When Austin Westlake opened the 2019 season, there was no guarantee senior Kirkland Michaux would even be the starting quarterback. 

Head coach Todd Dodge gave sophomore Cade Klubnik a real chance to earn the starting job. Several games into the year, Klubnik, Michaux and senior Drew Willoughby were rotating snaps. But five games in, something about Michaux finally won Dodge over.

Michaux responded by joining Drew Brees as the only men to ever quarterback Westlake High School to a state championship. 

“I really felt like Kirkland was our guy when he was in our freshman class, but he had some unfortunate things happen to him,” Dodge said. “I always knew he had this in him. I think [competing for the job] made Kirkland hungry and a more competitive player.” 

That was on full display at AT&T Stadium on Saturday. Michaux walked into the Texas palace of football wearing the same Westlake Brees jersey that Sam Ehlinger adorned before the Sugar Bowl last season before putting forth a performance for the ages. 

On a day that Westlake’s rushing offense was limited to six total yards, Michaux exploded for 285 yards and three touchdowns against a salty Denton Guyer defense to win the Class 6A Division II state championship and earn Offensive MVP honors in front of Ehlinger and thousands of Chaparral fans. 

“This is my class,” Michaux said. “I’ve been playing with these guys since second grade. I know nothing with them and they know nothing but me.” 

His special connection with the fellow seniors came out in the performance. Michaux’s top three receivers – Jackson Coker, Mason Mangum and Ryan Lindley – were all seniors. He completed 13 passes with two touchdowns to those players alone. 

“I think he was excited for the challenge,” Mangum said. “Some people fall under pressure and other people rise. That’s what he did tonight.” 

Westlake is a storied program that has been on the cusp of reaching the mountaintop for several years under Dodge. The Chaps reached a state championship game with Ehlinger at the helm in 2015, but couldn’t get back during his injury-plagued senior season. Now, Michaux’s name will go down in program history. 

Thanks to Michaux’s performance, Dodge becomes just the fifth head coach in 11-man Texas high school football history to reach five state championships. 

With the win on Saturday, Michaux joins Brees as the only men to ever quarterback Westlake to a state championship. Dodge becomes just the fifth head coach in 11-man Texas high school history to reach five state championships, joining Gordon Wood, G.A. Moore, Scott Surratt and Tim Buchanan.

“When we were in second grade, this is something we dreamed about,” Michaux said. “Coach Dodge is in my opinion the best coach anyone could ever ask for. We spend more time with him than our parents during football season. I wouldn’t want to spend it with anyone else.”