Westlake vs Bowie: In-Depth Look at Both Teams
*Correction: the article was published with the incorrect game time. The Westlake/Bowie game will be played tonight, at 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 12, at Burger Stadium. We apologize for the error. Earlier this season, this game was postponed due to…
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Continue Reading*Correction: the article was published with the incorrect game time. The Westlake/Bowie game will be played tonight, at 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 12, at Burger Stadium. We apologize for the error.
Earlier this season, this game was postponed due to a few positive COVID-19 cases within the Westlake program but now the game is back on at 7:30 p.m. tonight at Burger Stadium. Westlake is currently ranked No. 3 in the KVUE rankings for Class 6-A in all of the state of Texas.
So, the Bowie Bulldogs are the underdogs entering this game but while their record has been middle of the road, the Bulldogs are still a team with surprises. After all, this team defeated Del Valle and lost to Austin by one point, (57-56). The only crushing defeat this season was against Lake Travis where the bulldogs lost 52-2. Still, Bowie faces one of the most consistently elite teams in Texas in Westlake. Even more so, Westlake has not allowed any team to score more than seven points in a game.
The leader for Westlake and a player that constantly has his recruiting stock rise is Westlake junior quarterback Cade Klubnik Cade Klubnik 6'2" | 180 lbs | QB Austin Westlake | 2022 State TX , who has had a terrific season. He has thrown for 1,403 yards and 15 touchdowns with just one interception. On top of that, he has also rushed for 263 yards and seven touchdowns. Last week was surprisingly calm for the quarterback, but he has thrown over 200 yards in four out of the six games played so far and has scored multiple touchdowns in every single game. If Bowie hopes to pull off an upset, there are many factors to account for, but one of them will have to be stopping Klubnik.
Bowie’s junior quarterback Diego Tello has also had an impressive season. He has thrown for 1,624 yards and 17 touchdowns with five interceptions but has not done much rushing this season. Unlike Klubnik, Tello likes to throw the ball more and is more of a pocket passer. Klubnik has both the throwing power and accuracy and mobility while Tello has the power and accuracy. Another disadvantage for Bowie is the fact that Tello pretty much defines the entire offense for Bowie, so Westlake mostly needs to just shut down Tello in order to win comfortably. Unlike Westlake, which has a running game as well.
Senior running back Zane Minors Zane Minors 5'10" | 185 lbs | RB Westlake | 2021 TX is the leader of that rushing attack and has had a successful season. He has rushed for 503 yards and eight touchdowns. Despite having his worst game yards-wise last week, he still scored two touchdowns. The only game where Minors did not score a touchdown this season was against San Marcos on October 16. So, although Bowie will probably focus on Westlake’s pass attack, the Bulldogs have to be careful to not be sidetracked and lose sight of Minors, who could fill in any gaps for the offense if Klubnik is somehow struggling.
Receiving wise, senior Jason Gaines is Tello’s favorite target by a long shot. Gaines has 37 receptions for 621 yards and seven touchdowns, according to MaxPreps. Gaines started off the season hot, including a 229-yard and two-touchdown performance against Stony Point, but has been quiet the past couple of games against Akins and Lake Travis. Still, Gaines could pop off at any moment and the Bulldogs may be looking for him to do just that against their toughest opponent in Westlake. Still, Bowie also has some talented receivers including junior Adrian Rodriguez, junior Cash Peters and junior Anthony Simmons if Gaines is being covered too tightly.
For Westlake, the receiver to watch is Jaden Greathouse Jaden Greathouse 6'2" | 210 lbs | WR Austin Westlake | 2023 State TX , who has 537 receiving yards and five touchdowns this season. Right alongside him is senior Luke Nicklos, who has 332 receiving yards and six touchdowns. This combo of receivers could make the lives of the Bowie secondary miserable tonight. Although, even if Bowie is able to keep these two receivers silent, Westlake has the depth including Minors, senior Nicholas Watanabe and sophomore Bryce Chambers.
Defensively, Westlake has the biggest advantage over Bowie as stated before. The tackling leader for the Chaparrals is senior linebacker Brady Lamme, who has 43 total tackles with 29 being solo and four tackles being for a loss. Lamme has also accounted for three sacks this season. Another player to keep an eye out for is senior Nick Morris, who leads the team with six sacks and has also forced a fumble. Against Del Valle, Morris had three sacks and is always capable of being a monster on the defensive side if gone unchecked. In the secondary, it is senior defensive back Lucas Mireur and senior defensive back John (Jax) Crockett, who both have two interceptions on the season. Although, Mireur has four pass deflections and a blocked punt.
For Bowie, the leading tackler is junior Saul Garcia, who has 36 total tackles with seven being solo and one being for a loss. In sacks, senior defensive lineman Marcelo Varela leads the way with two sacks and three quarterback hurries. Although, multiple defenders on Bowie have registered one sack this season as well. In the secondary, junior Zachary Kehler and senior defensive back Thanio Bright are the only ones to register an interception for Bowie this season, according to MaxPreps. The Bulldogs have a tall order to try and upset Westlake but it is never out of the realm of possibility for a major upset to happen, but it might be unlikely in this case.