One must only look around a Lake Travis school to know that the success of students remain everyone’s shared goal. There is truly no more noble a professional than to ensure our Central Texas schools remain a place where children can harness their potential and become the leaders of tomorrow. The professionalism of the all in Lake Travis ISD, the engagement of parents and families in the education of their children, and the commitment of all in our community to our vital public schools, that is what has made this district’s legacy something to be proud of—and something we strive together to keep strong.



With increased global competition, we should be strengthening that commitment — from pre-K to post grad — ensuring that we have the world’s most able workforce and that students can strive to achieve their full God-given abilities.



Education cuts threaten our economy. Our neighborhood schools, with parental involvement and some of America’s best teachers, contribute immensely to what makes Texas such a special place. Instead of exploring how we can most efficiently make our schools even better, the state is focused on how much support to slash. Attacks on university research, student financial assistance and community colleges and political interference in our universities, which have been a spark plug for local growth, endanger progress.



Congressional Republicans demand less federal education aid for science, math, early education, disadvantaged schools and students with disabilities. Lowering the maximum individual Pell Grant by more than $800, with total student financial assistance reduced by billions, and slicing initiatives to improve college access and graduation rates means a weaker workforce. This is not a path to success; it is a fast track to mediocrity.



No economic justification underlies this nonsense, only a belief by those in power that it’s good politics. When enough people speak out against the harm being caused, this assault on education can be stopped. Closure of neighborhood schools and termination of educators can be prevented when enough Texans say, “No way!”



An umbrella from Republican reign. Facing much more than a rainy day, our schools are being overwhelmed by a devastating flood of wrong. There is no excuse for a state that ranks near the bottom on so many indices to do even less, nor for federal support to shrink. As leaders boast about the Texas economy, we should apply more of the fruits of that success to ensuring an educational system that will sustain success.



Just as it is essential to a quality education, parental involvement is essential to overcoming the assault on our schools, securing desperately needed support and preventing leaders from shirking their responsibility. Democracy is a matter that demands our continued involvement. It’s so easy to get burned out, to give up, or to give in. But we have got to stay involved because we have young people around here who cannot do it for themselves. We will stand with them. I pledge my continued partnership to you and I look to you for your leadership.



Education does have a cost, but the lack of education costs even more.

 Doggett, a Democrat from Austin, represents the 25th District of Texas.

In reading the comments from his friends and classmates, Trevor exemplified what all parents hope their children represent as they grow toward adulthood. By all accounts he had already taken more than a few steps on the road to becoming a community leader.

Through his actions, Trevor did everything he could to make his community a better place. He was an Eagle Scout, a leader in his church community, a friend who knew no limits to friendship, a uniter who never let a fellow student, much less a friend, have a bad day. More than anything, he understood the importance of helping, which led him to help found a nonprofit dedicated to helping those in need in our community: Families for Families.

So how do we go about honoring Trevor and rectifying this tragedy? By living as he did.

Trevor never backed away from trying new things, never missed the opportunity to make a friend and went out of his way to help. So let’s do those things.

No matter how young you are, try something new. Introduce yourself to someone new. Look for ways to help. There are plenty of organizations, both locally and beyond, that need all the help they can get. For starters, what if we all too just $1 and donated it to Trevor’s nonprofit organization? To make a donation in Trevor’s memory, visit www.austinfamiliesforfamilies.org and click on the “Simply Donate” button.

Do one, or all, of those things, and then do one more thing.

The heartbreaking thing about this tragedy is that it proves that mistakes do happen and every choice we make has consequences, and those consequences can be tragic. We can’t go back and undo what happened or remind Trevor to wear a helmet while boarding. But as we want to learn from his life, we can learn from his death. The simple act of wearing a helmet — no matter how young or old you are — when boarding or biking can avert disaster.

In his short 18 years, Trevor taught us many things. We want to follow the great examples he set, but if we don’t learn even the simplest of lessons, we didn’t learn all that we could from him.

It was the culmination of the rockiest of the last four years – a stretch littered with injuries to 12 starters, a head coaching change and more losses than the team has suffered since the 2006 season.

Yet it ended in the same way each of the previous three had – with an ecstatic team hoisting another championship trophy.

“Coaches always try to find a silver lining in everything. We try to make a bad situation good,” Lake Travis first-year head coach Hank Carter said. “This season has been tough on us in a lot of ways – we faced a lot of adversity, had a lot of injuries and a head coaching change, which is a big deal. We had a play caller change, too, which is also a big deal.”

It all led to the moment the Cavaliers celebrated a 27-7 win over Denton Ryan for their fourth consecutive state championship.

“Everything we went through really made us tougher. It set us up to win a game like this,” Carter said. “That’s a slobber-knocking, physical team that we just beat, and we can play that kind of ball. A lot of people don’t think we can but we can. I’m so proud of our guys.”

Carter came full circle. Ten years after winning his first state championship with Bay City as an assistant coach against Denton Ryan, he won his first as a head coach against the same school.

He admitted afterward that if you told him he would be a state champion head coach at the same level in just a decade, he wouldn’t believe it.

“Ten years ago, when I won my first state championship as a coach of any kind, I was just a young punk – I was just happy to jump on the bus,” Carter said. “That was at the old Texas Stadium, so to come back here and do this, it’s an unbelievable feeling. I’m so proud of everyone involved with the program.”

Senior receiver Conner Floyd came full circle. The senior star receiver broke his leg against Westlake to open the season. But rehabbed and trained hard enough to play in the final four games of the season, catching two passes in the state championship game.

“It’s what we’ve been working for since day one,” Floyd said with tears still lingering in his eyes. “It felt good to be a part of it and to tear [Ryan] up. It’s just a great feeling to be back out here.”

Senior tackle Nick Magnella came full circle.

One year ago, he filled in on emergency duty when teammate Taylor Doyle badly injured his ankle and had to leave the game. On Saturday, he capped his first full season starting by trying to stop 4A Defensive Player of the Year Mario Edwards. In many ways, Magnella neutralized the Raiders’ biggest threat.

“Skill doesn’t compare to heart, at all,” Magnella said. “When you have a team that gives all its heart and all its effort, good things happen.”

Still, it takes skill to stop a threat like Edwards.

“He’s one of the most amazing defensive ends I’ve ever played against,” Magnella said. “The week’s preparation was about finding the biggest guy and having him come full force at me. I watched tons of film, studied all his moves and I think it helped me.”

Michael Brewer came full circle. Two years ago, he was tasked with the unenviable job of replacing Garrett Gilbert. Two years later, he has quarterbacked as many title winners as his predecessor, and created his own space in Lake Travis football history after a season when he endured plenty of punishment and missed three games due to injury.

“It means so much to me,” Brewer said. “To be able to share this with all of my teammates. They’re my best friends, I’ll remember them forever and there isn’t a better way to go out than this.”

Some players stood in the middle of the storm this year, watching the circles complete around them. Players like linebacker Austin Williams, who leads the team in tackles and never missed a game, or Griffin Gilbert, who leads the team in receptions and was a safety blanket for quarterbacks whose options kept dwindling because of injuries, or Colin Lagasse, who seemed to play every position necessary to shorten the learning curve for his teammates.

“It was about all of us stepping up,” Gilbert said. “I knew when Conner went down, it was my turn to step up. We all have that attitude, and I’m just so proud to be teammates with all of these guys.”

The experience of watching your teammates drop like flies around you, and doing your best to anchor everything, is one that Williams will never forget.

“It’s intense to go through that,” Williams said. “To see guys flying around and then go down. I’ve just tried to let it come to me. It’s become my own little world, my own realm in the middle of the field.”

When things weren’t going Lake Travis’ way, it was easy to question whether the coaching staff was in over its head without Chad Morris steering the ship. A title has silenced that criticism.

“We have the best coaches in the nation,” Gilbert said. “That’s my opinion, but Coach Carter is an amazing leader. To come out on top with him is incredible.”

The Lake Travis fans have come full circle. Heckled by Central Texas for being Westlake wannabes and fair-weather fans, they showed up to Cowboys Stadium with the most impressive crowd of the last four championships.

“It was the best Lake Travis crowd I’ve ever seen,” Brewer said. “I just want to thank the community for everything. When we ran out of the tunnel at the beginning, that was a sight that I’ll never forget. It was absolutely incredible. They were behind us the whole game, and when we looked up after kneeling the final time, it was a feeling second to none.”

As has been the case with every title before, it took more than one or two players to win this one, including the many that should be listed in this article, but can’t because there just isn’t enough room. It took a program and community that has made coming full circle a habit.

After the game, Carter was met with suggestions for next year’s slogan.

“Strive for five?” someone asked.

Carter grinned.

“I don’t know, maybe. I’m not sure that’s catchy enough.”

Another voice jokingly chimed in.

“One more makes five.”

Carter laughed.

“I don’t know about that one, either.”

You can’t blame them for not having a slogan yet – they’ve still got a parade to plan.

Again.

We have a topic no one can make a reasonable argument against — it’s hot out there. It seems as if each new day brings with it a new record high temperature. And here is another: The Texas Hill Country is in the grips of an extremely serious drought. The level on Lake Travis hasn’t been this low since the early 1980s — and it could get worse before it gets better.
Since it appears we now have more commonality than the U.S. Congress, let us join together and make a pact and play it safe this summer. The long drought has created plenty of fuel (dry grasses and vegetation) just waiting for an errant spark to ignite a wildfire. While some areas have seen a smattering of rain, it hasn’t been enough to make much of a difference. For residents along the western edge of Lake Travis in the Pedernales Fire Department coverage area — they haven’t seen a drop of rain.
But what they have seen is fire. First, 45 acres went up in smoke. Then, last Sunday, a family lost their home.
Simply put, the entire Texas Hill Country is ripe, ready and primed for wildfire.
Yet little things can make a difference. If you smoke, use your ash tray. Don’t flip your little fire stick out the window. Avoid parking your car on grassy areas. A hot engine can easily spark a serious fire. And any fire under these conditions would have the ability to quickly get out of hand with the potential to burn thousands of acres, as well hundreds of homes. Don’t say it can’t happen, because it has before.
Common sense can go a long way when it comes to averting a disaster. The county has declared a burn ban. Observe it. If you go camping, don’t even think about building a fire on the ground. Save marsh mellow roasting for another time.
We are a fortunate people to live in such a beautiful area. So we have an obligation to do all we can to keep it that way. Be a good neighbor and a good citizen and practice caution at every turn. In the end, we may not only save property, but more importantly — we may also save lives.
— Charles McClure
Editor