The Trojans are on the road tonight, traveling to face the Lake Travis Cavaliers with their playoff hopes on the line. After a tough stretch against Bowie, Buda, and Westlake, this is Anderson’s last chance (save Dripping Springs) to make a push for the final playoff spot in district 26-6A. The Cavs though, are no small foe, sitting at 5-1 on the season, with a lone loss coming to Westlake, and will pose a major obstacle to the Trojans playoff aspirations.
Per usual, the weight of the offense will lay on the shoulders of star quarterback Brady Gephart, forcing him to take on the brunt of a formidable Lake Travis defense. The Cavs are giving up just 10 points a game and are coming off a 45-0 shutout of the Del Valle Cardinals last week. With multiple injuries along the offensive line over the last few weeks, Gephart will likely be pressured heavily even if Lake Travis doesn’t send extra blitzers tonight.
Even against Westlake though, the Trojan offense showed flashes, and the hope is that Gephart’s supporting cast can do enough to keep it a game for most of the night. As we’ve seen in most games, Anderson’s trio of junior receivers, Ed Small, Zayden Sharp, and Tristan Waidelich, will once again be counted on to be the playmakers for the offense.
If Brady can get the ball out fast and accurately, the Trojans’ receivers will give Anderson a chance to go score for score with LT for at least a half. Small is having a phenomenal season and is clearly Gephart’s number-one option, but Zayden Sharp is coming off a breakout game against Westlake and just picked up his first D1 offer from UNLV.
Find ways to get them the ball in space.
You do that by letting it fly on offense tonight. Anderson may have come into the year wanting to run the ball 60% of the time, but it’s clear that’s not going to work. The Trojans aren’t big enough to beat the Cavs that way, but they are fast enough to compete through the air. Gephart’s thrown the ball around 22 times a game this season, but that’s not enough tonight. It feels like Brady’s gonna need to throw 30+ times for 300+ yards if Anderson’s gonna win.
It also goes without saying that the Trojans need to take care of the ball extremely well to beat the Cavs. A pick-6 and a scoop-and-score touchdown by the Westlake defense not only killed Anderson on the scoreboard last week but also took away any momentum the team had built up. Avoiding costly turnovers is a must tonight, and forcing Lake Travis into some on the flip side is key to helping out the offense.
Defensively, Anderson needs to be focused on the Cavaliers’ run game, as Lake Travis is a run-first offense and will try and take advantage of the Trojans’ smaller front seven. The backfield is spearheaded by senior Nico Hamilton, who’s run for 381 yards and 2 touchdowns this season, and Vann Hopping, a sophomore who’s tallied over 400 yards and 7 touchdowns on the ground on a ridiculous 7.9 yards per carry.
Quarterback Kadyn Leon is also quite the dual threat, with over 350 yards and 5 rushing touchdowns this season to go along with 650 passing yards and 6 touchdowns through the air. He completes passes at a 70% clip and has only thrown one pick on the season, so it’ll likely be difficult for the Trojans to force him into many mistakes.
If anyone’s going to take the ball away from Leon though, it’s junior cornerback Colin Haines, who snagged his second INT of the season last week against Westlake. The Trojans should stack the box tonight and stick Haines on whoever they believe to be Lake Travis’s best receiver. Adjusting personnel to stop the run may sacrifice deep safety coverage for Anderson, but it’s a risk they need to take to win this game. Colin Haines on an island and an extra guy in the box gives the Trojans the best chance to win.
Sometimes, you’ve gotta trust your best defenders to make one-on-one plays.
However you frame it, Anderson’s facing a tough opponent and their backs are against the wall. With losses to Bowie and Buda, the Trojans all but have to win tonight to make the playoffs in what is an uber-competitive district. Coach Hatcher’s going to have the boys fired up and I think they’ll come out hot and give the Cavs a run for their money. Call me crazy, but I’ve got the Trojans pulling off a shocker against Lake Travis tonight. Anderson 35 Lake Travis 34, Trojans keep their playoff hopes alive.
