There is a five-way – five-way! – tie for first place in District 25-6A roughly halfway through district play. To the surprise of no pre-season prognosticator with a clue, Westwood and Round Rock are part of that scrum, (with Cedar Ridge, Vandegrift and Vista Ridge rounding out the quintet.) Suffice it to say, then, that the stakes and the drama could hardly be higher when these two longtime RRISD rivals clash in this week’s VYPE Live Series Spotlight.

It’s a return to form for the Westwood Warriors. Head Coach Casey Carter’s burnt orange brigade went on a lengthy post-season run in 2024 but endured a rough season last year with key injuries and a very young squad. Many of those veterans are back, another year older and more experienced. That includes seniors Antonio Martinez, Nathan Taparauskas, Kellen Szymanski, West Morgan, Justice Moore, RC Cowes, Will Bak and Weston Franz. Thanks in part to the first four listed bolstering a veteran pitching staff, the Warriors have surged back to a 17-7-1 overall record and 6-2 in the district.