Posted: Thu, 7 May 2009 07:00 AM - 6,755 Readers

By: Doug Smith

For a high school athlete, it doesn't get any better than making it to the state championship. Five area golf teams and five other individuals have done that.

A strong case can be made for any of these teams to win it all in next week's state tournament:

Westlake boys, Class 5A, Thursday-Friday at Jimmy Clay:The Chaparrals have worn the tag of favorite to win state since last fall, and for the most part they have played like the best team in the state all season.

Coach Callan Nokes has a squad that can go at least seven or eight deep, and a lot of coaches would love to tee it up with his second team. Next week at state, he is going with the five-man lineup that won the regional title two weeks ago: seniors Tim Mitchell and Trent Redfern, junior Alex Ellis, and sophomores Eli Juren and Brenden Redfern. Mitchell and the Redferns played on the Westlake team that finished seventh at state last year.

Westlake has won four state titles, the last in 2001.

"This group definitely has what it takes," Nokes said. "They have played all year with that pressure (of being state favorite), but they handle it well. They actually respond to it.

"If we play well, we will be right in there," Nokes added. "If we don't, we'll get beat. There are other really good teams there, and not even Tiger wins every week."

Westlake girls, Class 5A, Thursday-Friday at Jimmy Clay:The Westlake girls have never won a state title, but they have been agonizingly close the last few years, finishing either second or third in a stretch from 2003 to 2006.

Like their Westlake boys counterparts, the Chaps girls have been considered a state favorite all season, and they have done nothing to cast doubt on that expectation. Coach Chuck Nowland will go with the lineup of senior Jenne Stene, juniors Kaylin Terry and Carly Berryhill, and sophomores Haley Haught and Taylor Moreno. All but Berryhill played on last year's team that finished sixth at state.

"I would agree that we should be considered a serious contender, but we will have to be at our best," Nowland said. "Our strength is our balance, and that can be very important in a big tournament like this.

"I look at the other teams, and I don't see any one dominant team, and I think our depth is better than most," Nowland added. "But you just never know. Somebody can come out of nowhere and play much better than they have all year and surprise everybody."

Lake Travis girls, Class 4A, Monday-Tuesday at Jimmy Clay: Lake Travis has been a powerhouse all season with a lineup of senior Mei Liu, juniors Alison Becker and Chelsea Brechter, and sophomores Lexie Hall and Sarina Saletta. Liu, Hall and Brechter played on last year's squad that finished fourth at state, and Liu tied for third individually.

Like Westlake, the Lake Travis girls have come close in recent years, finishing third or fourth the last six years.

"We've been right there before, but we seem to be the perpetual bridesmaid," coach Randy Morris said. "We certainly have a chance this year. Mei is playing in her fourth state tournament and we can always count on a good score from her. We're real solid with our top three. We need decent scores from our next two, and with that we should be right in there."