‘He is important’: How one senior tight finish is elevating Lake Travis soccer

Late within the first quarter, with Lake Travis already up by two scores Thursday, Cavaliers tight finish Gage Prebenda-Wilson went in movement from the left facet of the formation to the suitable.

After the snap, the senior sprinted towards the suitable nook of the purpose line, the place – after a quick bobble – he corralled his first landing of the season to assist lengthen the Lake Travis result in 21 factors with 2 minutes, 39 seconds to go within the interval.

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The Lake Travis (2-1-1) beginning offense performed simply the primary half in a 59-6 blowout win in opposition to McNeil (0-4) on the Kelly Reeves Athletic Advanced in its District 25-6A opener. However that was sufficient time for Prebenda-Wilson to indicate his significance to the Cavaliers offense. The 6-2, 225-pound tight finish caught three passes for 37 yards and the aforementioned rating, whereas additionally offering a robust efficiency as a blocker.

“The scheme helps me get open,” Prebenda-Wilson, who’s dedicated to play FCS soccer at Columbia, mentioned postgame. “But additionally simply all of the work I put in has helped me develop velocity and routes, and simply helps me get open.”

A vital piece in opposition to McNeil

Thursday’s win was the most recent instance of Prebenda-Wilson’s impression in a sendoff marketing campaign throughout which he is taken on a bigger function within the offense.

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After scoring on its first offensive play of the sport, Lake Travis confronted a third-and-5 on the McNeil 13-yard line on its subsequent drive. Prebenda-Wilson ran an out route, caught the ball and secured a primary down with a 7-yard achieve. Operating again Teddy Lofgren scored his first dashing landing of the sport on the following play.

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On Lake Travis’ first drive of the second quarter, Prebenda-Wilson caught a go 2 yards from the road of scrimmage and turned it right into a 14-yard achieve. The Cavaliers proceeded to march down the sphere till Lofgren’s second landing made the rating 31-0.

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“He is important,” Lake Travis head coach Hank Carter mentioned of Prebenda-Wilson. “To start with, he is an enormous physique, so he does nice work within the run-blocking sport. He does an important job within the edge-perimeter passing sport, after which simply catching the ball. He is simply acquired nice arms, large child. , he is a handful to convey down as soon as he catches it.”

“He is a very good participant, actually good participant,” Carter added.

A flexible playmaker

For Prebenda-Wilson, being dependable in a number of sides of the sport is one thing that helps him maximize his impression on the Cavaliers.

“Being a one-trick pony inevitably will probably be your downfall as a participant,” he mentioned. “It helps the crew probably the most total, and it helps me get on the sphere as a result of regardless of the crew wants, I can try this for them.”

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Yearly Lake Travis is full of talent place expertise that has a spot on the faculty stage. As a junior, Prebenda-Wilson caught 14 passes for 131 yards and a landing for a crew that received a district title and made it to the state semifinals. These numbers ranked seventh on the crew in catches and eighth in yards.

Nevertheless, the longer term Ivy Leaguer is on tempo to dwarf these stats this fall. By 4 video games, together with one contest that ended within the third quarter as a result of climate, Prebenda-Wilson has 13 catches for 143 yards – placing him prime three on the Cavaliers in every class – and a rating.

First-year beginning quarterback Jason Carter, who threw 4 touchdowns Thursday, mentioned that he expects to maintain connecting with the versatile go catcher.

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“We are able to use him as an important security valve, like verify it down, or we are able to additionally throw it to him deep,” the junior mentioned. “It is actually vital.”

Trying forward

Now, the tight finish hopes to repeat, or exceed, the crew success that he was part of final yr. Though, the trail has been removed from straightforward to date.

Lake Travis cancelled its opener in opposition to Dripping Springs within the aftermath of the sudden dying of offensive lineman Odin Hensley in August. After beginning the season with a Sept. 4 victory over a gifted Weiss squad, the Cavaliers tied Cibolo Steele 28-28 per week later in a contest that ended within the third quarter as a result of climate. Then, the crew misplaced 48-35 to San Antonio Cornerstone Christian on Sept. 17.

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That current defeat helped gas Lake Travis in opposition to McNeil.

“It actually lit a hearth underneath our butts,” Prebenda-Wilson mentioned. “We’re indignant, and we simply don’t need it to occur once more.”

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Thursday marked a robust begin to district play for Lake Travis, who was moved into its Spherical Rock-laden division in February’s UIL realignment. The Cavaliers have a bye subsequent week earlier than dealing with undefeated Cedar Ridge on Oct. 9. Two weeks later, Lake Travis hosts Westlake, a matchup of the district’s two preseason favorites.

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Prebenda-Wilson believes this crew will probably be prepared for the challenges forward.

“We’re simply going to maintain our heads down and preserve grinding,” he mentioned. “We’re simply working in the direction of Westlake and playoffs; that is just about our two targets.”

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