Mater Dei and IMG Academy have sat comfortably in the top two of the USA TODAY Sports Super 25 since the beginning of the season. Both programs have multiple signature wins under their belt and have stamped themselves as the best of the best this year.
Mater Dei is not in any danger of losing its No. 1 ranking, but No. 3 Westlake has a case to take over the second spot with the way it played against Lake Travis on Friday night.
Clemson commit Cade Klubnik and Westlake rolled over a Lake Travis team that entered 8-1 and features Ohio State wide receiver commit Caleb Burton in a 63-21 win. Klubnik accounted for five touchdowns in his return to the field after missing time with an injury to his non-throwing shoulder.
Klubnik did not show any signs of rust, throwing for three touchdowns, rushing for two more and totaling over 250 yards of offense. The senior quarterback led Westlake to an early 14-0 lead and Lake Travis was never really in the game from that point on, as Klubnik and Westlake kicked it into gear and never looked back.
“He got hurt four weeks ago, went to work on his rehab and here he is,” Westlake head coach Todd Dodge said. “He was ready to go, but it doesn’t surprise me one bit. It’s who he is.”
Klubnik received some help from sophomore running back Jack Kayser, who rushed for 170 yards and a touchdown, caught two passes for 89 yards and returned a kickoff for a touchdown. Kayer’s touchdown run was a 62-yard scamper to the end zone in the second quarter.
Lake Travis got the best of Westlake the last time the two teams met, but it was all Chapparals on Friday night en route to a Texas District 26 6A championship. With Klubnik back and clearly at 100%, Westlake remains the favorite to bring home a state championship in Dodge’s final season at the helm.
