High school football: Preview, How to Watch No. 2 Westlake, Cade Klubnik vs. No. 7 Katy

Two legendary Texas high school football coaches couldn't ask any more of their teams this season. But they'll need to in order to advance Saturday when second-ranked Westlake (Austin) takes on No. 7 Katy in the UIL Texas 6A Division 2 semifinals from McLane Stadium on the campus of Baylor University.

These two powerhouse programs and teams largely mirror one another. 

• Both are 14-0 and dominated their opponents, Katy with a 669-184 score differential (average score of 48-13), while Westlake is at 823-107 (59-8).

• Both are defending state champions: Westlake took the 6A-1 title last year after winning 6A-2 in 2019, while Katy captured 6A-2 last year for its ninth state title.

• Both are on long winning streaks — Westlake at 38 straight and Katy 22.

• Both are coached by legendary figures: Westlake's Todd Dodge, in his 23rd and final high school season, has gone 232-70 with six state titles, four coming at Southlake Carroll. Katy's Gary Joseph is in his 18th season is a remarkable 241-22 with five state crowns and four runner-ups.

This is the first meeting between the super powers since Sam Ehlinger led host Westlake to a 32-29 win to open the 2016 season. Ehlinger accounted for 332 yards and two touchdowns, offsetting a big rushing performance from then Katy sophomore Deondrick Glass (16 carries, 178 yards two TDs).

Most expect a similar, tight, high-scoring game on Saturday as both offenses are stout.

The Chaparrals are led by the ever-rising Cade Klubnik, who is now a five-star rated quarterback and a Clemson commit. Despite missing three games with an injury, the 6-foot-3, 185-pounder has completed 71 percent of his 214 passes for 2,619 yards and 34 touchdowns with two interceptions in 11 games. Great pocket presence and feet, Klubnik has also rushed for 405 yards and 12 touchdowns. As valuable as he is, there's no worries if he misses time. His replacement Christian Edgar has been remarkable, playing in 13 games and completed 81 percent of his 69 passes (56 completions) for 802 yards and 12 touchdowns and no interceptions. Edgar is even a better runner than Klubnik with 582 yards and nine TDs.

The running duties are largely shared by sophomore Jack Kayser and Hunter Henault, who have combined for more than 1,700 rushing yards and 28 touchdowns. A pair of junior receivers are big prospects in Jaden Greathouse (53 catches, 952 yards, 15 TDs) and Keaton Kubecka (36, 623, 10).

The balance of rushing (59 touchdowns) and passing (50) makes the Chaps almost impossible to stop. They average a ridiculous 511 yards per game. Remember, high school games are only 32 minutes.

Other top senior Westlake recruits are offensive linemen Connor Robertson (Texas commit) and Bray Lynch (Indiana), along with edge rusher Ethan Burke (Michigan). Junior TJ Shanahan is also a standout on the offensive line. He is the fourth-rated interior offensive lineman in the Class of 2023 on 247Sports composite rankings.

Katy, as usual, is more run-based. The Tigers average 343 yards rushing a game, led by the terrific duo of Seth Davis (2,422 yards, 28 touchdowns) and Dallas Glass (1,281, 20), Deondrick's younger brother. 

Quarterback Caleb Koger makes sure defense can't sit nine in the box as he's thrown for almost 1,900 yards to go along with 21 touchdowns. Four different receivers have at least four touchdowns. The Tigers average just below 500 yards per game at 495.

Two of Katy's top senior recruits are on the defensive end with lineman Malik Sylla (Texas A&M commit) and linebacker Ty Kana (Texas Tech).