14 touchdowns on the season, connecting with his favorite target Kannon Brooks for around 40% of those yards. It's hard to see Champion slowing down Hays run game but if they can it could create a vital district win for them in what will be a battle for the 4 playoff spots in this district.
LEANDER VS COLLEGE STATION
After a 2-8 season a year ago, the Lions have already surpassed that win total from a season ago sitting at 3-0. In last weeks 38-32 win over Del Rio, senior quarterback Cameron Burkman threw for 319 yards to help lead them to the victory. But what will happen when they travel to College Station to take on the Cougars. Coming off a state finals appearance last year, the Cougars suffered an unfortunate set back when Marquise Collins went down with a season ending injury. After their Week 1 loss to Lovejoy however, the Cougars have rebounded with back-to-back wins including a win over Temple before last weeks bye-week. College Station has leaned on senior Anthony Trevino and sophomore Aydan Martinez-Brown in Collins absence and will look to continue to do so against Leander. I'm still not sure what to make of Leander's start (their opponents thus far are a combined 1-11) but a win or close game here could go a long way to their playoff hopes this year.