The Play-offs Round 1 - Westlake vs Round Rock

For the first round of play-off games, I decided to go back to Chaparral Stadium to see the Westlake Chaparrals take on the Round Rock Dragons.  I had seen each of these teams play earlier in the season. Since they had similar records (Westlake 9-1, Round Rock 8-2), I figured they were more evenly matched than many of the other first round games in the area.  I also wanted to start the play-offs right with some really good barbeque, so I headed to a place I knew well.

The Barbeque

John Mueller Meat Company

I took my wife and son with me to John Mueller Meat Company for lunch on Friday.  Located at 2500 East 6^th Street in deep east Austin, this is John’s third incarnation of a BBQ joint in Austin.  You probably know his history – the grandson of the great Louie Mueller out of Taylor, mentor to many of the great pit masters in and around Austin.  He can be cantankerous at times and his troubles have been well documented, but he consistently cranks out some of the best smoky goodness around.  His current place is a trailer parked behind Keele’s Place and you eat outdoors on picnic tables.  Another BBQ joint that would pass the Nana test.

Pork shoulder and turkey

I ordered my usual: a half pound of moist brisket and two pork ribs.  My wife ordered a chunk of pork shoulder and some lean brisket, while my son got moist brisket and a beef rib.  Oh it was good.  The moist brisket had a great bark and deep smoke ring.  Tender, juicy, and mouth watering.  The pork ribs were juicy and the meat fell off the bone.  My wife gave me a sample of her pork shoulder.  Great bark, really smoky.  And my son’s beef rib. . .  like eating a brisket popsicle. 

I have enjoyed John’s BBQ many times at each of his different locations.  He recognized me as we sat down to eat and waved hello, then went back to tending his smoker.  While other BBQ places in Austin may be a bit more well known, one of the best parts about eating at Mueller’s is that you don’t have to wait in line for hours and hours before you are served.  Easily one of the top three or four places for BBQ in Austin.  Any tour of great Austin BBQ must include a stop at Mueller’s.

The Football Game

A beautiful evening for football. It was 63 degrees at kick-off, with no real wind.  As for the Lake Travis game, the Westlake crowd was late to arrive.  There was a good size crowd for the Dragons, ringing their cowbells like crazy.  And so much maroon. . .

The Chaps took the opening kick-off on their 15 yard line and returned it to their 33.  Quarterback Sam Ehlinger led them downfield with strong runs and accurate passes.  Facing a second and 15 from the Dragon 19, Ehlinger connected with Kylen Granson on a post pattern for the first score of the night.  The extra point made it 7-0 with 7:48 to play in the first quarter.

Sam Ehlinger barking out the signals

The two teams traded punts on their next possessions.  On their second possession, the Dragons set up shop on their own 43 yard line.  On third and 11, quarterback Liam Beard’s pass was intercepted by Mack Kelley and returned to the dragon 24.  On third and 10, the Chaps ran a flea flicker play where Ehlinger again found Granson for a touchdown and a 14-0 lead with 1:31 left in the first.

The Dragons took the ensuing kick-off on their 10 and returned it to the 24.  They picked up a first down as the first quarter ended. After switching ends of the field, Round Rock could not move the ball.  A punt of just 20 yards gave Westlake the ball on the Dragon 40.

On third and 11, Ehlinger was pressured by the Dragon defense.  He threw a bad pass that was picked off by Donovan Armstrong of the Dragons and returned to the Chaps 47.  Round Rock converted two fourth downs on the drive and moved to first and goal on the Chaps 9 yard line.  The Westlake defense stiffened and forced another fourth down on their 4.  Beard found Andrew Stefani in the end zone for a touchdown.  The extra point cut the Chaps lead to 14-7 with 5:04 left in the second quarter.

Liam Beard back to pass

The Chaps caught the kick-off on their 19 and ran it out to the 32.  Ehlinger wasted no time moving the Chaps, picking up 12 yards on two strong runs.  He then hit Chase Cokely on a deep pass for 44 yards down to the Dragon 12.  Ehlinger ran for 3, then hooked up with Granson for a 9 yard touchdown.  With 3:16 in the second quarter, the Chaps extended their lead to 21-7.

The two teams traded punts to end the second quarter and went to the locker room with the Chaps up 21-7.  The temperature had fallen slightly to 60 degrees when the third quarter started.  Neither team could sustain a drive and traded punts. 

The Dragons took over on their own 9 after a Westlake punt.  They moved downfield behind Beard’s sharp passing and a steady diet of runs by Day’shus White.  He carried over from the 1 yard line with 3:18 left in the third to make it 21-14.

Day'shus White takes off around end

Westlake was unable to move the ball.  The Dragons took over on their 31 yard line after an 8 yard punt return.  They drove to the Chaps 29 as the third quarter ended.  Needing a touchdown to tie the score, Beard threw a wide receiver screen to Zech Nash-Kelly on the first play of the fourth quarter.  He fumbled when he was hit and Westlake took over on their 23.

Ehlinger moved the Chaps downfield with his passing and running.  On second and 7 from the Dragon 24, Ehlinger’s pass is intercepted in the end zone.  But the Dragons were offsides on the play, giving new life to the Chaps.  Ehlinger ran to the 14 for a first down, then ran the ball up the middle for a touchdown.  With 7:49 left, the Chaps were up by 14 at 28-14.

The Dragons returned the kick-off to their 21.  They went three and out and punted to the Westlake 21.  On third and 4, the Chaps hit a home run – a 73 yard touchdown pass to Granson.  The extra point made the score 35-14 with 4:33 to play.

Round Rock had another chance to score.  From their own 11, Beard tossed a swing pass to White who rumbled down to the Westlake 12 yard line.  The Chaps defense rose to the occasion.  Beard was pressured as he tried to throw on first and second downs.  He was sacked on third down and his pass on fourth down was batted away by a Westlake lineman.  The Dragons got the ball back one final time, but the game ended without them scoring. 

Westlake won 35-14.  Despite throwing his first interception of the season junior quarterback Sam Ehlinger ran for one score and hooked up with Kaylen Granson for four touchdown passes.  The Chaps will go on to play the Woodlands in the second round of the play-offs.  Playing from behind most of the night, the Dragons could not rely on their power running game as they did when I saw them beat Stony Point earlier in the season (Day'shus White ran for 204 yards against the Tigers).  Round Rock finished their season at 8-3. 

The Second Season - The Play-offs

The Texas high school play-offs are a six week, single elimination tournament.  Win and advance, lose and go home.  For the past several years, the final championship games for each class (6A, 5A, etc.) would be held at Jerry’s World (where the Dallas Cowboys play), but the final destination for every team this year is NRG Stadium in Houston.  Note: Class 1A is Six Man football and their championship games will be held at Shotwell Stadium in Abeline.

You may have noticed the word “games” above.  That is because each class is divided into two divisions.  For example, class 6A has Division 1 (schools with the largest enrollment in 6A) and Division 2 (somewhat less enrollment than Division 1, but larger enrollment than class 5A).  So two class 6A champions will be crowned in Houston.  They will each get a trophy to put in the case in the school hallway since they will not play each other for a unified championship.  The same applies to all the other classes.  The UIL (University Interscholastic League – the governing body over all high school competitions in Texas) set this up years ago.  The semiofficial reasons are:

• Texas is a large state with so many schools that would make the play-offs.
• Trying to have extra games would be more difficult on the kids and more expensive for the schools (travel, meals, etc.).
• Only so much time is set aside on the calendar for the football season.  Extra games might take the season into the new year.
• This ensures each team plays the same number of games per season.

Personally, I think it all has to do with $$$.  More games across the state means more revenue for the schools and the UIL.  The coaches like it – more chances to make the play-offs and more chances to win it all.  More schools get to sell more "championship" T-shirts, coozies, seat cushions, etc.  And it sparks interest for next season – two teams might be in the same district for regular season play, but end up in different divisions for the play-offs.  For example, Austin Westlake and Lake Travis are both in district 14-6A.  Westlake has an enrollment of around 2604 students and is in the 6A Division 1 play-offs.  Lake Travis has an enrollment of 2410 and is in the 6A Division 2 play-offs.  If both teams could bring home the big trophy, just think of the number of extra tickets that would get sold for their regular season game next year.

I ended up seeing sixteen different teams in action this season, ten of which made the play-offs, but then the second season is a special time of year for Texas football.  All kinds of crazy things have been known to happen.  I might have to do some extra travelling to see some games, but then there’s more chances to eat good BBQ around the state. It is going to be fun.  

Week Ten - Vista Ridge vs Cedar Park

This was the final week of the regular season.  I decided to see the game between the Vista Ridge Rangers and the Cedar Park Timberwolves.  Cedar Park was ranked #1 in class 5A in Texas and entered the game with a perfect 9-0 record.  Vista Ridge had a record of 8-1 and was ranked #10 in class 5A.  If they could knock off the T’wolves, Vista Ridge would claim the district 25-5A title.  With both teams being from Cedar Park, it should be a good rivalry game as well.  So now the question is: can I find any barbeque in the Cedar Park area?

The Barbeque

Looking for BBQ places in Cedar Park on the Google, I found two possibilities: Bigcat BBQ and J&J BBQ and Burgers.  If the place serves burgers in addition to BBQ, just how good is the barbeque going to be?  When I saw that Bigcat closes at 4 PM and J&J is open until 9 PM, my decision was made for me.

J&J is located at 300 W Whitestone (FM 1431) in Cedar Park, just west of US 183.  It is a family restaurant that sells breakfast tacos in the morning, burgers, fried chicken, and BBQ.  There was a small line to wait through before I could place my standard order: a half pound of moist brisket, two pork ribs, and a glass of tea.  I paid the bill and was given a number.  With the restaurant a wee bit crowded for dinner, I feared I might have to wait a while on my order, but a waiter presented me with my food as I was getting my tea and some pickles and onions.

The brisket looked more like the lean variety instead of the moist – sliced thin and a little dry.  In their defense, the restaurant was busy. My request for moist brisket might have gotten lost or mistranslated.  The brisket was sliced in the kitchen, out of my sight, so I didn’t have a chance to suggest any corrections.  But it did have a nice bark on the outside and a deep smoke ring.  Very tender and tasty.  The ribs were juicy and tender, with a peppery rub.  They served their sauce on the side (as it should be).  It was not too thick and had a nice tang to it.  Overall, it was some of the better barbeque I’ve had this season, but the brisket could have been a touch more moist.

Happy plate

The Game

The game was played at Gupton Stadium.  Opened in 2010, the stadium is used by both Vista Ridge and Cedar Park as their home field.  For this game, the Rangers were the home team and I started the game on their side of the stadium.  There was a light rain falling before the game started, with the wind blowing out of the north and the temperature at 58 degrees.

It was “senior night” for Vista Ridge.  Each of the senior players were escorted by their parents, girl friends, cousins, etc. and were introduced to the crowd.  The Cedar Park band started warming up across the way.  The stadium announcer asked that the band stop playing until after all the seniors had been introduced, but the T’wolves band kept on playing.  I took that as their way of thumbing their nose at their rival.  Then it was time for each band to play their school song.  Cedar Park went first as the visiting team.  When the Vista Ridge band began playing their school song, the T’wolves team ran onto the field.  With their band playing and fans yelling, the Ranger alma mater was drowned out.  Cedar Park 2, Vista Ridge 0 in nose thumbing. . .

The Rangers fumbled the opening kick-off, but were able to recover it.  They picked up a couple of first downs, but fumbled on the T’wolves 45.  Cedar Park marched down the field, with Jack Grimm going the last 14 yards for the first score of the game.  With 6:39 left in the first quarter, Cedar Park was up 7-0.

Vista Ridge took possession on their own 25 after the T’wolves kick-off.  Quarterback Matt Snow got the Rangers moving with his passes and his running.  Isaiah Vilaire Scored on a 55 yard dash and the extra point tied the game at 7-7.

Cedar Park drove deep into Ranger territory the next time their offense got the ball.  But the drive stalled and they settled for a 37 yard field goal to push the score to 10-7 with 1:39 left in the first quarter.

Timberwolves on the move

The Rangers went 3 and out on their next possession and had to punt.  The T’wolves set up shop on their own 33 and moved into Ranger territory as the first quarter ended.  Quarterback Mak Sexton connected with Grimm for a 43 yard touchdown pass.  With 10:39 left in the second quarter, the T’wolves were up 17-7.

The two teams traded punts in the second quarter as the rain stopped falling.  With 4:31 left to play, Cedar Park took over on their own 14 yard line.  Facing fourth and 1 from their own 23, the T’wolves lined up to punt.  Before the snap, they changed their formation.  A wing back went in motion and ran the ball on a jet sweep to the 29 to pick up the first down.  Sexton completed a 40 yard pass to Tommy Lavine to give the T’wolves first and goal from the Ranger 10.  On third down, Grimm crashed in from the two for his third touchdown of the half.  The first half ended with Cedar Park ahead 24-7.

Cedar Park awaits third quarter kick-off

The T’wolves received the opening kick of the third quarter.  On second and 13, Jav Guidry ran 68 yards for another Cedar Park touchdown.  That made the score 31-7 with 11:08 left in the third quarter.  They scored so quickly, fans getting popcorn during half time might have missed that play.  Too bad Gupton Stadium does not have a jumbotron where they can show replays.

Vista Ridge started their next possession from the 25.  Matt Snow completed some good passes and had a 38 yard run down to the T’wolves 13.  Facing fourth and 4 from the 7 yard line, Snow pitched to Vilaire.  He was stopped short of the end zone and fumbled into it.  A Ranger player recovered for what appeared to be a touchdown.  But by rule, a ball carrier cannot fumble the ball forward on a fourth down play.  The Rangers were given the ball on the 1 yard line.  Jeremiah Chambers crashed in for the score to cut the lead to 31-14 with 5:01 left in the third quarter.

Cedar Park wasted no time in responding to the Rangers score.  With the ball on the 31 yard line, Lavine started up the middle, bounced outside for a 25 yard run.  Later in the drive, Lavine ran a jet sweep for a 31 yard touchdown run to put the T’wolves up 38-14.

After a Cedar Park field goal of 28 yards made the score 41-14, Vilaire took an option pitch for 67 yards and a Ranger score.  The extra point made it 41-21 with 7:01 left in the fourth quarter.  The T’wolves scored yet another touchdown on an 11 yard run by William Richter to extend the lead to 48-21.  Vista Ridge was able to pick up a couple of first downs, but never threatened again.  Cedar Park took possession with under a minute to play in the game.  They lined up in the victory formation to kill the clock.  Final score 48-21 Cedar Park.

With the win, the Timberwolves ended the regular season with a perfect 10-0 record.  They clinched the district 25-5A title and were awarded the Mayor’s Cup for beating Vista Ridge.  Both teams will now get ready for the “second season” as the play-offs begin next week.

Week Nine - Hendrickson vs Cedar Ridge

This week I chose to attend the game between the Hendrickson Hawks and the Cedar Ridge Raiders.  Both teams had a record of 7-1 and are headed into the play-offs.  This game would help decide who would claim the title in district 13-6A.  Because of forecasts of potentially heavy thunderstorms in central Texas, many games were moved up to Thursday night and they were smart to do so.  The skies did indeed open up Friday, with the Austin airport receiving over 14.5 inches of rain in twenty-four hours.  (The previous record had been over 8 inches.)  There was wide spread flooding across the area and four poor souls tragically lost their lives.  The Hendrickson game was moved to 2:00 PM Saturday afternoon.  Luckily for me, I had time to get some BBQ before heading over to the stadium.

The Barbeque

Johnny T’s BBQ is located at 1202 FM 685 in Pflugerville, just a stone’s throw from Hawk Stadium.  As I left the house, I called them to make sure they were open after all the storms.  They were, but the rains had caused them problems with their smoker and they had no brisket or pulled pork to serve that Saturday.  I was not in the mood to search for another BBQ joint on short notice (not another Smokey Mo experience for me), so I headed on over.

Johnny T’s is tucked into the corner of a little shopping center, down the road from a great big shopping center.  Their menu is full of various kinds of BBQ sandwiches (sammiches), but I decided to get the pork ribs and some turkey and sausage in place of my usual half pound of brisket.  The ribs were very good – meaty, tender, and juicy with the meat falling off the bone.  The turkey was moist and smoky.  The sausage was store bought, probably some common brand you can buy at any super market, and could have been cooked longer.  They offered three types of sauces: regular (ketchup based, not bad), spicy (regular with additional pepper), and Carolina.  The Carolina sauce was mustard based.  I liked it the best of the three probably because it was different. 

Turkey, ribs, sausage, and 3 kinds of sauce at Johnny T's

The people were friendly and the place was clean.  Overall it was a good experience, but I need to go back some time to test out their brisket.  They said their brisket is really good, but then again, don’t all Texas pit masters brag about their brisket?

The Game

Overcast skies, a pretty good breeze out of the north, and the temperature at 72 degrees at kick-off.  There were no bands or drill teams for either school at the game.  I overheard a lady saying they were all at some kind of competition that conflicted with the game being rescheduled for Saturday afternoon.  The gentleman who announced the game from the press box sang the National Anthem acapella before the game and did a tremendous job.  When he finished, the crowds on both sides of the stadium gave him a huge ovation.

Hawk Stadium

The Cedar Ridge Raiders took the opening kick-off and moved down the field.  Aided by a pass interference penalty against the Hawks, they set up shop on the Hendrickson 22.  A pass from quarterback Garrett Sharp moved the ball to the 14.  Facing third and 2, Sharp’s pass was incomplete.  The Raiders attempted a 31 yard field goal that was no good, but the Hawks were offsides giving the Raiders a first and goal from the 9.  Sharp connected with Kadarius Daniels on the next play to draw first blood.  The Raiders lined up in a “swinging gate” formation for the point-after-touchdown conversion.  The Hawk defense was spread all over the field trying to cover it.  Sharp took a quick snap from center and walked into the end zone to make it 8-0 with 8:55 left in the first quarter.

After the two teams traded punts, the Hawks took possession on their 49 yard line.  Quarterback Carrington Kearney had to scramble when he dropped back to pass, but was able to pick up a couple of first downs with his legs.  Facing second and 9 from the Raiders 21, Kearney scampered down the left sideline for a touchdown.  The extra point made the score 8-7.

The two teams again traded possessions into the second quarter as the sun tried to break through the clouds.  The Raiders were once again forced to punt.  They tried to draw the Hawks offsides again, but were called for illegal procedure.  The Raider punt rolled to the Hawk 15 where Jordan Williams grabbed the ball and returned it 27 yards. 

The Hawks were set up on their 42 yard line.  Kearney was forced to scramble and his pass attempt was picked off at the Raider 35.  After a holding penalty, Sharp found Daniels on a long pass down to the Hawk 28.  On first down from the Hawk 15, Sharp threw a strike to Daniels again for their second touchdown of the day.  The extra point extended the Raiders lead to 15-7 with 8:37 to go in the first half. 

Cedar Ridge on the move during the first half

The ensuing kick-of sailed through the end zone, so Hendriskson started their next drive from their 25 yard line.  The Hawks managed to pick up a first down, but Kearney was sacked on third and 7 to force a Hawk punt.  The Raiders rushed the kicker and blocked the punt, taking possession on the Hawk 14.

Sharp connected with Grant McCartney on a seam route for a 15 yard touchdown, but the score was negated by a person foul.  On second and 25, Sharp scrambled down the right sideline to set up first and goal from the 4.  Two quarterback keepers by Sharp resulted in a gain of only 1 yard.  On third and 3, Sharp again looked for McCartney in the end zone, but the Hawk defensive back made a big hit on the receiver causing him to drop the pass.  The Raiders lined up to kick a 20 yard field goal.  The Hawks blocked the kick, but were again drawn offsides to give the Raiders another chance.  Sharp threw into the end zone for McCartney, but the pass fell incomplete.  McCartney was called for offensive pass interference when he pushed off the Hawk defensive back.  Hendrickson declined the penalty at took over with 3:30 left in the second quarter. 

From his own 2 yard line, Kearney ran the ball up the middle for 5 yards, but fumbled when he was hit.  The Raiders recovered on the Hawks 8 yard line.  It took the Raiders just one play to score as Sharp ran up the middle for a touchdown.  That pushed the score to 22-7 with 3:23 left before half time. 

The Hawks started from their 25 yard line after the touchback.  They were able to pick up a couple of first downs, mainly on runs by Kearney.  He was sacked on third and 12 as the final seconds of the first half ticked down. 

It is no secret that I don’t much like the half time shows at high school football games.  All the girls in the drill teams looking like a bunch of clones, especially with those silly hats they wear.  All of the drill team officers called out by name, along with the spirit girl or angel of the week.  The bands playing the Love Theme from the Texas Chainsaw Massacre or doing a tribute to pick-up trucks.  But I have to admit this game had an unusual vibe to it with the bands and drill teams not there.  Sort of like the missing feeling you get when the tooth ache you’ve had for a week is gone.

The sun makes an appearance during the third quarter

The two teams traded punts to begin the third quarter.  The sun had come out when the Hawks began their second possession.  Kearney was able to complete a couple of passes and made good yardage on quarterback keepers.  In Raider territory and facing third and 15 after a holding call, Kearney scrambled for 9.  The Hawks set up to punt with Kearney as the kicker.  The center snapped the ball to the blocking back who started to run around the left end.  As the defense closed in on him, he pitched the ball back to Kearney who was trailing the play.  The Raider defense stopped him short of the first down.

Cedar Ridge took possession and moved the ball to the Hawks 12 yard line.  The Hendrickson defense stiffened and forced the Raiders to settle for a 34 yard field goal.  That made the score 25-7 with 3:40 left in the third quarter. 

The Hawks returned a deep kick-off to their own 38.  Kearney hit a long pass to Jaylon Taylor to set the Hawks up on the Raider 28.  As the third quarter ended, Kearney had moved the ball to the Raider 4 for first and goal.  On second and five, Dana Jackson ran a sweep and scored making the score 25-14 with 11:12 left to play.

The two teams traded possessions and punts for the remainder of the game.  The Raider offense trying to eat up as much clock as possible when they had the ball and their defense keeping the Hawks from scoring.  The Raiders did move the ball to the Hawk 11.  Sharp’s pass on fourth and 5 was too high and the Hawks took over.  Kearney completed a couple of passes and made some runs to move the ball.  But with 1:46 left in the game, his pass was intercepted at midfield.  The Raiders lined up in the victory formation as Sharp took a knee to end the game. 

The final score was 25-14 as Cedar Ridge moved their record to 8-1 and set up a three way tie for first place in district 13-6A (with Hendrickson and Round Rock).  Garrett Sharp threw for 301 yards and two touchdowns.  He ran for another touchdown and a two point conversion.  The Raider defense limited the Hawks to 253 total yards for the game, most of those generated by Carrington Kearney.  The Hawks had their chances, but three turnovers, a blocked punt, and defensive penalties that gave the Raiders new life were fatal.  

Week Eight - Westlake vs Lake Travis

Like last week’s game, this week features two unbeaten and highly ranked (Lake Travis is #6 in class 6A, Westlake is #8) teams.  Lake Travis has owned Westlake the past few years, having beaten them the last seven times they have met.  That stretches back to the days when the Cavaliers won the state championship five years in a row in class 4A and the Chaparrals made the play-offs every year in class 5A.  Now that both schools are in class 6A and in the same district, the rivalry has taken on extra meaning.  But before going to the game, I need some BBQ.

The Barbeque

This week, I decided to eat at Bee Cave BBQ (8414 W. Bee Cave Road, two miles west of Loop 360).  I checked their hours on Thursday (I’m getting better about that) and saw that they are open from 11 AM to 7 PM Mondays through Thursdays, but only from 11 to 3 PM on Fridays and closed on weekends.  I think they have shortened their hours so they can go fishing on the weekends.  Anyway, I drug my wife along with me to lunch on Friday.

Bee Cave BBQ

Classic Texas BBQ joint 

Bee Cave BBQ should not be confused with a restaurant.  It is a classic Texas BBQ joint: a trailer set back from the road behind a chain link fence, with outdoor picnic tables for seating.    In our family, we have what we call the “Nana Test” for BBQ places. My dearly departed mother-in-law, Nana, was a wonderful lady, but shall we say a bit snooty about where she would eat.  The more discomfort she might have about a place, the better it will probably be.  For Bee Cave BBQ, Nana would not have even let us stop the car.

My wife was a wee bit nervous as we got out of the minivan and walked up to the trailer.  Any doubts she had were quickly dispelled by the friendliness of the gentleman taking our order.  My wife ordered lean brisket and turkey with a side of beans.  I stuck with my standard order of a half pound of moist brisket and two pork ribs.  Our server was proud of his “Mama’s sauce” so we got that on the side.  While my wife found us a seat, he asked if I could eat all my order and offered to finish anything I had left.  I assured him it was not going to be a problem.

Brisket and ribs

The meat was tender, but like before it was just “cooked meat” instead of being smoky goodness.  There was not much difference between the lean and juicy brisket we ate.  It did not have any kind of bark on it, so I think it was not given a dry rub before cooking.  It also did not have a smoke ring to it.  The ribs were good, but again no rub and not much smoky flavor.  I stole a bite or two of the turkey and it was good.  Mama’s sauce was very good, so we dipped into it a lot.  There was nothing special about the beans.  As we finished eating, our server came outside to talk with some of the other patrons about good fishing holes.  He was rightly impressed that I ate all I had ordered.  My wife and I enjoyed Bee Cave BBQ because of the ambiance (or lack thereof) and the friendliness of the people, but there are a lot of places in and around Austin serving better barbeque.

The Game

Fall has fallen in central Texas.  It had been raining much of Friday during the day, but had stopped in the evening.  With Hurricane Patricia slamming into Mexico, the skies could open up at any minute.  The temperature was 75 degrees and a strong breeze blew out of the south.  The game was played at Chaparral stadium on the Westlake campus.

Chaparral Stadium

Lake Travis took the opening kick-off on their 23 yard line and returned it to their 42.  On the fourth play of their starting drive, quarterback Charlie Brewer hit Cade Brewer on a little swing pass to the left side.  A Westlake defender missed a chance to make a tackle for loss.  Brewer scampered down the sideline to score a touchdown from 32 yards out to gives the Cavaliers a 7-0 lead with 10:42 left in the first quarter.

Austin skyline as seen from Chaparral Stadium

The two teams traded possessions.  After a Cav punt, the Chaparrals started a drive from their own 29.  Chap quarterback Sam Ehlinger ran for a couple of first downs and hit a few short passes to move the ball.  Scrambling away from pressure, Ehlinger connected with a receiver down to the Cavs 15.  A run up the middle moved the ball to the Cavs 7.  On the next play, the Chaps fumbled and the Cavs recovered on their 11 yard line.  Long drive, nothing to show for it.

The Cavs moved the ball to midfield where their next drive stalled.  After the punt, the Chaps took over from their 9 yard line.  An Ehlinger pass pushed the ball to the 21, but the Chaps fumbled again to set up the Cavs deep in Westlake territory.  As the second quarter began, the Cavs were facing a fourth and 1 from the Chaps 14.  Like many teams today, the Cavs will walk up to the line of scrimmage, then the quarterback, running backs, and receivers will look to the sideline to get the play call from the coaches.  They turned that into a trick play to get the first down.  While the QB and others were looking to the sideline, the defense relaxed.  The Cavs center made a quick direct snap to a running back who plunged forward for the needed yardage.  After that, the Chaps defense stiffened.  They sacked Brewer for a loss and broke up a pass in the end zone on third down.  The Cavs settled for a 31 yard field goal to make it 10-0 with 10:12 left before half time.

After the kick-off, the Chaps started from their own 25.  The moved the ball into Cavs territory, aided by a pass interference call and completions by Ehlinger.  The only effective runs by the Chaps were from quarterback keepers by Ehlinger.  On second and 9, Ehlinger completed a pass for eight yards down to the Cav 20.  On third and fourth down, Ehlinger tried to pick up the yard needed with his feet, but was stopped short both times.

With 6:02 left in the second quarter, the Cavs took over on downs.  They moved the ball to a first and goal on the Chaps 9 yard line.  On second down, Brewer was hit as he threw, but completed the pass to the Chaps 2.  Two penalties backed the Cavs up to the 12.  Brewer’s third down pass was broken up, so the Cavs again settled for a field goal, this time from 29 yards out to make the score 13-0 with 1:04 left on the clock.  When the half ended, Westlake had been shut out in the first half for the first time all season.

Westlake took possession on their own 25 to start the third quarter.  Ehlinger completed a pass to the Chaps 38.  Facing third and 8, Ehlinger was forced to scramble.  Lake Travis was called for a personal foul when Ehlinger was hit late out of bounds.  Facing fourth and 10 from the Cavs 38, Ehlinger connected with his receiver for a first down on the 26.  Needing six yards on another fourth down, Ehlinger completed a pass down to the Cavs 2 yards for first and goal.  Ehlinger ran the ball for the score to cut the lead to 13-7 with 8:58 to play in the third quarter.

Lake Travis started their next drive on their own 37, but promptly moved backwards.  Brewer was sacked for a 9 yard loss on third down.  When the Cavs punted, the Chap return man let the ball hit the ground and roll to the Westlake 21 yard line.  Ehlinger completed a pass for 8 yards on first down for the Chaps, but was stopped short on a third down quarterback keeper and could not pick up the first down.  The Chaps punter shanked the kick out of bounds on the Westlake 35.  The Cavs gained 45 yards in field position in the trade of punts.

Brewer guided the Cavs to a first and goal from the Westlake 9.  On second down from the 6, Brewer connected with his receiver for a touchdown.  The Cavs were successful on a two point conversion to push the score to 21-7 with 4:16 left in the third quarter.

Many of the Westlake fans who had been late to arrive at the game started to leave early.  The Chaps started their next drive from their 25 after the Cavs kick-off sailed through the end zone.  They moved the ball to the Lake Travis 38 where the drive stalled.  The third quarter ended after the Chaps punt was downed on the Cavs 1 yard line.

The Cavs took over under the shadows of their goal posts.  On third and 1 from the 10 yard line, Santiago Villegas (replacing an injured Abe Willows), ran a sweep for 49 yards to the Chaps 41.  Two plays later, Brewer connected with Cade Green for a 37 yard touchdown to make the score 28-7 with 10:07 left to play in the game.

As the Lake Travis fans chanted “Overrated! Overrated!”, more and more Westlake fans streamed out of the stadium.  The Cavs scored again to make it 35-7 on a 15 yard run by Brewer.  With less than two minutes left in the game, it started to mist.  As Westlake moved the ball down field, the occasional rain drop started to fall.  The Chaps scored a pride touchdown as Ehlinger connected with Reed Klubnik from the Cavs 8 yard line with 2 seconds left to play. 

The final score was 35-14, but it really wasn’t that close.  Westlake had virtually no running game outside of the quarterback keepers run by Sam Ehlinger.  When he tried to pass, he spent much of the time running for his life under the intense pressure applied by the Cavs defense.  He was limited to 114 yards passing and 75 yards on the ground.  Coach Todd Dodge was not very imaginative in his play calling for Westlake.  Lake Travis lost their fine running back Abe Willows to a possible season ending leg injury in the first quarter.  Santiago Villegas filled in well.  His 49 yard burst to start the fourth quarter, when the game was only 21-7, was the final dagger to the Chaps heart.  Charlie Brewer passed for 175 yards (three touchdowns, one 2 point conversion) and ran for 76 yards (one touchdown).

A word about the Westlake fans.  The visitor side of the stadium was packed well before the game started.  Many of the Westlake fans showed up much after the game started, even into the second quarter.  Yes, there was the threat of rain, but this was a big rivalry game between two highly ranked and unbeaten teams.  All of the seats on the home side were reserved, but these people kept changing seats and moving around the whole time, often making it difficult to watch the game.  In the middle of the third quarter, with the Chaps down 21-7, lots of Westlake fans left early.  Maybe they were only at the game to see their kid in the band or their daughter in the drill team.  As the game moved into the fourth quarter and Lake Travis extended their lead, I feared I might be the last person sitting on the Westlake side.  It started to mist late in the fourth quarter and small raindrops fell as the Chaps scored their last touchdown.  Instead of being football fans, I think most of the Westlake people where just there to attend a social event.  

Week Seven - Cedar Park vs Vandegrift

This was supposed to be the week to see Cedar Park (ranked number 1 in Texas in class 5A) host Vandegrift (ranked #4), but. . .  

My Dad is 89 years old and lives with my sister and her husband.  They were going out of town this weekend to visit the grand kids.  My Dad fell in the bathroom earlier in the week and bumped his head.  My sister feared something bad might happen to him if he was left alone for the weekend, so I volunteered to baby sit him.  We had a good time together (watched lots of football on TV, especially enjoyed seeing Bama knock off the Aggies), but I didn’t get to eat barbeque or see the high school game I had hoped to see.  Sometimes life gets in the way of the plans we’ve made. Oh well. . .

Reading about the game in the newspaper, it sounded like a good one.  Cedar Park won 58-45 to remain unbeaten.  With luck, I’ll catch them in the play-offs. . .

Week Six - Arlington Martin vs Weatherford

Texas-OU weekend road trip to the Dallas-Ft. Worth area.  My brother Kevin and I decided to take in the high school game between the Arlington Martin Warriors and the Weatherford Kangaroos played at UT-Arlington stadium.  Since we were in Arlington, we had to try some of the local barbeque.

The Barbeque

We chose to eat at Bodacious BBQ, located at 1206 E. Division, near Jerry’s World (AT&T Stadium where the Cowboys play).

I ordered my usual pork ribs and brisket.  The ribs were a little dry, but tasty.  The brisket was disappointing.  Tender and juicy – yes, but without a whole lot of flavor.  For some reason, the meat was red in color.  Not much bark on the outside and no real smoke ring.  Their sauce was OK, but I don’t judge BBQ joints by their sauce.  "Cooked meat" as different than real BBQ.  This place might not be too bad if you are in a hurry, but if you want to really enjoy good barbeque, drive on past.

The Game

Another beautiful night for football.  It was 82 degrees to start the game with a strong breeze out of the north that gave the night a little chill.  Both teams entered the game with identical 3-2 records.  The Martin Warriors outscored the Weatherford Kangaroos 22-20 in the second half, but we didn’t see it because the Warriors had a half time lead of 31-0.

The Kangaroos received the opening kick-off.  The return man couldn’t make up his mind – take a knee for a touchback or run it out of the end zone – and was quickly tackled on his 4 yard line.  The Roos went three and out and had to punt into the wind.  The short punt was returned to the 29.  The Warriors could not move the ball and settled for a 35 yard field goal to make it 3-0.

The Roos took a knee on the ensuing kick-off and started from the own 25 where they again went three and out.  After a bad snap, the Weatherford punter shanked his kick and the ball went out of bounds on the 29.  Three plays later, Warrior quarterback Eric Walker connected with Mason Perkins from 9 yards out for a touchdown to make it 10-0.

Warriors on the move again

The two teams traded possessions into the start of the second quarter.  The Warriors got the ball on their own 11 yard line and promptly drove 89 yards.  Jason Huntley capped the drive with a 22 yard burst up the middle to push the score to 17-0 with 10:22 left in the second quarter.  The Warriors would score twice more in the second quarter: a beautiful 46 yard run from Juma Otoviano and a 7 yard blast by Myles Kelly.

The Kangaroos were pretty inept in the first half as evidenced by their inability to stop the Warriors offense or move the ball when they had possession.  With the chill in the air and the game out of reach, we decided to not sit through the Martin homecoming ceremonies.  Instead we went to a local drinking establishment to get ready for the Texas-OU game the next day.  Now that was a fun football game. . .

Coach Charlie Strong receiving the Golden Hat trophy