The Timberwolf varsity football team kicked off the 2013 season with a 43-31 win against 5A team Westlake on August 30 at Gupton Stadium.
The game bumped Cedar Park from its No. 2 position to No. 1 in the Associated Press Class 4A state poll.
“It was the right way to start the season,” senior Lane Waller said. “We came out and did what we needed to do, and we did it well.”
Although junior Thomas Hutchings was already injured from the first scrimmage and his brother, junior Chris Hutchings faced a knee injury this game, the offense found ways to adapt without the key players. Senior quarterback Nate Grimm passed for 215 yards and rushed for 128 more.
Senior Nick Gutierrez’s fumble recovery early in the game set up Grimm’s first out of three scoring runs. Grimm completed two touchdown passes, including a 20-yard pass to senior Bill Estevanott, and a 47-yard touchdown pass to senior Sam Brock that left the T-wolves with a lead 23-17 by halftime.
“We all performed well, both as a team and as individuals,” senior captain Peter Maneikis said.
The final touchdown ran the clock down to six seconds, a sort of “revenge” for the Westlake JV’s extra touchdown in the last quarter from the night before. The play shows just how connected the entire program remains.
“We were determined, and we succeeded by playing as a team,” senior Logan Imbornone said.
Last season set high expectations for Cedar Park. It began with a 21-7 loss against Westlake and ended with a state championship title and Lone Star Cup win. With the majority of seniors returning, players expect that their experience as a team will serve them well.
“You bet we’re prepared for the season,” Maneikis said.
The T-wolves play their next game against Abilene Cooper on September 6 at 7:30 p.m. at Shotwell Stadium in Abilene.