Posted: 4:51 p.m. Thursday, July 3, 2014
Austin Community Newspapers Staff
I have a confession to make.
When
I sat down to pick the names on the first class of the Lake Travis View
Fab 5 for the guys, it was more difficult than I could have foreseen. See,
when I sat down and picked the girls, it was fairly easy. Once I had
that one unknown athlete who was ready for a breakout year selected,
everything fell into place.
The boys, on the other hand, have a
lot of returning faces from last year’s terrific campaign for boys
sports at Lake Travis High School. Needless to say, having too much of a good thing is a great problem to have.
To
explain, the idea behind the Fab 5 is to profile the five athletes,
male and female, worth buying a ticket to go watch. It’s not based on
awards as much as potential. Simply put, these are the athletes we think
have an early shot at the 2015 Athlete of the Year honors.
Maybe listening to Echosmith’s “Cool Kids” while writing this was only fitting.
The
class is headed up by none other than quarterback Dominic DeLira. Lake
Travis is quickly becoming Quarterback High, and DeLira is the latest in
a string of quarterbacks going back to the early run of state
championships for the Cavaliers. Just in the last six seasons,
we’ve witnessed St. Louis Rams rookie Garrett Gilbert, Virginia Tech’s
Michael Brewer and Oklahoma’s Baker Mayfield.
Where does DeLira
fit into this? He’s keeping the Big 12 tradition alive with a verbal
commitment to Iowa State. Gilbert started at Texas before transferring
to SMU. Brewer started at Texas Tech before transferring this season to
Virginia Tech. And Mayfield went from one Big 12 school to another when he left Texas Tech in December and went to Oklahoma. Oh, and DeLira is listed as the No. 5 QB in the state by Dave Campbell’s Texas Football magazine.
Staying
with football, James Bailey joins DeLira in the Fab 5. If you’re
looking for a breakout season, Bailey’s likely going to have it. He’s
listed as one of the top defensive backs in the state by Dave Campbell’s
Texas Football.
He’s reported to have interest from Baylor, Texas
Tech, North Texas and Tulsa, according to ESPN. Those offers will
likely be pouring in before the season’s over. Dave Campbell’s
Texas Football held Bailey in high regard, naming him as the favorite to
be District 14-6A’s top defensive player. He is also a three-sport
athlete, competing on the basketball and track and field teams.
Speaking
of basketball, head coach Clint Baty has to be smiling about the
upcoming season. He returns his top two players in Tate Searle and Jake
Budde. Budde and Searle were both all-district and All-Central
Texas honorees last year, and Budde was selected to the Texas
Association of Basketball Coaches’ all-state team. With Budde and Searle on the court, Lake Travis’ chances for a four-peat as district champions are pretty good.
Rounding
out the Fab 5 for the guys is baseball player Jared Triolo. Triolo, a
junior, had his breakout season last year while earning the district’s
top newcomer award. Lake Travis’ baseball team lost a lot of
talent due to graduation, but Triolo is one of those players that could
make a difference and keep Lake Travis in the hunt come 2015.
FAB 5 MALES
The
Lake Travis View Fab 5 are lists of male and female athletes at Lake
Travis that are ones to keep an eye on. Simply put, these are the five
early candidates for the 2015 Lake Travis View Athlete of the Year.
Ladies were last week, so now it’s the boys turn.
DOMINIC DeLIRA, sr., football
We’ll
probably hear a lot from De Lira in the fall as he’s regarded as one of
the state’s top five quarterbacks. He’s also headed to Iowa State after
he graduates in 2015. .
TATE SEARLE, sr., basketball
Searle
is one of two key returnees for the Cavaliers. His presence in the back
court, along with his shooting ability makes the Cavalier hoopsters a
favorite in 14-6A.
JAMES BAILEY, sr., football, basketball, track and field
Bailey
is another name we might hear a lot in the fall. Regarded as one of the
best defensive backs in the state, the 6-foot, 204 pound senior will be
a key player on the always good Cavalier defense.
JAKE BUDDE, sr., basketball
Budde
is a returning all-state player for the Lake Travis boys basketball
team. A lot of coaches are glad to see that in the offeseason. Budde and
Searle make up one of the best backcourts in Central Texas.
JARED TRIOLO, jr., baseball
Triolo
is one of a handful of key returnees for the Cavalier baseball team. He
was District 15-5A’s Newcomer of the Year and helped Lake Travis to the
regional quarterfinals.
Honorable mention: Grant
Foster, sr., football; Cort Wolleat, jr., cross country and track and
field; Jackson Parthasarthy, jr., baseball; Jon Michael Brooks, sr.,
soccer; Parker Fyfe, jr., soccer
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