Round Rock shuts out Westwood for first time since first meeting in series – Austin American-Statesman
ROUND ROCK — A year after Round Rock and Westwood combined for 111 points and more than 1,200 yards of offense, defense ruled the night in a 35-0 Dragons win Friday at Kelly Reeves Athletic Complex.
It’s the first shutout suffered by Westwood in the series since the first matchup in 1981.
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Round Rock (4-1, 1-1) snagged five interceptions, each one ending a Warriors drive into Dragons territory. The two defenses also combined for a safety, a fumble recovered inches from the goal line, one punt blocked, a fake punt thwarted, and blocks of a field goal and an extra point.
Westwood (1-4, 0-2) had the first defensive stand, as Leo Kubelka and Lee Richards combined to sack Mason Cochran three yards short of a first down, giving the Warriors the ball at their own 41. But two plays later, Jalen Gilbert went up for a jump ball and came down with an interception at the Dragons’ 30.
After an exchange of punts, the Dragons got on the board first when Cochran took a quarterback keeper around right end and followed his blocks for a 57-yard touchdown and a 7-0 lead with three minutes left in the first quarter. Cochran finished with 143 yards rushing on 11 carries and another 106 through the air.
On Round Rock’s next drive to open the second quarter, Mason Schuler turned a swing pass from Cochran into a 58-yard gain, setting up Tray’vian McCoy-Gay’s 9-yard touchdown run. McCoy-Gay finished with 133 yards on 20 totes.
On the extra point try, Darion Barnes got his hands on the kick to hold the score at 13-0.
The Warriors rolled down the field on their next trip, with Mike Davis airing it out to Jaiden Webber for a 37-yard, over-the-shoulder catch. Marcus Clinton also picked up a 17-yard gain to the Dragons 19.
On second down, Tavori Donaldson hit Davis as he made a pass, allowing Gilbert to claim his second pick in the end zone.
Westwood was on the move again three minutes before halftime, getting as close as the Round Rock 37. But Davis’ throw to Barnes wound up in the hands of P. J. Powell at the Dragons 4. Round Rock’s offense marched 87 yards in two minutes, but Josh Duffer’s 26-yard field goal try was blocked, Barnes once again broke through to keep points off the board.
The Warriors had a golden opportunity to get in the game to open the third quarter, as Barnes was on the spot again, recovering Matthew Jack’s onside kick at the Round Rock 45. But Travien Brown and Leonard Moore dropped Clinton for a six-yard loss on first down, and two incompletions brought on the punt team.
Round Rock drove 79 yards on the ensuing drive which featured McCoy-Gay gaining 12 yards to start, picking up 23 on a pass from Cochran to convert third down at midfield, and darting past the left pylon on a 15-yard touchdown run to end it.
The Warriors defense took down Cochran on a two-point run attempt to hold the score at 19-0.
Round Rock got its two points on the next play, as a snap from the Warriors’ 12 rolled past Davis, who was sacked in the end zone by Donaldson for a safety midway through the third quarter.
Donaldson also blocked a Warriors punt and Elisha Collazo recovered at the Westwood 8. But on the next play, Carter Waghorne pounced on a fumble just inches from the goal line.
Davis and the offense pushed the ball to the Warriors’ 44 on four straight passes, but the fifth pass proved costly, as Josh Powell got the interception and ran it back 56 yards for a touchdown and a 28-0 lead with three minutes left in the third.
Round Rock’s defense held when Westwood tried a fake punt at their own 39, and three plays later McCoy-Gay scored from three yards out for his third touchdown.
Gilbert added his third interception in the fourth quarter, equaling a school record for picks in one game.
Westwood’s Grant Jaeger led all receivers with nine catches for 62 yards, while Webber went 5-for-55. Round Rock has two shutouts in a season for the first time since 1990.