Posted: Sun, 19 Dec 2010 08:49 AM - 8,575 Readers
By: Rick Cantu
Lake Travis' Connor Nelson celebrates after the team's victory over Denton Ryan, which was held to a single touchdown - photo by Ricardo B. Brazziell
Lake Travis linebacker Austin Williams walked off the football field with an impressive plaque, a grin of satisfaction and dozens of Cavalier fans waiting to greet him.
As critical parts of a three-time defending state champion, Williams and his defensive teammates were agitated by the amount of publicity afforded Denton Ryan leading up to Saturday's Class 4A, Division I final at Cowboys Stadium.
"They had chip on their shoulders," said Hank Carter, the first-year Cavaliers coach . "No one was talking about Lake Travis."
Playing with poise and precision on both sides of the line, the Cavaliers dominated Ryan 27-7 before 20,487 fans. Quarterback Michael Brewer, the game's offensive MVP, capped his high school career with 211 yards rushing and two rushing touchdowns. Williams, the defensive MVP, finished with nine tackles in the surprisingly one-sided game.
Lake Travis (14-2) became the third team in Texas high school history to win four straight championships, joining Class 3A Sealy (1994-97) and Class 2A Celina (1998-01). The Cavaliers have won 24 straight playoff games, one behind Celina's state record.
Ryan (15-1) had garnered attention based on its eye-popping defensive stats. Led by defensive end Mario Edwards, the Class 4A defensive player of the year as selected by The Associated Press, Ryan had allowed an average of 12 points and 167 total yards per game before Lake Travis showed up. The Cavaliers scored 27 points — the most allowed by the Raiders this fall — and ripped through their defense for 379 total yards.
"We knew how good their defense was, but I'm not surprised (by the outcome)," Williams said.
If the Cavaliers were angry about a perceived lack of respect, it showed. Ryan didn't earn a first down until the third quarter, when tailback Kaylon Alexander darted through the line for a 73-yard touchdown run on a fourth-and-1 carry, the only time the Raiders reached the end zone.
That touchdown cut Lake Travis' lead to 17-7, and the Raiders gained more momentum by recovering the ensuing onside kick. For a brief time, Lake Travis looked shaken , even stunned.
But when Ryan kicker Colton Gutierrez missed a 41-yard field-goal attempt minutes later, the Cavaliers regrouped .
Brewer made plays with his arm and his feet, complementing his 211 passing yards with a team-high 81 yards rushing . He scored the game's first touchdown on a 26-yard scamper in the first quarter and followed that with a 5-yard draw for a TD in the second quarter.
All-state kicker Stephen Pyle booted field goals of 44 and 30 yards, and senior Colin Lagasse bulled across the goal line in the fourth quarter to cap the scoring.
This game, though, showcased the defensive dominance of Williams and his teammates, including safety Zach Streuling (seven tackles), cornerback Omar Duke-Tinson (five tackles), defensive end Shaquille Marable (four tackles, 1.5 sacks) and defensive tackle Jonathan Roberts (three tackles, one sack).
Roberts separated his shoulder in the third quarter and missed the remainder of the game, but his impact was felt in the opening half.
"This (championship) means so much because of everything we went through this year," Roberts said. "As a team, though, we stayed together, pulled together when things got tough."
Roberts was referring to the Cavaliers' state-best 48-game winning streak that was snapped in the third game of the season by Aledo, which won the Class 4A, Division II championship on Friday. The Cavs also lost the District 25-4A title with a 35-21 loss to Cedar Park in the final game of the regular season. A month later, Lake Travis squeezed past the Timberwolves 21-20 in a state quarterfinal.
On Saturday, in front of the stadium tunnel that led to the players' locker rooms, a 12-year-old boy wearing jersey No. 16 stood guard, watching each Cavalier walk by after the game. Charlie Brewer, 12, was asked whether he wanted to follow in his big brother's footsteps and play for a state championship someday.
He smiled. Nodded yes.
Looks as though Lake Travis will be in capable hands for years to come.
