(This story has been updated correct a spelling/typing error.)
SCHERTZ – Westlake football’s Grady Bartlett ran for 123 yards and two touchdowns, and the Chaparrals’ defense got stronger in the second half of a 41-16 victory over Cibolo Steele on Friday night at Lehnhoff Stadium.
It was a surprisingly easy win, although Steele got off to a fast start and led 10-3 late in the first half. However, the Chaparrals scored the next 31 points and pulled away.
It was an important win for Westlake (3-1), which had previously suffered a 39-21 loss to Atasocita.
This was a win that head coach Tony Salazar could enjoy. The Chaparrals had only one turnover and the defensive line constantly put pressure on Steele quarterback Chad Warner.
The key to the game was an interception by Chaparrals safety Thompson Bennett midway through the second quarter. He caught the ball in the shadow of his own goal line and ran 70 yards to set up a score for Westlake. When Bartlett scored on a 9-yard run on the ensuing drive to tie the game, the momentum had swung to Westlake’s side.
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The 14-point lead seemed to discourage the Knights, and when the Chaparrals scored another touchdown late in the first half to take a 20-10 lead before halftime, it seemed Westlake was in full control.
With linemen like Maddox Flynt and Connor Vasek and linebacker Elliott Schaper under control, the Chaparrals limited Oklahoma-bound running back Jonathan Hatton to 102 yards, 75 of which came on a long touchdown run in the first quarter. He didn’t manage a run longer than 5 yards the rest of the game.
Westlake quarterback Rees Wise had a good game, completing 17 of 20 passes for 173 yards. He ran for two touchdowns and threw for another.
“We were determined to get this result,” Salazar said. “We wanted to be more like Westlake. To take down an opponent, a good opponent, and we did that tonight.”
