'We're fired up': How Lake Travis is approaching new district lineup of Round Rock teams
· Yahoo Sports
LAKEWAY - There is much about the Lake Travis football program that is consistent.
Hank Carter has been a fixture on the sidelines since 2008, first as Lake Travis' defensive coordinator, then as its head coach. The Cavaliers have consistently made deep postseason runs over the last two decades, with 16 10-win seasons over that span. And since 2020, Lake Travis has been part of District 26-6A.
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That was until February, when the latest round of UIL realignment moved the Cavaliers, as well as fellow perennial power Westlake, into District 25-6A - one that Lake Travis is used to meeting in the opening round of the playoffs - with five Round Rock ISD schools: McNeil, Stony Point, Westwood, Round Rock and Cedar Ridge. And the new lineup brings different opponents, something the Cavs (1-1-1) are eager to tackle when they begin district play Thursday night against McNeil at the Kelly Reeves Athletic Complex.
"It's exciting," said Carter, who was named the program's head coach in 2010 after two seasons as head coach Chad Morris' defensive coordinator. "It's something different, and obviously we're familiar with a lot of the people there. But yeah, it's a new challenge for us."
Lake Travis head coach Hank Carter instructs his players as Lake Travis football takes on San Antonio Cornerstone Christian at San Marcos High School in San Marcos on Thursday, Sept. 17, 2026. (Mikala Compton/Austin American-Statesman)New district lineup will have a playoff feel for Cavs
Lake Travis enters its new district coming off its first district title since 2019, when it was quarterbacked by future Texas and Purdue signal-caller Hudson Card. The Cavaliers had only one single district game decided by one possession in 2025, a 14-7 win over Dripping Springs and they dominated Westlake 31-10.
Lake Travis will hope to find similar success this fall in another district in which it's expected to compete for a championship. While McNeil, Stony Point (1-3) and Westwood (1-3) have struggled, Cedar Ridge (4-0) is experiencing its best start since 2017 and Round Rock (3-1) has already knocked off Dripping Springs and Vandegrift in the last two weeks.
Carter said he used to keep an eye on this district since the Cavs were bound to face one of its teams in bidistrict. But even as the regular season wound down, it always seemed to be a mystery who he'd be seeing the following week, he said.
"Every year coming down to Week 11, you never knew the four teams who were going to make the playoffs," Carter said. "It's a very competitive district historically, and not a big difference between the second-, third-, and fourth- and fifth-best teams, historically. That's all we really know about it so far."
MORE:Top-ranked Lake Travis dismantles powerful Weiss in Cavs' delayed season-opener
That lack of familiarity excites Luca Antoun, a senior wide receiver and defensive back who has committed to the University of Pennsylvania.
"We're fired up," Antoun said this week, adding that this district has a lot of speed. "I've been playing the same district since I was a freshman, so having a new district is really cool. Really good to see some new faces."
Lake Travis will face new sets of tests in 25-6A
Even as Lake Travis moves divisions, there are some teams it will recognize. The Cavaliers have opened the postseason with Round Rock each of the last two years and once scrimmaged Cedar Ridge, Antoun pointed out. But "mostly it's new for us," he said. "New game plans, new teams. It's really cool."
Lake Travis wide receiver Luca Antoun (0) catches a pass before scoring a touchdown as Lake Travis football takes on San Antonio Cornerstone Christian at San Marcos High School in San Marcos on Thursday, Sept. 17, 2026. (Mikala Compton/Austin American-Statesman)Lake Travis enters district play after a roller-coaster beginning to its 2026 campaign. The team canceled its opener against Dripping Springs after the death of senior offensive lineman Odin Hensley in August. The Cavaliers began their season Sept. 4 by defeating a Weiss team littered with offensive talent, 38-21, before tying Cibolo Steele 28-28 in a game that ended in the third quarter due to weather. They lost to San Antonio Cornerstone Christian 48-35 last Thursday.
Per usual at Lake Travis, there's future college players across the roster. New quarterback Jason Carter, the son of the team's coach, has completed 64.1% of his passes, for four touchdowns and three interceptions, leading an offense that's averaging nearly 400 yards per game.
RELATED:Jason Carter has always known Lake Travis coach Hank Carter as dad. Now he's QB1, too
Jeremiah Strong, a senior all-district defensive back last year, leads the team with 23 tackles entering Thursday's matchup against McNeil and also has three tackles for loss. Defensive lineman Austin Doane has been dominant early this season with five tackles for loss and three sacks. That's not even mentioning players like edge rusher Brian Orakpo Jr. and defensive back Buddy Phillips II, who hold Power Four offers.
The talent is there, the team just needs to execute at its full potential, Antoun said.
"We just need to play harder," he said. "We need to play with more effort. I trust these coaches and I trust this team, and we're just making sure to tighten everything up."
Lake Travis wide receiver Westin Smith (1) advances the ball as Lake Travis football takes on San Antonio Cornerstone Christian at San Marcos High School in San Marcos on Thursday, Sept. 17, 2026. (Mikala Compton/Austin American-Statesman)Jackson Koeppel, an offensive tackle committed to Rice, said last week's loss has the Cavaliers "motivated to dominate this game, and the rest of the season."
"We treat every game the same, no matter who we're playing with our preparation and all that," Koeppel said. "We're definitely excited to get into district play, but it's not any different than any of our other games we played."
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