Week 14: Alamo Heights

Mules in 2009: 10-3
Last year’s game: DNP
The Cavaliers destroyed Killeen in last year’s Region IV final 71-9. It’s safe to say this year’s battle with Alamo Heights won’t be so lopsided. The Mules beat an improved Killeen team 21-19 in the Area Championship this year.

Scouting Report

Alamo Heights (10-3) is a better team than its record indicates.
Consider the fact that the three losses came against Stony Point, San Antonio Clark and Cibolo Steele. The first two are still alive in the 5A football playoffs, and Steele nearly upset Lake Travis.
The Mules are definitely not your typical 10-3 football team.
And lately, they’ve got a leader to lean on in running back Justin Rosenthal.
He’s not the physical specimen that Kenny Williams or Malcolm Brown is, but Rosenthal has found a way to gain the same kind of yards against teams in the playoffs.
“He’s got a low center of gravity and is just a kid that runs so hard,” Lake Travis head coach Chad Morris said. “He’s really strong, no one seems to get a clean shot on him – and it’s not because he jukes you – he’s just a really powerful runner. He keeps his feet moving very well, and he’s their workhorse. He’s making them go.”
But that’s not remotely all the Mules have to work with on offense. Far from it.
“They’re a team that likes to run the football, but they can throw it. The thing we’re seeing is that they’re fairly balanced,” Morris said. “They’ve thrown the ball for 2,300 yards and rushed for 2,400 yards. They’re really balanced in almost every respect and they’ve got a great offensive line.”
In many ways, it’s hard not to see a lot of Lake Travis in Alamo Heights’ team.
“We told the kids today that this one of the teams you’ll find that are a lot like us in that they never, ever take a play off,” Morris said. “They play extremely hard and they’re extremely well-coached. They’ve got tradition and they know how to win big football games.”
And they’ve won a state championship in the last five years, so it sounds really familiar, actually.
“They’re very sound in every aspect of the game.” Morris said. “No one has had a better, balanced attack against us this year. You’d have to go back to a team like Westlake.”
A team that’s still playing. This one should be tough.

Who to watch this week

Lake Travis: Michael Brewer, QB
Brewer took matters into his own hands in last week’s win, coming up with some big passes and even bigger plays with his feet. Look for him to build on it.

Alamo Heights: Justin Rosenthal, RB
He’s not a physical specimen or as naturally gifted as some of the running backs Lake Travis has played this year. But he just gets the job done. He’s given opposing defenses fits all year.

Inside the numbers

Date    Opponent    Time/Score
Aug. 30    at Westwood    W, 55-31
Sept. 4    Westlake    W, 42-21
Sept. 10    at Cedar Park    W, 54-17
Sept. 18    at Boerne    W, 52-0
Sept. 25    at Killeen*    W, 56-31
Oct. 2    Hutto*    W, 57-16
Oct. 9    at Lampasas*    W, 38-7
Oct. 16    Hendrickson*    W, 58-15
Oct. 30    at Dripping Springs*    W, 52-0
Nov. 6    Marble Falls*    W, 52-7
Nov. 12    Crockett (LTISD)    W, 58-7
Nov. 21    Cibolo Steele (Alamodome)    W, 27-20
Nov. 28    C.C. Flour Bluff (Alamodome)    W, 52-13
Dec. 4    Alamo Heights (Bobcat Stadium)    7:30 p.m.
* – District 25-4A Game

LTHS Statistical Leaders

Rushing    No    YDS    TD    AVG
Andy Erickson    92    848    19    9.22
Michael Brewer    83    495    17    5.96

Passing    C    A    I    YDS    TD
Michael Brewer    219    308    4    3,792    37

Receiving    No.    YDS    TD    AVG
Conner Floyd    59    1,171    11    19.84
Andy Erickson    50    1,127    11    22.45
Griffin Gilbert    38    437    5    11.50
Tanner Gillette    32    579    4    18.09

Tackles    No.    TFL    SCK    HURR
Quinton Crow    155    7    3.5    2
Austin Williams    134    5    0    1
Trevor Gillette    115    5    1.0    4
Ian Lazarus    114    8    3.0    4