Westlake Remains Undefeated After This Week’s Matches
It was an eventful week for Westlake rugby fans as they watched the Chaps notch two more cup victories to remain undefeated. First, the squad took on a much improved Stony Point High School team on Thursday night in Chaps Stadium and prevailed by the score of 27-0. Then on Saturday afternoon, the team played an impressive Allen High School team at Burr Field and won 36-10.
Westlake jumped out to a commanding lead in the first half of Thursday night’s game against Stony Point on the strength of it superior team speed. Wing Graham “the Flash” Soto-Kerans outran the Stoney Point defense and scored twice in the first half. The other wing, Daniel Twomey, hung another try on the visitors and Westlake led 15-0 at the break.
In the second half, strong play by Westlakes’s scrummies, especially prop Tyler Jones and hooker Drew Nelson, kept Stony Point bottled up in the middle of the pitch for much of the period. After Stony Point missed an opportunity for points on an errant penalty kick, Ari “the Bull” Shita broke through the opposing line for another Westlake score. The Westbank ruggers continued to press the visitors during the period with scrum half Connor McNally scoring on a quick tap taken just outside the opposition’s try line. Reid McMenamin nailed a two-point conversion kick to seal the 27-0 victory.
In the second match of the evening, Westlake’s second side lost a close match to a strong Stony Point team. Westlake back Robert Slack opened the scoring for Westlake on a breakaway try and Reid McMenamin added a conversion kick to jump out to an early 7-0 lead. But Stony Point scored two tries in the contest and edged Westlake’s second side 10-7.
Saturday’s match against Allen High School at Burr Field, home of Austin’s venerable men’s rugby squad, the Austin Blacks, proved exciting for the Westlake faithful. Although Westlake jumped out to 5-0 lead after a breakaway run down the sideline by Graham Soto-Kerans and a score by fullback Thomas Robison, Allen took good advantage of their superior size during the first half. Their scrummies kept Westlake in check for much of the period and their backs controlled the ball. After Allen’s two scores during the period, Westlake found itself down 10-5 at the break.
But Westlake’s scrum came alive in the second half, with exemplary play from flanker Eric Wiggin and freshman prop Alex Groves, and the team exploded for five scores in the second period. Center Chase Carona opened the scoring for the Chaps after dragging two defenders across the try on a short, but brusing, run. Chris Canter scored next for the Chaps after a blasting run through the defense. And in what is quickly becoming a signature move, Graham “the Flash” Soto-Kerans outran the defense on the wing for an additional score. With Allen tiring late in the match, Ari Shita punched the ball in for another score and scrum half Connor McNally capped the scoring off with a try off a quick tap in front of Allen’s try line. Reid McMenamin tacked on three conversion kicks in the period and the Chaps won going away by the score of 36-10.
Westlake looks forward to another cup match next Saturday at noon when it takes on Alamo Heights High School at Chaps stadium.
Charles Vermont