Cavaliers thump Westwood to open season

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Warrior running back Princeton Collins finished the game with 28 rushing attempts for 160 yards, and caught 5 passes for 37 yards and scored two touchdowns. Jordan Williamson also knocked in his first field goal of the year, a 47-yard shot.

But it was Cavalier running back Andy Erickson and kicker Kramer Fyfe that helped steal the show, and Lake Travis quarterback Michael Brewer wasn’t bad in his starting debut, either.

Erickson collected over 300 yards of total offense, Brewer completed 16 passes on 19 attempts for 372 yards and three touchdowns and rushed for two more scores.

Meanwhile, Fyfe’s 48-yard field goal was one yard better than Williamson’s.

For Westwood, it wasn’t so much a game of missed chances, but a game in which the Warriors were overwhelmed at times, even with their best player (Collins) having one of his best season-opening games ever.

After Westwood stalled out in its opening drive, Lake Travis took off on the following possession, marching down the field and hopping on the board with a 34-yard swing pass from Brewer to Erickson for an early 7-0 lead. After a Westwood punt, Erickson scampered 74 yards for a touchdown on Lake Travis’ second possession.

Westwood wouldn’t make a dent until the early second quarter, thanks to the field goal by Williamson. But at that point, Lake Travis was already up 17-3.  On the following Lake Travis possession, receiver Conner Floyd fumbled, and Warrior Tyson Brower picked up the loose ball and took it to the house to help pull Westwood to within seven after the extra point by Williamson.

But that’s as close as the Warriors would get the rest of the night. Lake Travis outscored Westwood 17-7 the rest of the first half for a 34-17 halftime lead, including a gut-wrenching score in the final minute when Tanner Gillette hauled in a long Brewer pass and beat a defender to the end zone for an 80-yard score. Up 34-17, the Cavaliers made sure the Warriors wouldn’t rally. On their first snap of the second half following a touchback on Williamson’s opening kick, Erickson took a screen pass from Brewer, broke two tackles and outraced everyone down the Westwood sideline for another 80-yard score.

Shaquille Marable (9) and Ian Lazarus (6) celebrate with Quinton Crow following a sack of Westwood's quarterback.

It was all Cavaliers from there, and Westwood didn’t help itself by failing to get a rhythm going throughout the second half, rotating between quarterbacks Blake Balazs and Ben Johnson.

The loss continues a less than stellar trend for Westwood against Lake Travis in games to open the season. Since topping the Cavaliers 35-3 to open the 2006 season, the Warriors have lost three consecutive openers to Lake Travis. It also extends the Cavaliers’ state-best 30-game winning streak.

Westwood will try to rebound against Harker Heights next Friday at RRISD Stadium, while Lake Travis will hosts neighorbing Westlake, a 24-14 winner over Cedar Park Friday night.

Game Summary:

Lake Travis 17-17-14-7-55

Westwood 0-17-7-7-31

FIRST QUARTER

8:21 LT – Andy Erickson 34 pass from Michael Brewer (Kramer Fyfe kick) 7-0

6:26 LT – Erickson 74 run (kick) 14-0

2:56 LT – Fyfe 48 FG 17-0

SECOND QUARTER

11:12 WW – Jordan Williamson 47 FG 17-3

10:08 WW – Tyson Brower 36 fumble return (kick) 17-10

8:14 LT – Brewer 1 run (kick blocked) 23-10

3:20 LT – Fyfe 24 FG 26-10

1:58 WW – Collins 1 run (kick) 26-17

1:11 LT – Tanner Gillette 80 pass from Brewer (pass) 34-17

THIRD QUARTER

11:46 LT – Erickson 80 pass from Brewer (kick) 41-17

7:39 LT – Brewer 3 run (kick) 48-17

5:00 WW – Collins 23 run (kick) 48-24

FOURTH QUARTER

9:31 LT – Jack Patton 19 pass from Brewer (kick) 55-24

2:55 WW – Forster Zeitz 37 pass from Blake Balazs (kick) 55-31

INDIVIDUAL STATS

Passing…Lake Travis: Michael Brewer 16-19-372; Westwood: Blake Balazs

7-10-88, Ben Johnson 8-15-45.

Rushing…Lake Travis: Andy Erickson 9-163, Brewer 9-24, Tayler Wrinkle 1-15

Turney Maurer 3-14, Jack Patton 5-11; Westwood: Princeton Collins 28-160,

Johnson 12-35, Balazs 2-0.

Receiving…Lake Travis: Erickson 7-175, Tanner Gillette 2-96, Conner Floyd

5-78, Patton 1-19, Griffin Gilbert 1-14; Westwood: Forster Zeitz 3-42,

Collins 5-37, Grant Peterson 3-28, Will Johnson 3-17, B. Johnson 1-8.

TEAM STATS

Rushing: Lake Travis 227, Westwood 195

Passing: 16-19-172, 15-25-133

First Downs: 25, 17

Penalties: 6-45, 6-40

Fumbles/Fumbles Lost: 2-1, 1-0