Westlake Wins Battle of Top Junior QBs

photo: Glenn McCarthy

Westlake Wins Right to Face Allen Next Week

Berry Center- In a record setting day, junior quarterback Sam Ehlinger and his Austin Westlake Chaparrals ran away from the Humble Atascocita Eagles, 49-28. Ehlinger went head to head with Eagle signal caller Daveon Boyd. Both will be two of the top returning quarterbacks in the state for 2016.

Ehlinger passed for 239 yards on the day totaling 3,335 for the year and breaking Nick Foles all time yardage record for the Chaparrals. Ehlinger broke this record with another year to play. Senior receiver Reed Klubnik also got in on the record breaking by becoming the first ever Chap to eclipse the 2,000 yard receiving mark.

Ehlinger accounted for all seven of Westlake's touchdowns, passing for five and running for two. He started the scoring with a 9 yard pass to fellow junior Andrew Boykin on Westlake’s first offensive drive. Atascocita's Boyd answered back hitting Niyl Campbell on a bubble screen left that he cut back to the middle of the field, ran through two tacklers and kept his balance and squirted into the end zone for a 40 yard score.  The game was tied 7-7 and it appeared fans were in for a shootout.

Boyd finished 28 of 47 for 409 yards and three passing scores. Westlake then got two huge change of momentum plays. First Barrett Chambers recovered a Boyd fumble on the Chap 46 yard line. Ehlinger directed a fourteen play 54 yard drive culminating with him taking it in from 8 yards out.  Westlake regained the lead 14-7.

The second was when Reed Klubnik blocked an Atascocita punt that appeared he would take in for a TD, but was tripped up at the Eagle 16 yard line. Ehlinger then carried four straight times (no gain, 13, 1, and 2 yards) before taking a zone read in for his second rushing touchdown of the day.  Austin Westlake stretched their lead 21-7.

The Atascocita Eagles answered back with two 35 yard back to back passes from Boyd to senior Coye Foreman. Boyed next found his tailback Patrick Taylor Jr.(Colorado commit) from 10 yards out finishing the drive in an easy 24 seconds. Once again the Eagles pulled the score close 21-14.

With the next Westlake possession, Ehlinger pulled off the play of the day. It was a 57 yard fake punt for touchdown. Westlake Coach Todd Dodge had been laying the groundwork for this play throughout the game.  Ehlinger has been in on fourth down plays and then doing a quick kick punt. This time (the third time) the UT commit faked the punt and found a streaking Klubnik for a touchdown. It was an absolute bullet that extended the Chap lead to 28-14.

Atascocita cut the lead to 28-21 on Patrick Taylor Jr's 1 yard run with 54 seconds in the half.

Westlake came out firing in the third quarter building a 42-21 lead. Westlake also stalled the Eagles twice on key 4th down conversions in the second half. Westlake scored too quickly and too often for Atascocita to make much of a game in the final half

Coach Dodge said this about the win, “Our team is just starting to play its best football which you hope you are playing your best football in December and we are right now.”

This Saturday Westlake will travel to Waco and McLane Stadium against the LSG’s Co #1 Allen and their 57 game win streak. The game is set for 2 pm.

by Glenn McCarthy
@GlennMcCarthy44

Players of the game:
Offense- QB Sam Ehlinger and Receiver Reed Klubnik
Defense- LB Levi Jones

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