History on the Line as Lake View Takes on Lubbock

SAN ANGELO, TX — The Pride of the Northside, the Lake View Chiefs, are off to a 3-0 start, and this week the Chiefs were dealt the 1-2 Lubbock Westerners.

Lake View is riding high this season, putting up 45 points per game behind junior quarterback Chris Alvizo. The young gunslinger has gone 71-of-99 for a 71.7% completion percentage and has thrown 11 touchdowns to only 2 interceptions. It is a small sample size, but those numbers would suggest Alvizo is the real deal.

It’s not just Alvizo putting up great numbers as running back Izaiah Rios has taken his opportunities seriously. Rios has 34 carries for 324 yards, which equates to 9.5 yards a carry and 108 yards per game. He also has put up seven touchdowns on the season so far.

The passing game is what is really impressive. Five Lake View receivers have over 100 yards, and eight receivers have over 60. Senior Braylon White leads the receiving corp with 18 receptions for 187 yards and two TDs. Nick Leyva has caught 15 passes for 168 yards and one TD. Rios has 119 yards, Calvin Whitfield has 104 yards, and Chris Rodela has 100 yards. Combined, those three have 5 TDs.

DJ Munoz has 66 yards and two TDs, while Cristian Esparza has two catches for 61 yards and two TDs. Gabriel Alvarez is averaging just over 10 yards a catch.

The War Party Defense is holding opposing teams to 21 points per game and has caused nine turnovers. Kentrell Johnson had a 95-yard interception return for a score in the opening game of the season and has since snagged another pick. Abram Ramos has forced two fumbles, and, in all, the War Party has caused three fumbles and recovered three.

With Lake View putting up 45 points a game, and the defense getting the ball back to its high-scoring offense three times a game, you’re going to win a lot of football games.

Enter the Lubbock Westerners who are coming off their first win of the season against the Snyder Tigers.

The Westerners are putting up 37 points a game but are also giving up an average of 35 points. Zach Reyna, the quarterback, has thrown for 629 yards, five TDs, and two interceptions.

In the backfield, sophomore running back Bo Davis has rushed 55 times for 462 yards and scored six times. Reyna has taken the rock 15 times for 103 yards and crossed the goal line three times.

The Lubbock passing game has big play threats across the field. The Westerners have three receivers who can take it the distance anytime they touch the ball beginning with junior Denzel Robins, who is Lubbock’s go-to guy. Robins has caught 19 passes for 184 yards and three TDs.

The other two have incredible averages per catch. Isreal Cervantes has 9 receptions for 149 yards for 16.6 yards per reception, while Evan Blakely has three receptions for 144 yards (48 yards per receptions), and one TD.

Defensively, sophomore linebacker JD Morton is the guy the Chiefs will want to avoid. Morton has 25 tackles, one tackle for loss, one sack, and one fumble recovery. Octavius Ruiz and Hector Torrez have two forced fumbles each, and Josh Olaniran has picked off one pass.

Last season, the Westerners beat the Chiefs 31-13.

Lake View cannot get a big head and have to take each game seriously. The Chiefs have literally the opportunity of a lifetime this season. The last time the Chiefs went 4-0 was in 1983. The last time the Chiefs posted a winning season was 2004, when none of the players were even born yet.

The Pride of the Northside takes on the Lubbock Westerners at 7 p.m. Friday at San Angelo Stadium.