Westlake Picayune

Lost Creek moves forward with $1 million sidewalk project

Dane Anderson — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 00:32:41 +0000

The Lost Creek Municipal Utilities board of directors decided last week to move forward with a project to build additional sidewalks on some streets in the 1,250-home subdivision that sits on 775-acres located roughly west of Loop 360 between Bee Cave Road and the Barton Creek greenbelt.
“We made a decision to move ahead with sidewalks on the wider streets, the connector streets and the ones that go to our amenities, including our two parks – the things people walk to,” said Nancy Naeve, LCMUD president.
The hearing, the second recently held on the sidewalk project, was scheduled to give residents a chance to find out more about plans and provide board members with feedback. Board members wanted that feedback to help them prioritize the need for sidewalks in the area.
“Sidewalks have been an important issue to Lost Creek residents, and actually started back in 1991, when the Lost Creek Neighborhood Association built a sidewalk on the south side of Lost Creek Boulevard from Augusta National down to Turtle Point,” Naeve said. “Now, with so much through traffic from other parts of SW Austin, including Southwest Parkway and highways 71 and 290, we have a lot of speeding and high-volume traffic cutting through our neighborhood to Loop 360.”
The first streets slated for new sidewalks are the north side of Lost Creek Boulevard down to the low water bridge; Whitemarsh Valley Walk, with its two greenbelt entrances; Quaker Ridge Road; Cape Coral Drive; and Augusta National Drive, an important connector street.
LCMUD has put up $500,000 to match the money Travis County is using from a recent bond to help pay for Lost Creek sidewalks.
“We need to do this project now, as we are sure that, after we are annexed by the city of Austin in 2016, we will never be able to get funding for sidewalks,” she said.
Naeve said she thinks most Lost Creek residents support the sidewalk project. The project also has the support of the Eanes school district transportation department, the LCNA Mom’s Club and the Lost Creek Garden Club, she said.
But some residents showed up at a Jan. 17 MUD meeting to voice opposition to the project. Dianne Brode is among residents who opposes the project. Her home is on Cape Coral Drive, one of the streets the LCMUD has slated for possible sidewalk expansion.
“The support from this project comes mainly from people concerned about kids crossing the street,” she said. “Adding sidewalks to the whole neighborhood doesn’t fix that problem. We have a very rocky neighborhood with a lot of slopes. You can’t imagine how many people’s landscaping and retaining walls would have to be torn out to do this.”
As Austin grows, and traffic around town becomes an even bigger issue, the need to walk safely to neighborhood amenities and to provide safe passage for school children to bus stops becomes even more important, Naeve said.
“Walking is probably one of the cheapest forms of exercise available to all adults and children,” she said. “[They] provide safe passage for a variety of users who can access them whenever they wish and for as long as they wish. Not to provide that to people of all abilities is a crime.”
Naeve is uncertain when work will begin on the Lost Creek sidewalk project. She said the LCMUD is working on an inter-local agreement that will give the organization managerial control of the project.
It is the first time the community has used outside money for anything, Naeve said.
“Our two little parks, we did ourselves; our trailhead renovation, we did ourselves,” she said. “This is a one-time investment that will be here forever. I think it’s the right thing to do. It’s what we need to do to improve our community and our quality of life now and for future generations.”

We welcome your comments on our stories but will publish only those that do not violate our commenting guidelines

Eanes school district adjusts bond projects, looks at Wi-Fi

Dane Anderson — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 00:29:06 +0000

Photo by Dane Anderson

Westlake High School class president Steven Wilbanks, left, and Arnab Chatergee, student co-chair of the Wi-Fi Vision Committee, give Eanes school board members a real-life account of the effectiveness of iPads in school life during a meeting last week as WHS assistant principals, from left, Steve Ramsey and Stephen Shands and Principal Linda Rawlings look on.

Eanes school board members approved a change in the scope of a bond projects list and combined projects to make them more attractive to the contractors who bid on them during a Jan. 25 meeting.
Board members unanimously approved scope changes on nine bond projects, most of which provide HVAC renovations to district campuses. The projects also cover special education renovations at West Ridge Middle School and Valley View Elementary School, the fire alarm system at the Ninth Grade Center and a Life Skills kitchen at Westlake High School.
The changes were largely due to the difference between early project estimates and the actual bids the district is receiving from contractors. Some project bids came in over budget and some under. All projects considered, the district will wind up spending an additional $203,000, a relatively minor increase out of the $54 million bond approved by voters last year.
“What we really had in the budget last May was concept ideas,” said Nola Wellman, district superintendent. “Now we have to go out and get those bid out. The variance is to be expected because of that, because they were strictly concept estimates.”
Any bond project with a cost that fluctuates more than 20 percent above or below budgeted estimates must have the approval of the school board. The nine projects approved during the Friday meeting also had the stamp of approval of the district Bond Oversight Committee.
“The committee determined these scope changes to be reasonable and in the best long-term interest of the district,” said BOC vice chair Mike Salas.
Some of the projects have significant changes in their planned scope. The cost of the HVAC system at Eanes Elementary School will more than double, increasing from $528,500 to $1.1 million. District executive director of facility management Les Reddin told BOC members in a meeting last week that the district expanded the design plan of that project after hearing from campus teachers that the air conditioning and heating worked in some classrooms and not in others.
The project cost for a kitchen for the Life Skills class at Westlake High dropped $260,000 after the district found existing space that already had the needed infrastructure, Reddin said.
The BOC recommended that the district combine renovation work at The Learning Center, an alternative learning campus at the high school, and The Alternative Education Program, a district disciplinary campus. Reddin said the two campuses are close in proximity and can be handled by one contractor. The BOC also recommended allowing the district to combine HVAC projects at West Ridge Middle School and nearby Barton Creek Elementary School for the same reason.
Teachers, students, parents and Principal Linda Rawlings enthusiastically told board members that the district’s Wi-Fi pilot program, which put 1,600 iPads in the hands of the high school’s seniors and some juniors this year, was a dramatic success.
“We’ve talked a lot about the need for us to make sure that our kids have the 21st century skills they need for learning,” Rawlings said. “It’s 2012, and our schools still look in some places in the country like they did 100 years ago. How do we prepare our kids to make sure our nation is regarded as the top global leader?”
She said the Wi-Fi program at the high school was a great way for students to begin to achieve those goals.
In a survey conducted at the high school, students said the new iPads helped motivate them and made classroom material much more engaging. They said the technology allowed them to better communicate with each other and their teachers.
“Having iPads has revolutionized the way students view school,” said Arnab Chatergee, student co-chair of the Wi-Fi Vision Committee that helped bring the iPads to the high school. “It really is about allowing students to become the architects of their own education.”

We welcome your comments on our stories but will publish only those that do not violate our commenting guidelines

Westbank boy turns love of music into hope for a cure

Dane Anderson — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 00:23:40 +0000

In a lot of ways, Drew Karakourtis is a typical 17-year-old boy.

He loves his school. He can’t get enough of his iPod. He digs rock music, and his favorite song is Johnny Cash’s “A Boy Named Sue.”

But in one way, he’s different.

Drew has a very rare genetic condition called neurodegeneration with brain iron accumulation. The condition is so rare, that only about 6,000 people world-wide have the disease. Children and adults with the disease have a build-up of iron in the brain that causes neural degeneration, involuntary muscle movements, failing eyesight and difficulty with speech.

The disease is fatal.

“My hands, my eyes and my speech,” have changed in the six years since diagnosis at age 11, Drew said, his mother, Amy, interpreting because his speech has been affected by his condition.

At a recent conference for families suffering with NBIA, Drew met other children with the condition and was struck by the need to find a cure, if not for himself, then for the younger children living with the condition.

Drew, his family and friends mobilized to turn Drew’s love of music into a fundraiser for a cure.

Band Together for a Cure will be held at 6:30 p.m. Feb. 10 at Austin Ridge Bible Church, 9300 Bee Cave Road. Audioroad, Penny and Sparrow and Friendly Savages will perform. Bountiful Café and Bakery is providing dinner, and there will be a silent auction. Tickets are $25. Proceeds will go to the NBIA Disorders Association, an international nonprofit that is working to find a cure.

“As a board on NBIA we’ve said that if we can raise $60 million we can cure this,” said Mark Karakourtis, Drew’s father. “For a lot of families, if we can just hang on, there is light at the end of the tunnel. At the end of the day, it’s just a dollar figure and time that stands between this and a cure.”

Despite the challenges he has faced, Drew has not lost hope, Amy Karakourtis said.

“The great thing about Drew is that as he’s lost abilities, his heart has not lost courage,” she said. “He’s a real example of perseverance. It’s taught us to enjoy each day and make the most of your time. It doesn’t take a whole lot to make something special if you have the perspective of ‘Today I can do this, and I’m going to do it.’ He’s been a good teacher.”

For now, Drew has decided that organizing a concert fundraiser is what he can do.

Tickets are $25, which includes dinner.For more information or to purchase tickets, send an email to amyinaustin@austin.rr.com.

We welcome your comments on our stories but will publish only those that do not violate our commenting guidelines

Bring out the jams

Dane Anderson — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 00:16:10 +0000

Photo by Nimai Malle

Retribution rhythm guitarist Phil Smith plays during the Eanes Education Foundation at Antone’s Jamfest.

The fourth-annual JamFest, the music-laden fundraiser for the Eanes Education Foundation, hit Antone’s Saturday from noon to 4 p.m. with a packed schedule of young talent, including two dozen students from the Eanes school district.

JamFest is the brainchild of Westbank orthodontist Randy Kunik, a former EEF board member who is underwriting the event this year. Kunik said he knew the idea would be a winner for the local community and local schools.

“[It’s] a student band showcase that encourages student musicians and provides a high profile performance venue that is also a benefit for our outstanding Eanes schools,” he said.

Ten bands formed the line-up: Electric Silk, The Austeens, The Others, Playing with Fire, Unsocialized, The Little Galaxy, The Old Theatre Guild, Lithium Sun, Retribution and Jester’s Court. Eanes students participating include: Phil Smith, Thomas Denning, Tim Smith, Juan De Haro, Dave North, Devin North, Cody Ross, Ben Baron, Grace Krakow, Olivia Field, Madeline Silvestro, Enrique Sanchez, Brett Wilson, Sophia Werkenthin, Zoe Ashton, Hanna Jinks, Rohit Srinivasan, Benjamin Hines, Tre Pham, Paulo Lugo, Michael Mullen, Cade Bandera, Emily Weller and Roy Fenner.

West Ridge Middle School eighth-grader Dave North plays lead guitar for the band Retribution, which has been together for a year. He started playing guitar at six and writing songs when he was 10. He said his band was excited to earn one of those high-profile spots in the showcase through audition.

“Our band has been looking forward to [this] for a long time,” he said. “We love to jam and get the audience to jam with us, especially if it’s for a good cause and especially if it’s at Antone’s.”

Dave’s brother, Devin, is a Westlake High School sophomore and the bassist leader of the band Jester’s Court. He and the band’s drummer, Ben Baron, have been playing together for two years. Guitarist Cody Ross and vocalist Grace Krakow joined the band last year. Devin said he became interested in music through the school district’s orchestra program.

“With more funding from events such as this, the district’s vast music programs can continue to grow and flourish,” he said.

Olivia Field, WRMS seventh-grader and guitarist for Austeens echoes that sentiment.

“EEF is important to us because [it allows us] to hire more teachers,” she said.

Last year, EEF provided $1.19 million to the Eanes school district. The organization hopes to provide a similar amount to fund excellence in local schools this year, said EEF executive director Wally Moore.

“Gifts to the Eanes Education Foundation help our outstanding Eanes schools perform well beyond what the state defines as an adequate public school education, and it is our Eanes schools that provide much of the glue that makes the Eanes area such a great place to live and work,” Kunik said. “That funding is even more important now, as the state is increasingly unable or unwilling to fund our public schools at levels that prepare our students to be successful at the next level.”

We welcome your comments on our stories but will publish only those that do not violate our commenting guidelines

West Lake Hills City Council OKs Blue Dahlia patio

Esther Robards-Forbes — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 00:01:49 +0000

West Lake Hills newest restaurant project, Blue Dahlia Bistro, is moving forward following a West Lake Hills City Council decision last week to approve a covered patio that will dramatically change the look of the West Lake Court shopping center.

In all, the restaurant will have 114 seats, 50 of them on the new covered patio, project architect Allan Nutt told the council. The location previously held Wildwood Art Café, which seated only about 25 people.

Council members prohibited the use of stone columns that had been included in the design for the patio, but otherwise approved the addition to the building’s site plan. The patio will use cedar columns instead.

“We would have prefered the stone columns, as they added a very French feel to the restaurant, but we are happy to comply with the council’s decision,” said owner Amy Ramirez.”(The patio) will have a feeling of sitting in a courtyard in the European countryside. We are very excited about it.”

Council members expressed concern over parking issues in the shopping center, but Nutt said that with most of the shops closed during the dinner rush, the only time parking might be an issue is at lunch time during the holiday shopping season.

The patio was approved with a 2-1 vote, with Councilman Spencer Stevens opposed and council members Andrew Schwartz and Stan Graham absent.

The restaurant is scheduled to open in April.

In other action, the council discussed, but took no action on a rezoning proposal for Reveille Road. Some residents have requested that the area be rezoned to allow only single-family houses. Currently, there are several duplexes on the street that would be allowed to remain, but improvements and additions would be limited on the buildings and they could not be replaced with duplexes.

The council extended a moratorium on building permits for the area for an additional 90 days, on top of the 90 days that was approved last year. The moratorium does not affect building permits for single-family homes.

The council briefly discussed simplifying the variance process for homeowners seeking to make changes to their properties, but took no action. Under the new system, forms would be available online and would include a checklist of documents that residents need before meeting with the city planner and going before the City Council.

Mayor Dave Claunch said that he will be a test case in a few weeks when he seeks a variance for his West Lake Hills home.

The council also approved a new communications policy for the city that has been in the works for several months. The new policy dictates the storage of electronic records for the city, limits employee use of city-owned email and internet connections to city business and requires employees discussing city issues on their own blogs, email accounts and social media sites to place a disclaimer that their views are their own and not those of the city.

We welcome your comments on our stories but will publish only those that do not violate our commenting guidelines

Council makes offer to LCRA for sewer system

Ed Allen — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 23:56:22 +0000

In a 4-0 vote, the council decided to offer $10.6 million to the Lower Colorado River Authority for the city’s wastewater system, pending voter approval of a bond package.

The offer, which was hand delivered to LCRA staff Tuesday morning by Mayor Bill Hamilton, also includes a provision for the city to take over operation and maintenance of the system as soon as possible. Taking over operation of the system could save the city about $120,0000 a year, Hamilton said.

“We are in a relatively strong position to negotiate the best deal possible for the city,” Alderwoman Shanthi Jayakumar said, noting the LCRA is eager to get the municipal water and wastewater systems off the agency’s books, a unit the agency said loses about $3 million a year. Jayakumar abstained from the vote.

City officials arrived at the $10.6 million offer because it is “an amount the city understands to be the total of LCRA’s outstanding debt on the system as of Oct. 2012,” Hamilton wrote in a letter to LCRA officials.

The LCRA announced in 2010 that the agency would sell off all 32 of its municipal water and wastewater systems. The announcement sparked a months-long battle with towns all over Central Texas about whether the systems would end up in public or private hands.

In the end, private company Corix Infrastructure Inc., a Canadian investor-owned utility, ended up as the winning bidder for 18 of the systems. Others ended up in municipal hands. LCRA opted to take West Lake Hills, Rollingwood and two systems affected by the Bastrop wildfires off the table at the last minute.

The next step for the city, if a price can be hammered out with LCRA, is to set up a bond election. The earliest election date available is in May.

We welcome your comments on our stories but will publish only those that do not violate our commenting guidelines

Realignment 2012: Monster football schedule, Allman thrilled Westlake will host Lake Travis

Special to the Picayune — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 20:45:12 +0000

By Habeab Kurdi
Sports Editor

Westlake will welcome Lake Travis to Chaparral Stadium in Week 9 of the 2012 season for what can be considered the first truly meaningful football game between the Chaps and Cavs.
Well, welcome might not be the most accurate word, but it should be a welcome sight to fans on both sides as the two teams get to tangle for District 15-5A supremacy.
“This is a chance to have a rivalry game, to make it more of a true rivalry, and to play them for more than just pride,” Chaps football coach and Eanes ISD athletic director Darren Allman said.
How will the change to District 15-5A, with Lake Travis joining the group, impact the Chaps in football and the other sports is still to be seen, but that doesn’t mean the excitement and anticipation are diluted six months before any of it takes affect.
Westlake will stay in District 15-5A along with the same Austin area teams — Akins, Anderson, Del Valle, Austin High and Bowie — with just the Cavs joining the fray, bringing the district to seven total teams.
Allman, who was in San Antonio as the realignment changes were announced, said he was searching right and left this morning to fill out the schedule, because once the district was unveiled as having seven teams it meant adding one more nondistrict game was needed to fill the slate (see full schedule below).
With Cedar Park, Temple and Texas A&M Consolidated on the slate, Allman and head football coach Mike Jinks of Cibolo Steele realized nobody else wanted to take them on as a nondistrict foe, so the two sides agreed to a heavyweight clash to close out the nondistrict schedule in Week 3.
“That made us scramble, and that’s how we wound up with Steele on the schedule,” Allman said from San Antonio. “There’s not a lot of people left wanting to play them right now and we were kind of in the same spot. It’ll be good for both programs.”
Westlake can already lay claim to one of the toughest schedules to start 2012, as Allman believes there could be up to five state-ranked teams awaiting the Chaps. The team starts off hosting Cedar Park in Week 0, then the Chaps are at Temple, at A&M Consolidated, host Cibolo Steele and are at Bowie in Week 4 to start district play. The rest of the slate goes at Akins, hosting Anderson, at Del Valle, open date Week 8, hosting Lake Travis, and closing the season at rival Austin High.
Allman was hoping that a showdown with Lake Travis would be near the end of the district schedule, as was Cavs coach Hank Carter, and that’s just how it turned out with a meeting in Week 9.
The game will move to Westlake for this season, a departure from the past two years when the two teams met at Darrel K. Royal Texas Memorial Stadium.
“I’m glad it turned out that way, we’ve got five really tough games to start and we probably will be playing all state-ranked teams those first five weeks,” Allman said. “Lake Travis coming in is good for our district, and it’s nice to play them at home. That game could have district championship ramifications, so I’m glad it fell late in the year.”
Taking it all in a moment before he hit the road to drive back into Austin, Allman considered the challenges ahead.
“I am glad about all of that, it’s going to be a very exciting schedule,” he said. “And we get five exciting games at our place.”
The enrollments for the 15-5A schools: Akins 2731, Anderson 2047, Bowie 2889, Austin 2258, Lake Travis 2217, Westlake 2569, Del Valle 2741.

DATE OPPONENT LOCATION TIME
August 24 (scrim.) Abilene Cooper Westlake TBD
August 31 Cedar Park Westlake 7:30
September 7 Temple Temple 7:30
September 14 A&M Consolidated College Station 7:30
September 21 Cibolo Steele Westlake 7:30
September 28 Bowie Westlake 7:30
October 5 Akins Away 7:30
October 12 Anderson Westlake 7:30
October 19 Del Valle Del Valle 7:30
October 26 Bye Week OPEN —-
November 2 Lake Travis Westlake 7:30
November 9 Austin High Away 7:30

* All times and dates subject to change*
Thursday game TBD by district.
Homecoming date TBD.

We welcome your comments on our stories but will publish only those that do not violate our commenting guidelines

Westlake girls soccer goes 1-1-1 at Governor’s Cup

Special to the Picayune — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 19:33:35 +0000

By Anthony Mannino
Correspondent

The Westlake girls soccer team finished with a 1-1-1 record at the Governor’s Cup in Georgetown over the weekend.

The Chaps tied Arlington 0-0 in their final game of the Governor’s Cup Saturday. In the first game, they routed Waco 9-0 and proceeded to lose to Flower Mound Marcus 1-0 in the second game.

“I think we are coming out of our preseason tournament play strong and we are just going to keep building,” senior forward Caroline Furst said. “And hopefully, build through district and then through playoffs.”

The first 10 minutes of the match against Arlington, the Chaparrals opened up with the majority of the possession, and it was Katharine Noonan threatening the Colts goal. She had two chances early on forcing the Arlington keeper to make a tough save and sending a header off a corner just wide. The missed scoring chances for Westlake proved costly later in the match, as the squad struggle in the attacking third.

Peyton Janssen also was close to scoring in the first half forcing the Arlington keeper to punch away her long-range effort. The closest opportunity for Westlake in the first half was a through ball by Christy Goldberg to Rachel Coyle, but the keeper saved Coyle’s attempt to score. The missed scoring chances for the Chaps proved costly later in the match, as the squad struggle in the attacking third.

The Colts could not muster much of an attack in the first 40 minutes and were forced to try and beat Westlake off the counter. The defense was able to read what Arlington was trying to do and were able to deal with the few Arlington attacks.

Westlake keeper Lindsey Harris was forced to make only one save off a weak shot from a Colts striker.

Early in the second half, the Chaps were able to create a few chances but were unable to capitalize. A curling effort from just inside the box by Furst forced the Arlington keeper to make a save.

The majority of the second half was lackluster with neither side able to create a good chance on goal. The Colts started to pressure the Westlake defense after poor play from the midfield, but were unable to create any real chances.

“I think in the beginning we came out strong ready to play,” senior midfielder Noonan said. “We had some opportunities that we should have put away, and then toward the end it just came down to a matter of effort and wanting it more.”

The Chaps made one last push late in the second half, including a free kick shot from Janssen, who forced the keeper to make a save. With five minutes left, Hannah Meyer cross eventually landed to Noonan who tried to find a teammate but sent the ball over the net.

Westllake would finish 0-0 in a rather uneventful game, and the team seemed tired after playing three matches in three days during the tournament in Georgetown, which hosted some of the top teams from around the state.

The girls will play Boerne Champion next on Friday.

We welcome your comments on our stories but will publish only those that do not violate our commenting guidelines

Big things come in small packages: Sammy Ivester profile

Special to the Picayune — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 19:33:34 +0000

By Emily Martinez
Correspondent

A four-year Westlake High School varsity wrestler, team co-captain and a dedicated student describe one person, senior Sammy Ivester.

During his freshman football season Ivester was a 5-4 receiver/corner back who weighed 95 pounds. He was the perfect featherweight, the lowest weight class, for the wrestling team.

Ivester was thrown onto the varsity wrestling team after about two weeks of training, where his first opponent was a senior wrestler.

“He destroyed me, but I never let him pin me, and he held me in a guillotine the whole match,” Ivester recalled. “But I never quit. So, after the match, I got the respect from the upper classmen. It was really cool, because I looked up to a lot of them.”

His freshman year, he was 10 pounds under the weight limit and had no varsity experience. Ivester won one match the whole season. It was his last match of the season, and it won him third place at district.

“It was awesome,” Ivester said. “After I won, the whole team rushed the mat and picked me up.

Since his freshman year, Ivester has grown both mentally and physically as a wrestler. Though his sophomore and junior seasons were cut short due to injuries and illnesses, he is now ready to compete.

Now a senior, Ivester is a co-captain with Cooper Scott, and their fellow wrestlers on the team look to them for leadership.

Alex Cabezas, a junior on the varsity wrestling team had praise for both team captains.

“Our captains are great, Sammy and Cooper both know what they’re doing and encourage us to do our best all the time.”

In his sophomore and junior years, Ivester cut weight to get down to 119 pounds. But now that he is a 5-foot, 10-inch senior, his weight class is now 132 pounds. This season, Ivester has a personal record of 20 wins and 8 losses.

“It’s better than I’ve done any year before.” he said.

Wrestling is an individual sport, but Ivester credits a lot of his success to the people he’s around at practice all the time.

“You really grow as a team, Ivester said. “You become close to the guys you train with every day, so you grow together. It’s still a team sport, because you have 13 other guys out there to watch your back while your on the mat.”

Ivester is a seasoned wrestler and a committed student who knows the importance of performing equally well in practice and in the classroom. He said he is planning on majoring in biomedical engineering in college and is not ready to leave wrestling.

“I’ve talked to some coaches, but I don’t think I’ll wrestle in college, I’ll be really busy with school. But I’m really interested what I want to study, so I’m excited about it.” Ivester said. “I’m going to miss it a lot - the wrestling and being with the team.”

Over the past four years, Ivester has been a leader for his team, on and off the mats.

“A lot of my character and work ethic come from wrestling,” Ivester said. “It’s made me a tougher and better person all around.”

Ivester will wrestler at the district championships starting Friday at Vista Ridge.

We welcome your comments on our stories but will publish only those that do not violate our commenting guidelines

Chaps win Pearland tourney

Special to the Picayune — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 19:33:34 +0000

The Westlake boys soccer team took first place at the Pearland Tournament over the weekend, posting four wins by a combined score of 17-3.

The Chaps, now 8-0, closed the tournament with a narrow 3-2 win over Friendswood to capture the tournament title.

In the first game of the tourney, Westlake took down Cy-Falls 3-1. Then the Chaps took resounding victories over Dawson, 6-0, and Klein Oak, 5-0, to put themselves in the championship game.

Westlake will get back on the pitch with a 7:45 p.m. home match against Vandegrift Friday, then the Chaps travel to play at Cibolo Steele 6:45 p.m. Tuesday.

We welcome your comments on our stories but will publish only those that do not violate our commenting guidelines