Westlake's QB has led team to some amazing numbers

By LANCE FLEMING/ Staff Writer

Through 15 games, this season has been a Brees for Austin Westlake.

As in quarterback Drew Brees, who has been virtually flawless in leading the Chaparrals to a 15-0 record and their second state title game appearance in the last three years.

The 6-2 senior has thrown for 3,366 yards and 29 touchdowns and directed an offense that has amassed some staggering numbers. Try these on for size:

-- 7,060 total yards, an average of 470.7 per contest;

-- 604 total points, an average of 40.3 per game;

--and 370 first downs, an average of 24.7 per game.

Those are rather amazing numbers, although Brees does realize that they have racked them up against less-than-stellar competition. Westlake's District 25-5A opponents include Austin Bowie, Austin Crockett, Austin Johnston and San Marcos, none of which will ever be confused with state football powers.

"I'll admit that our district isn't very good," he said. "There are a couple of good teams, but there are some games that are - let's face it - blow-off games. I read an article in a newspaper down here that said our region (Region IV) was the worst in Texas. But I'll tell you, that San Antonio district we play in the first round of the playoffs (26-5A) is one of the best in the state. It's got San Antonio Roosevelt and Converse Judson (both of which won state titles last year), as well as San Antonio Churchill."

Sometimes lack of competition can cause a team to grow stale and not improve during the season. Brees, however, said that hasn't happened at Westlake.

"I feel like we do get better every week," he said. "When we play Johnston, I go in thinking we'll lose if we don't play well. The test is to see who slacks up in a game like that, and nobody does."

However, Brees says there's more to the Chaps' success than just questionable district opposition.

"We've gone 10-0 in the regular season the last five years, and yeah, a lot of it's probably because our district games aren't the hardest," he said. "But we graduate a lot of seniors every year, so a lot of it is good coaching and a lot of guys who see their chance at greatness. We have guys who sit and watch and when they get their turn, they want to win."

And the Chaparrals have done just that, thanks in large part to a passing combination that has been unstoppable this season.

Brees and wide receiver Ryan Read have tortured opposing defenses throughout 1996. Read, in fact, has 105 catches for 1,950 yards and 20 touchdowns this season.

He is two catches shy of setting the state's single-season reception mark, and his yardage total is already the state's single-season record.

Brees's 3,366 yards passing also have him ranked in the state's all-time top 10 single-season performances.

"We both set goals at the beginning of the season," Brees said. "I think if you had told either one of us that Ryan would break those records, we would have said there was no way. Ryan is a guy that would have been happy to just come in and do a good job. It's just happened that during the course of the season he's gotten the chance to break some records."

And the amazing thing is that both Brees and Read have performed at a high level after coming off major knee surgeries. Read tore the ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) in his left knee just two days into two-a-days in 1995, forcing him to miss the entire season.

Then in last year's 42-20 regional semifinal win over Alice, Brees tore his left ACL when he landed awkwardly on the leg after hurdling a defender.

"The funny thing is that when Ryan and I were on the junior varsity in 1994, almost 80 percent of my yardage went to him," Brees said. "We were the connection down there. But last year on varsity we had the twins, Ben and John Peays, at receiver, so Ryan was going to have to play defensive back. Then two days into practice he tears up his knee.

"Then I tore mine up at the end of the regular season, so we didn't get to go through any kind of offseason together to re-learn each other," he said. "Then Ryan came back to receiver this year and we weren't sure how he'd do. But from the very beginning, it was like being on the JV again. We can just read each other's minds. I know when he's going to break, and he knows when I'm going to get rid of the ball."

Brees and Read are only two of the components that go into making Westlake's offense one of the most intricate in the state. The Chaparrals will use about 50 different sets in each game, and then they send receivers in motion, put the fullback at tackle and put Read in the slot.

It can all get a little bit confusing, even for the quarterback.

"I was actually just thinking (Tuesday) about all the formations we have," Brees said. "I'll be at the line of scrimmage looking at the defense, checking to make sure we've got everybody in the right place, and then I'll forget what we're doing.

"We move everybody to try and confuse the defense," he said. "But I told (Ron) Schroeder (Westlake head coach) that we should be trying to confuse the defense and not me."

Don't let Brees fool you; he's in total command of the Chaparrals' attack.

"The quarterback throws extremely well," Cooper defensive coordinator Joe Crousen said. "He sprints out well, and does a good job of throwing across the field. He throws a more catchable pass than any team we've played. (El Paso Irvin quarterback) Edmund Stansbury threw the ball so hard that his receivers couldn't catch it. But this kid's receivers can really catch the ball, too."

And Brees knows he and his offensive mates will have to produce another big effort Saturday to beat Cooper for the state championship.

"So far, Aldine (whom Westlake beat, 42-21, last week in the semifinals) is the best team we've played," Brees said. "They were big and physical. But I know that once we play Cooper, they'll be the best team we will have played."