The Cavaliers finished the 2018 high school football season losing to Galena Park North Shore 51-10 in the 6A Division 1 State Semi-Finals. The game featured two undefeated powerhouse programs squaring off on a big stage, but Lake Travis was outmatched against the hottest team in the state. North Shore went on to win the state championship and had a perfect 16-0 record.
The Cavaliers had a huge win in the quarterfinals knocking off 12-0 Converse Judson. Converse Judson has had the Cavaliers number, beating them 3 times over the last 5 years. They also beat two tough playoff opponents in Weslaco (11-1) and San Antonio Madison (9-2). Lake Travis’ only other loss was to Austin Westlake during the regular season. The Cavaliers finished the year with a 12-2 overall record.
Lake Travis has one of the most successful football programs in the state with 6 state championships. They won 5 championships in a row from 2007-2011 and won again in 2016. Hank Carter won 3 championships as the head coach and has 116 victories and only 14 losses since he took over the program in 2010. Carter will enter his 10th season as head coach in 2019.
Key Losses
The Cavaliers lose four 1st Team All-District players and one 2nd Team All-District player from the 2019 graduating class. Garrett Wilson, the 6A-25 District Offensive MVP, signed with Ohio State. The 5-star recruit was outstanding last season catching 70 balls and racking up 1,150 receiving yards and scoring 19 touchdowns. He ended his high school career with 220 catches for 3,639 receiving yards and 57 touchdowns. He was a big-play threat that will definitely be missed this season. Hunter Henry, a 1st Team All-District defensive back, signed with Rice. Chad Wolf, a 1st Team All-District offensive lineman, is a preferred walk-on at the University of Texas. Kaleb Wenson, a 1st Team All-District defensive lineman, signed with McNeese State. Matthew Peterman is a preferred walk-on at Texas A&M and Hunter Simo signed with Texas State.
Offense
Hank Carter and his Cavalier offense were unstoppable for almost the entire season, averaging 46 points per game. They will be without their best playmaker in Garrett Wilson but have arguably the top quarterback in the state with Hudson Card. Card is a 6’2 185-pound senior that earned 1st Team All-District honors last season. He threw for 3,543 yards, completed 68 percent of his passes, and had a 50-4 touchdown to interception ratio. He also ran for 619 yards and 9 touchdowns. Card is committed to the University of Texas and will give the Cavaliers every chance to go the distance in 2019.
The Cavaliers also have one of the best backup quarterbacks, Nate Yarnell, waiting in the wings behind Card. The 6’6 quarterback in the 2021 class already has a Division 1 offer. Nate should get some quality time during the regular season.
Kyle Eaves, Grayson Sandlin, and Lake McRee will be Card’s three main targets this season. Eaves is a 5’11 160-pound receiver that made 1st Team All-District honors as a junior. He caught 65 passes for 1,028 yards and scored 12 touchdowns. He is a tough cover in the slot and should have a good senior season. Sandlin and McCree are the big targets in the passing game. Sandlin is a 6’4 205-pound tight end that caught 27 passes for 317 yards and 2 touchdowns last season. Sandlin has a 4.1 GPA and earned 2nd Team All-District honors. McRee is a 6’5 215-pound tight end that caught 17 passes for 274 yards and 2 touchdowns as a sophomore. McRee is the #1 rated tight end in the 2021 recruiting class and is committed to Texas.
The Cavaliers also have some nice young receivers that will add depth to the offense. Chernet Estes (6’0 170) and Noah Byrd are both 2022 prospects that will emerge this season. Jackson Scruggs (6’1 175) is a 2021 receiver that has great hands and can make the tough catches.
All three of the Cavaliers’ top rushers from the 2018 season return this year. Weston Stephens (5’11 175) is an elite running back that rushed for 691 yards, 11 touchdowns, and averaged 7.7 yards a carry as a sophomore. He was also a threat coming out of the backfield in the passing game, catching 19 passes for 178 yards and 2 touchdowns. We expect Stephens to have several offers before the end of the season. Marcelo Alanis (5’9 185) rushed for 408 yards, scored 2 touchdowns, and averaged 7 yards per carry. Both running backs are in the 2021 recruiting class. Card was their 2nd leading rusher in 2018. Wesley Erwin (5’11 185) is a 2021 running back that had 253 yards on the ground last season and averaged 8.2 yards per carry.
The offensive line returns starter Dawson Weiss from last season. Weiss is a 6’3 255-pound senior that earned 2nd Team All-District honors. He will be the leader and anchor this year. Judge Niland (6’4 240), Andrew Salem (6’2 270), Todd Moon (6’3 265), and Seth McDaniel (6’0 275) will all be key contributors up front this season.
Defense
Lake Travis had a young defense last season that gave up 23 points per game. They have a lot of key players returning and that experience should pay dividends for them this year. This year’s defense will be fast, aggressive, and improved in 2019.
Raleigh Erwin, Trey Sofia, Trey Wright, Grant Erwin, and Austin Spille will lead the way in the trenches. Raleigh Erwin is a 6’2 235-pound defensive tackle that had 60 tackles and earned 2nd Team All-District honors. Trey Sofia is a 6’5 205-pound defensive end that had 38 tackles as a junior. Trey Wright is a 6’3 200-pound defensive end that has a lot of speed off the edge. He has an early offer from Colorado. Austin Spille (6’2 230) and Grant Erwin (6’2 220) are two 2021 prospects that will be in the rotation as juniors.
Mauricio Trevino, Nick Villarreal, and Tag Humble were All-District linebackers last season. Trevino is a 5’11 200-pound senior that led the team with 128 tackles. Villarreal is a 5’11 188-pound senior that racked up 124 tackles. Humble is a 6’2 185-pound senior that had 79 tackles. These 3 linebackers are productive, aggressive, and will swarm the field looking to make plays.
The secondary returns two All-District players in Copeland Gothard and Ife Ohalete. Gothard had 26 tackles and 3 interceptions as a junior. Ohlete is a 6’0 178-pound safety that had 55 tackles. The most talented defensive back returning is the class of 2022 prospect, Derrick Johnson. Johnson had 22 tackles as a freshman and has high Division 1 potential. Cameron Correa is a 6’1 180-pound senior corner that did well in 2018 and is expecting a break out year this season. Jacob Hopkins is a 6’1 175-pound safety that had a solid junior recording 34 tackles last season.
2019 Schedule
The Cavaliers will start the season playing Arlington Martin in week 1. Martin struggled last season and finished the year with a 5-6 overall record. This game doesn’t really pose a threat to Lake Travis, but the Cavaliers have lost their season opener 4 out of the last 6 years.
Their other non-conference game in week 2 is against Mansfield Timberview. Timberview’s 2018 record of 7-6 wasn’t impressive, but they ended up upsetting The Colony (9-1) in the first round and Magnolia West (9-2) in the 2nd round of the 5A Division 1 playoff. They were knocked out in the Regional Finals to Highland Park, the 5A Division 1 State Champs. The Mansfield Timberview game last year against Lake Travis was stopped in the 2nd quarter because of the weather. Lake Travis was up 14-0 before the game was called. Mansfield Timberview should have some positive momentum after a strong finish in the playoffs last year.
The rivalry game in the district is against Austin Westlake. Westlake finished the 2018 season with a 13-2 overall record and made it all the way to the 6A Division 2 Semi-Finals before losing to Beaumont West Brook. Westlake is a powerhouse team and beat Lake Travis in the last two seasons. This will be a huge game for the Cavaliers and they definitely want revenge and bragging rights. This game is late in the regular season and will be their last big test before playoffs start.
2019 Outlook
The Cavaliers is a team with excellent senior leadership, an elite quarterback, a hall of fame caliber head coach, and some talented underclassman that are ready to showcase their talents. They have all the pieces to make a serious run. Their regular season schedule is favorable but they need to take care of business against their rival, Austin Westlake. They will definitely have to beat a few powerhouse programs deep in the playoffs to achieve their ultimate goal of winning a state championship. When you have a quarterback like Hudson Card, anything is possible. We expect Weston Stephens to be a difference-maker on offense to balance out their attack. He is flying under the radar now with no offers but should be a household name before the season is over. When the playoff dust settles we predict the Cavaliers will be right in the thick of things and have every bit of a chance to go all the way.
