It may not have the cachet of playing a California team, but Westlake football‘s schedule arguably gets tougher Friday when it hosts Euless Trinity.
Though beating an Inglewood squad that flew halfway across the country and contained several future college players signaled the Chaps (1-0) could be a team that finishes with double-digit wins, the return to playing a team from Texas will give a better indication of Westlake’s potential in the postseason.
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The American-Statesman’s Friday night coverage on statesman.com for Week 2 games will feature live reports from the Westlake vs. Euless Trinity game, reports from the Lake Travis vs. Weiss matchup as well as a live blog centering on all Central Texas games being played.
Trinity was picked by Dave Campbell’s Texas Football to win District 8-6A and was ranked in that publication’s preseason top 50. The Trojans (1-0) defeated Richardson Berkner 28-17 in Week 1 and feature Oklahoma State commit Chayce Davis at safety. Both programs, each of whom have won multiple state championships, suffered rare first-round playoff losses last year.
Here are three things to know about the matchup.
Will Westlake continue a more run-focused offense?
Chaps quarterback Patton Jones threw for 154 yards and rushed for 67 in his first start, and freshman running back C.J. Jones had 81 yards on 18 carries. Of Westlake’s 337 total yards, it was almost evenly split between rushing and passing. But the Chaps ran the ball almost twice as many times as they threw it.
With a talented offensive line led by Texas commit Jackson Cook and both Joneses containing breakaway speed, expect that trend to continue. Wideout Braden Riddell, who had five catches for 57 yards against Inglewood, is a threat at wideout whenever the Chaps do throw it, though.
What do we know about the Westlake defense?
It’s still too early to tell.
Edge rusher Colton Fromberg was dominant with three sacks and linebacker Tate Lung had eight tackles. However, the Chaps gave up 6.7 yards per play. Most of Inglewood’s 386 yards came through the air, and though keeping a team to less than 400 yards in 2026 is acceptable, Westlake will need a better performance on this side of the ball.
A glance at Euless Trinity
The Trojans’ offense is a throwback to the 1980s of lining up in the I-formation and running the ball. They attempted only 10 passes in Week 1, with quarterback Mack Lineweaver completing six for 169 yards and three touchdowns. Marcus Turner and Trenton Turner received the bulk of the 47 carries, combining for 38 attempts, 156 yards and a TD. Tight end Kohen Fiefia plays a major role, whether it’s blocking, rushing or receiving.
Lineweaver is the son of Trinity head coach Aaron Lineweaver, so this will be the first of two father-son, coach-quarterback combinations Westlake faces this season, with the other being Lake Travis’ Hank and Jason Carter.
Trinity is the biggest school in its district with an enrollment of 3,651.
Davis also has Power Four offers from Baylor, Arizona and Iowa State.
Westlake vs Euless Trinity prediction
Westlake 30-17.
The Chaps should be a step up in competition from Berkner, and playing at home against a team that just took a four-hour bus ride will help. Expect Westlake to pull away in the fourth quarter.
This article originally published at Westlake vs Euless Trinity: Why DFW foe may present greater challenge than California team.
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