District 26 6 A

Coach Hank Carter heads into his 12th season as the leader of Cav Nation. The tumultuous 2020 season saw the Cavs finish with the record of 6-1 losing in the first round of the playoffs to Round Rock by the score of 35-21. 2021 started with a bang with the announcement in April that IHSFAN Top 10 Player and former Del Valle star WR Caleb Burton will be running routes at Cavalier Stadium in the fall. The offense will return 4 starters including IHSFAN Top 10 player and Offensive Newcomer of the Year Jr. QB Bo Edmundson. Other leaders on offense include the 4-star Ohio State commit Sr. WR. Caleb Burton, and 2nd AD players Sr. TE Isaac Norris and Sr. OL Seth McDaniel. The defense returns 6 starters and will be led by 1st AD Sr. LB’s - Derrick Johnson and Watson Cusick. Other leaders on the 2021 squad include 2nd AD players: Sr. DE Max Linhoff, Sr. DB Chernet Estes, Sr. DB Jacob Glova, and Sr. DE Trey Dorsett. The Caleb Burton transfer is a game changer for the Lake Travis offense. Burton will remind many Cavs fans of the great Garrett Wilson. Look for 26-6A to be decided on the last game of the season in the annual Battle of the Lakes.

WESTLAKE

By Joe Taylor

The 2020 Westlake Chaparrals made history again as the Chaps won the school’s second consecutive state championship and the program’s third title. The 52-34 win over Southlake Carroll in the 6A Division I State Finals earned head coach Todd Dodge his sixth state title as a head coach.

Quarterback Cade Klubnik (IHSFAN Top 10 Player) returns for his senior season and will have the opportunity to become the only starting quarterback to win two state titles. Klubnik completed 68 percent of his passes in 2020 for 3,495 yards. The Clemson commit fired 35 touchdown passes, ran for 583 yards, rushed for 15 touchdowns and earned the 6A Division I State Championship Game’s Most Valuable Player. Like the 2019 offensive line, Westlake’s 2020 line was arguably the most cohesive unit in all of Texas. The 2021 season features the return of both tackles in Connor Robertson and Bray Lynch along with center Jack Griffin. Mike McKelvy provides impressive versatility to an already dominant group of returning starters. Zane Minors and Grey Nakfoor combined for 40 touchdown runs in 2020 and racked up 2,013 yards for the 6A Division I champs. While the rushing attack was the featured weapon in the Westlake offense, Jaden Greathouse hauled in 63 receptions for 1,145 yards and 13 touchdown catches. Greathouse has earned All-American status in both his freshman and sophomore campaigns and will lead a new crop of Chaparral receivers this fall. Look for Bryce Chambers to emerge as a speed threat out of the backfield as the offense reloads for another title run.

Two consecutive state titles have made the Westlake defense the envy of Texas High School Football. Defensive coordinator and assistant head coach, Tony Salazar, is the mastermind behind that success. Salazar leads a talented defensive coaching staff and his 2020 squad responded with six shutouts and allowed an anemic 7.6 points per game. Carter Barksdale returns to the defensive backfield. Ethan Burke was a fixture on the 2020 defensive line rotation and will be a force at defensive end. Newcomer Colton Vasek leads a new breed of Chaps who wish to make a little history of their own.

Coach Humberto Garza stepped down after 11 seasons leading Eagle Nation. Coach Garza had a tremendous positive impact on thousands of young men and women. Akins finished last season at 1-7. Interim Head Coach Joey Saxe told IHSFAN,”We are going to be fast and physical. Our expectations are to serve our community and build a brand of football that everyone is proud of.” The Eagles will return 4 on offense and 4 on defense. The offense will be led by Sr. OL Nik Hall, Sr RB/QB Nate Davis, and Jr. WR Michael Ybarra. The defense will be led by 2nd AD Sr. LB Zach Cagle, Sr. DL Corbin Melder, and Sr. DB Kimani Smith. Coach Saxe also told IHSFAN,” Big things are coming for Akins High School and our kids are putting in the work daily to be successful. Our Motto is ‘Be the Change’.”

BOWIE

Coach Jeff Ables enters his 34th season at Bowie (20th as head Coach) in 2021. Last season Bowie finished with the record of 3-5 missing the playoffs for the first time in 13 seasons. The Bulldogs will return 6 on offense and 9 on the defensive side of the ball. The offense will be led by 1st AD Sr. QB Diego Tello (2109 yards passing and 23 TDS in ’20), 2nd AD Sr. RB Noah Camacho (653 yards rushing), 2nd AD Sr. WR Cash Peters (451 yards rec) , and three-year letterman Sr. OL Rick Mao.

The defense will be led by 2nd AD Sr. LB Saul Garcia (75 Tackles in ’20), Sr. DL Kyle Knudson, Jr. DL Aaron Gall, and Sr. DB Jack Kimbrough. Look for the Bulldogs to be much improved in 2021 and compete for one of the available playoff spots.

by Jake Herman

From changing their mascot to losing nearly all of their starters, Hays will look much different than the team that went 10-4 and made a deep playoff run in 2020. The Hays Hawks, formerly Hays Rebels, will have a completely new offense, with just 1 returning starter in Sr. C 1st team alldistrict Trey Webb. With both the starting and backup QBs from last season departing, there is a great amount of uncertainty as to who will start at QB come fall. 4th year Head Coach Les Goad says that he may move Jr. DB 2nd team all-district Chris Bruce to QB, due to his athleticism. “If we want to maintain a dual threat quarterback, he might be the top candidate just because he can run,” Coach Goad told IHSFAN. “Hopefully we can develop his throwing part of it.” If Bruce does not move to QB, Coach Goad will likely promote 1 of 3 sophomores to the starting position and utilize Bruce at RB. On defense, the Hawks will only have 2 returning starters, Sr. DB Marcus Taylor and Jr. DB Chris Bruce. Not only will Goad heavily rely on Bruce on offense, wherever he plays, but he will also anchor an inexperienced defense. “He may not come off the field a whole lot,” Goad said. “He is an extremely hard worker, he was not very vocal, but I think he will step up and provide some of the motivation that we need.”

SAN MARCOS

When Coach Soto left the program after the 2019 season San Marcos High School hit a home run with the hiring of legendary two-time state champion John Walsh last spring. Coach Walsh led the Rattlers to a 2-7 record in his first season at the helm. The 2021 squad will be led by Jr. QB Isaiah Deleon, Sr. TE Elijah Pearson, Sr. WR Jamil Gordon, and Sr. DB Malik Gordon. The Rattlers ended last season with a 21-7 win over Akins and they hope to use that as springboard into Spring practice and the fall.

Coach Mike Rosenthal heads into his 10th season as head coach of the Austin High Maroons coming off of a stellar 5-4record in 2020 that included a first-round playoff loss to Vandegrift. When asked about this season Coach Rosenthal told IHSFAN, “Our goals and expectations are the same every year. We want to prepare and practice so we can perform to the best of our ability.” The Maroons will return 4 on offense and 5 on defense. The offense will have to try to find a way to replace one of the best QBs in the State as Charles Wright is now on the 40 acres playing for the Texas Longhorns. The offense will be led by 2nd AD Sr. RB Esau Lopez, 2nd AD Sr. WR Jax Rush, and Sr. OL Patrick Wallace. The defense will be led by Sr. DB Zach Mercado, Sr. LB Andrew Mosser, and Sr. DL Jack Nelson. Look for the Maroons to continue to put a competitive team on the field to compete in a district that includes the two-time defending state champ

DEL VALLE

Following a 2020 season in which Del Valle went 3-6, Head Coach Charles Burton stepped down in early March. Burton’s departure also means that his son Caleb, an Ohio State commit, 4-star prospect and an IHSFAN Top 10 player, will be transferring to Lake Travis. The loss of star Sr. WR Caleb Burton will be a big blow for this struggling Cardinals team, that will also lose standout Jr. DL 1st team all-district Jayden Cofield, who will transfer to Manor.

Coach Burton’s 8-year tenure was the longest of any coach in school history. On April 2nd Del Valle ISD announced the hiring of Coach Bobby Acosta as the Cardinals Head Coach. Coach Acosta most recently was Head Coach at National powerhouse IMG Academy in Bradenton Florida. The 2021 Cards will be led on defense by Jr. DB Defensive Newcomer of the year Lawrence Falke and on offense by 1st AD Sr. WR Trenton Leary. Other leaders will be 2nd AD Sr. DB Raylin Gilliam, 2nd AD Sr. LB Kaleb Brown, 2nd AD Sr. DE PJ Goode, 2nd AD Jr. WR Braylon James, and Sr. P Jalen Ellis.