Westlake's dominant defense paves the way for Chaps' first title since '96

Kirkland Michaux threw three touchdown passes to lead Westlake to its first state championship since 1996 with a 24-0 win over Denton Guyer.

Michaux connected with Jake Misch, Mason Mangum and Jackson Coker for touchdowns and passed for 285 yards to lead the Chaps (15-1) and earn offensive MVP honors.

Guyer’s offense never recovered after losing quarterback Eli Stowers to a knee injury in the first quarter. After driving Guyer (14-2) into Westlake territory on a drive that included three fourth-down conversions, Stowers went down after being tackled on a run to the left. Stowers came into the game having passed for 2,960 yards and 36 touchdowns and rushed for another 1,152 yards and 11 touchdowns.

“I just hate that for Eli and for their team,” Westlake coach Todd Dodge said. “We went through that last year with our winningest all-time quarterback in the history of our school.”

Westlake took the opening kickoff and marched 65 yards in eight plays. Michaux completed five straight passes, capped by a 5-yard touchdown toss to Misch.

Without Stowers’ presence, the Chaps defense zeroed in on Kaedric Cobbs and pressured Stowers’ replacement, freshman Jackson Arnold, relentlessly. The Chaps held Guyer to 187 yards, 86 of which came on Cobbs’ running in the fourth quarter. He finished with 162 yards on 28 carries.

Westlake’s defense sacked Arnold three times and limited him to just six yards on two of 11 passing. Michael Taaffe intercepted a first-quarter pass and registered a sack earn defensive MVP honors.

Despite Guyer’s offensive struggles, the defense kept the team in the game. The Wildcats stuffed Westlake’s running game, holding the Chaps to just six yards, but couldn’t stop Michaux even when they put the Chaps in third and long or fourth and long situations. In the second quarter, he delivered a 33-yard touchdown pass to Mangum under pressure on a fourth and 18. In the third, he hit Coker for a 39-yard touchdown on third and long.

The state championship is Westlake’s second – the Chaps beat Abilene Cooper 55-15 behind Drew Brees in 1996 – and the fifth for Dodge, who won four as Southlake Carroll’s coach in the 2000s. After the game, he compared the titles he’s won.

“It ranks right up there at the top,” Dodge said. “The last one we had at Southlake [was special] because of my son [Riley] being part of it, but this one is right up there with that one because of the history of our family [Dodge’s late father-in-law Ebbie Neptune was the longtime coach and athletic director at Westlake]. I just can’t even tell you how happy I am about this win.”

Last state championship game shutout: 5AD1, 2015, George Ranch 56, Mansfield Lake Ridge 0

Last 6A state championship game shutout: 5AD2 (what is now 6A): Midland Lee 54, SA Macarthur 0

- Jay Plotkin

VIDEO RECAP

BOX SCORE

Denton Guyer   0          0          0          0 - 0

Westlake          7          7          10        0 - 24

Scoring

1st quarter

Westlake-Jake Misch 5 pass from Kirkland Michaux (David Leadbetter kick)

2nd quarter

Westlake-Mason Mangum 33 pass from Michaux (Leadbetter kick)

3rd quarter

Westlake-Jackson Coker 39 pass from Michaux (Leadbetter kick)

Westlake-Leadbetter 27 field goal

Team Stats        Guyer   Westlake

First downs       10        15

Rushes-Yards    43-172  18-6

Passing Yards    15        285

Passing 4-14-2  20-31-1

Fum-lost           1-0       1-1

Pen-Yards         12-80   4-35

Punts-Avg         5-32.0  2-26.5

Individual Leaders

Guyer

Rushing: Kaedric Cobbs 28-162; Eli Stowers 3-13; Jackson Arnold 10-(minus 5)

Passing: Arnold 2-11-2-6; Stowers 2-3-0-9

Receiving: Brandon DeLeon 2-10; Cobbs 1-3

Westlake

Rushing: Gray Nakfoor 2-12; Zane Minors 3-7; Jackson Coker 3-6; Kirkland Michaux 7-(minus 4)

Passing: Michaux 20-31-1-285, 3 TDs

Receiving: Ryan Lindley 7-65; Coker 3-84, TD; Mason Mangum 3-79, TD; Jaden Greathouse 4-28; Jake Misch 1-5, TD