BGC Playoff Preview: Brandeis Broncos vs. Austin Westlake Chapparals

Broncos look for fast start against Chapparals

SAN ANTONIO, Texas – The Brandeis Broncos will play in the nightcap of a football playoff triple-header at the Alamodome this weekend, and they will face Austin Westlake for the very first time -- with the Class 6A Division II Region IV Championship on the line.

“We’re very excited,” Broncos dual-threat quarterback Jordan Battles said. “Westlake is a very good football team. They have really good athletes, and it’s going to be good competition for me and my team.”

Battles is a big reason why the Broncos have advanced this far: with Brandeis trailing Brownsville Hanna 26-7 at halftime of last weekend’s third-round playoff game, Battles accounted for four total touchdowns, two passing and two rushing, and threw the eventual game-winning 9-yard touchdown to Brandon Pake in the 33-32 comeback win.

“We may come out slow, but we get our act together,” said senior Broncos safety Frank Wilson IV who also happens to be the son of UTSA head football coach Frank Wilson. “Our coaches do a great job preparing us at halftime if we do start slow. All week, we practice and we preach to start fast, so that is the plan this week.”

Against a team like the 12-1 Chapparals, a slow start could prove to be the Broncos’ undoing, but the team believes they’re up for the challenge.

“They have a really good defensive line and their linebackers are fast,” Battles explained. “They are fast on the edges, but we are going to hit them in the mouth.”

Kickoff between the Broncos and Chapparals is set for 6 p.m. this Saturday in the Alamodome.