Under the bright lights of the penultimate game at Cavalier Stadium before its demolition later this fall and under the watchful eyes of thousands of fans, the Lake Travis Cavaliers took the field Friday night against the Arlington Martin warriors.
A familiar early season opponent for the Cavaliers, the teams have faced off against one another to open their seasons for the last four seasons, with LT winning three of the four games. Last year’s affair was Lake Travis’ magnum opus, however, as the Cavalier’s eviscerated Martin 51-12.
While it’s not uncommon for a high school football team, or any sports team for that matter, to start the season with some jitters, this did not seem to be an issue during Friday’s game. The Cavaliers started off with a bang, as senior tight-end Harrison Kolkhurst took a Luke McBride dump-off 75-years for a touchdown just a mere 49 seconds into the game. Senior wide-receiver Patrick Colby would get in on the fun as well, putting LT up 14-0 late into the first quarter with a touchdown reception of his own.
Senior lineman Ben Duncum would force a fumble just at the end of the quarter, giving Lake Travis the momentum it needed to add to the lead, as the Cavs would score twice before the end of the second quarter.
The Cavalier defense (namely the pair of seniors, Duncum and Carter Buck) shined in the matchup, with Buck sacking the Warrior’s QB a grand total of three times on his own. The Cavs would add a field goal before halftime, and leave the field with a chokehold 31-0 lead.
The Warriors attempted to chip away at the Cavaliers’ lead, scoring to make it 34-7 midway through the third, but a 53-yard run from senior wide receiver Lark Sidle erased any chance of a Martin comeback. Senior wide-receiver Wesley Glass added another score for the Cavs, and the Warriors squeaked out two more scores during the game’s closing acts, but the Cavalier’s blowout win was secured long before then.
Oddly enough, this seemingly unimportant win actually marks an interesting development for the Cavaliers. With perennial Austin powerhouse and bitter rival Westlake showing some cracks in their 29-22 loss to Prosper also on Friday night, LT could have a wide open shot at securing the top spot in the 26-26A division, something they have not done since the 2019-20 school year.
Final score? 48-21 Cavaliers.
The Cavs takes on Rockwall this Friday, September 5th in Rockwall. Their next (and final) home game will be Friday, September 12th against Midland Legacy Rebels.
