Dave Campbell's Pre-Season Review for Lake Travis

Dave Campbell's LTHS pre-season review

FOOTBALL

Magazine: Cavs enter year as one of state’s best

Dave Campbell’s Texas Football tabs team No. 14

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Photo by Roy Mata

Lake Travis quarterback Dominic DeLira, who enters two-a-days as a candidate for the starting spot, eludes the rush of defender Allen Gerik at a May practice.

By Habeab Kurdi

Austin Community Newspapers Staff

Lake Travis football’s fate should fare better in its second season playing in Class 5A.

That’s the conclusion that Dave Campbell’s Texas Football magazine came to when putting out their annual preview edition of the magazine, which recently hit the newsstands.

The Cavaliers were knocked out of the playoffs in the first round during their inaugural campaign at the state’s highest level, but there were a myriad of injuries to key players - particularly receiver Zach Austin and running back Shaun Nixon - that kept the squad from fulfilling its potential.

This year, the magazine’s prediction issue, which comes out every summer, tabs Lake Travis at No. 14 in the preseason Class 5A Top 25 rankings. However, in the coaches’ poll, Lake Travis is ranked No. 9 and Westlake isn’t listed in the top 10.

The Chaparrals, who reached the state semifinals a season ago, are slotted in at No. 8 in Class 5A by the state’s most heralded and well-read football guide.

In the Class 5A preview, Westlake’s Darren Allman is selected as the coach of the year.

Lake Travis’ Luke Hutton got the nod as preseason defensive MVP for District 15-5A, which also includes district rival and longtime foe Westlake.

The preseason offensive MVP for the district is Westlake quarterback Jordan Severt, who recently committed to play collegiately at SMU.

In Lake Travis’ second Class 5A campaign, Westlake is predicted as the district champion a year after the Cavs were predicted to be in that spot, and things should be very tight between the two teams once again, with the title likely to be decided in the regular-season finale between the schools at Lake Travis High School.

Lake Travis is slated to finish second, Bowie third and Del Valle fourth in the preseason district ranking. Following them are Austin High, Anderson and Akins.

DCTF predicts that Westlake, should the Chaps land in the Division II playoffs as expected, will make the state semifinals again - and win. After that, the magazine has tabbed the Chaps as the 2013 state champions, besting Katy in the finale in late December.

The Cavs clearly have a shot to play into December this year after a one-year hiatus, with six defensive starters returning and plenty of players on the offensive side of the ball that had significant playing time a year ago.

The biggest shift will be at quarterback, with Baker Mayfield no longer in the fold, but a new quarterback is nothing new at Lake Travis, where the system and the coaching, along with hard work by the new signal caller, usually translates into another dynamic offensive season.

Along with Hutton, Zach Davies, Hagen Patterson and James Bailey lead what should be a stout defense.

Nixon, who is headed to Texas A&M after graduation, will play out of the backfield and line up at receiver, and there won’t be any surprises if he winds up the MVP of District 15-5A and submits a stellar campaign once again.

Practice is right around the corner, when August dreams can become December realities.