The Wildcats were their own worst enemy with 11 fumbles, four resulting in turnovers and one interception. "Our offensive execution problems were a complete suprise", said Coach Bill Taylor, " we had no problems handling the ball in our two pre-season scrimmages, you obviously can't win a game with 11 mishandled balls and 5 turnovers. We're a better team than that."

Walker Cook was the team's standout player on both sides of the ball. Cook gained 56 yards with TB Thomas Loth (48 yds.) and FB Justin Pollard (22 yds.) close behind. Defensive standouts were (CB) Walker Cook (8 tackles), (DE) T.J. Thompson (7 tackles) (DE) Brent Beaty and (CB) Justin Pollard. (CB) Thomas Loth had an interception and Brian Firley broke up a key pass. Hits of the day we're delivered by Walker Cook and (MLB) Chris Blackshear.

Sept. 13, 1997 The JPW Wildcats got on the winning track in Taylor today at 10:00 AM by taking it to the JPW Taylor team 20-6. All of the offensive ballhandling problems from the week before disappeared as the offense performed with only two fumbles and no turnovers. Walker Cook led the way again on offense with 131 yds. rushing, with FB Justin Pollard right behind with 78. Kyle Greer took a 48 reverse on fourth down for 26 yards and a first down late in the third quarter to set up a score by Lagera. Scores were made by Walker Cook, Justin Pollard and QB Luke Lagera. The offensive line of Brian Firle (LE), Josh Derrington (LT), Curtis Pierce (LG), Chris Blackshear (C), Jace Forest (RG), Adam Smith (RT), and David Peebles (RE) dominated the line of scrimmage as most of our yardage was gained between the ends with dives, powers and counters. Defensively we clearly dominated well as we operated with only our WHITE and MAROON Defense. Josh Bonds picked off a Taylor pass, and HITS OF THE DAY were turned in by Shawn Lawson 3 solo tackles. DE's T.J. Thompson and Brent Beatty in a QB pancake, and Justin Pollard and Walker Cook combining to deliver a punishing blow to a Taylor kickoff returner.

Sept. 20, 1997 - The JPW Wildcats at 1-1 faced a 2-0 high powered offense from Round Rock Saturday at Noon. Round Rock's featured TB had ground out 400 yds. rushing in their first two matches, and posed a formidable threat to L.T.'s improving defense. The JPW Wildcats looked up to the challenge as they forced turnovers in the Ram's first 2 drives. The ball changed hands several times in the 1st half until LT, starting at their own 15, put together a drive including 2 1st down sweep/pass option runs by QB Luke Lagera, a sweep 1st down by TB Walker Cook, a 1st down pass on fourth down from Lagera to Kyle Greer (Lagera and Greer were 2 for 3 on the day), and capped off with a 43 yard run sweep by TB Brandon Holt. FB Justin Pollard pounded in on a dive behind (C) Chris Blackshear and (ORG) Curtis Pierce for the first score in the game. The two point pass conversion was unsuccessful. That ended the scoring in the first half as the potent Ram offense was held scoreless. The third quarter was a statemate and things looked good for the Cat's until 4:00 minutes left in the game when the inevitable happened. The Rams's star running broke around their left end for a 40 yard touchdown run, tying the score. The Cat's defense stepped up to deny the Ram's try for the 1 point conversion. Both teams had 2 more opportunities to win the game, but heat and exhaustion had taken it's toll as both offenses failed to score. Brandon Holt had 95 yds. rushing for the Wildcats followed by Cook with 35, Thomas Loth with 26 and Pollard with 14. (WB) Kyle Greer had two catches for 16 yards, and QB Lagera was 3-6-0. Pollard had a timely interception to lead a tough Wildcat defense with Brandon Holt (9 solo tackles), T.J. Thompson (6), Cook (5), Chris Blackshear (5), Pollard (5) Pierce (4), and Loth (4). Jace Forest had a fumble recovery. HITS OF THE DAY were delivered by Walker Cook, Justin Pollard and T.J. Thompson.The JPW Cat's are now 1-1-1 for the season. "I am so proud of these guy's," said Coach Bill Taylor,"they played their hearts out against one of the best teams in the league. We are a vastly improved team from week 1. "Hind sight 20-20 we were just outcoached on one play. Had I gone for the 1 pt. run conversion in the first half (when we had them on their heels), we could have won the game," said Taylor, "I was convinced we'd need the 2 later in the game. It was a bad call, but a great game nonetheless."

Sept 27, 1997 - The Lake Travis JPW Wildcats traveled to Georgetown to take on the 2-1 Eagles at noon on Saturday. These Cats, who are developing a reputation for hard hitting throughout the league, continued these ways by dominating the Eagles 24-0 in a lopsided victory. Brandon Holt, Walker Cook and Justin Pollard ran wild behind a powerful offensive line, racking up 225 yards (an average of 8.3 per carry) on the ground. Brandon Holt led the way with 118 yds. on 12 carries and 2 TDs. Walker Cook had 85 yds. on 8 carries and FB Justin Pollard provided some powerful lead blocking and had 2 TDs as well. The LT offense did not turn the ball over once the entire day.

On defense the JPW bookends (LDE) T.J. Thompson and (RDE) Brent Beaty turned in their most devastating performance to date, recording a combination of 14 tackles BEHIND the Georgetown line of scrimmage. A total all-out defensive effort led to LT holding the Eagles to negative yards on offense for the game. Fumbles were caused and recovered by Thompson and (CB) Pollard, and a game ending interception was pulled in by (SS) Jordan Baker.

"This is the best Pop Warner team I've ever coached," said Coach Bill Taylor. 'Our offensive line (Firle, Derrington, Forest, Blackshare, Pierce, Flannagan and Peebles) are beginning to dominate the line of scrimmage, and our defense is playing extremely physical." HITS OF THE DAY were delivered by Brent Beaty, T.J. Thompson and Justin Pollard. The JPW's improved their record to 2-1-1 and travel to Leander/Cedar Park next Saturday.

October 3, 1997 - The JPW Wildcats dropped their second game of the season in a lopsided loss to Leander Cedar Park 24-0. Special team errors set the tone for the game as LCP was successful in completing two first half on-side kicks and in blocking a Lake Travis punt on L.T.'s own 20 yd. line. The Cat offense had the ball only twice the entire first half. Offensively the Cats were able to drive the ball, with 111 yards on the ground and 13 yards in the air, but were unable to score inside the red zone. (TB) Walker Cook led the offense with 65 yds. on 9 carries, (FB) Justin Pollard had 41 yds. on 5 carries and (QB) Luke Lagera was 2-3 passing for 13 yards. (WB) Kyle Greer caught both Lagera passes and ran well after the catch.LCP scored on runs of 60,15,55 and 55 yards with QB keep power sweeps from the T Formation and end reverses. Defensive standouts were T.J. Thompson and Thomas Loth who both had tackles behind the line of scrimmage. The HIT OF THE DAY was delivered by Brandon Holt, with a smashing lead block on a play action pass. The JPW Wildcats are 2-2-1 going into the last two games of the season.

October 11, 1997 - The JP Wildcats improved their record to 3-2-1 at home in the mud against the SE Austin Falcons. The Cats racked up over 250 yards total offense in the first half and won easily 36-0 as the game was ended early in the 3rd quarter due to the Pop Warner 35 pt. rule. Lots of Cats were moved around, and many linemen were put in running pback positions. (TB) Brandon Holt had a 44 yd. TD run. (TB) Walker Cook had 33 and 15 yd. TD runs. (DT) Adam Smith had a 20 yard TD run. (OG) Jace Forest had a 38 yd. TD run. Extra points were scored by (FB) Justin Pollard, (CB) Justin Lane and 2 pass plays to (WB) Kyle Greer. (OG) Curtis Pierce had a 14 yd. run, (OT) Ian Flannagan had a 6 yard run from the FB position and (DT) Shawn Laeson had a 13 yd. run also from FB. (QB) Luke Lagera was flawless in the wet conditions with a 20 yd. bootleg run and 2-2 passing.

Defensively the Cats held the Falcons to - 33 yards total offense. T.J. Thompson led the team with 8 tackles 4 behind the Falcon line. Thompson also had a blocked punt. The Cats forced and recovered 4 fumbles. Shawn Lawson was a standout recovering a fumble and making a crunching stop from the kickoff team. HITS OF THE DAY were registered by Shawn Lawson, Brandon Holt and Justin Pollard. The JP Wildcats play their last regular season game away next Saturday against the S. Austin Optimist Cowboys at 3:30 PM.

October 17, 1997 - The JPW Cats ended the regular season in S. Austin with a definitive 35-0 statement. "We are ready for the playoffs." The Cats started slowly at Garrison Park, going into the break at halftime up 12-0, but poured it on in the second half to leave no questions unanswred about their meteoric improvement. Cats (TB) Walker Cook became the most prolific single season Lake Travis Pop Warner rusher as he carried 12 times for 125 yards, moving his season total to 42 carries for 545 yards, taking the top spot from 1996 JPW (TB) Travis Coleman (502 yds.). (QB) Luke Lagera was again flawless with 5 rushes for 50 yards, one a 15 yd. TD and a 2 pt. passing conversion. (FB) Justin Pollard had five carries for 27 yards and 2 TDs, making him LT Pop Warners single season touchdown leader with 7 TDs. (TB) Thomas Loth (8 yrs. old) had 5 carries for 32 yards, and (TB) Brandon Holt ran only 3 times for 23 yards putting him 4th on the LT Pop Warner all-time single season rushing books with 28 carries for 340 yds. in his first season (8 yrs. old.).

(DE) T.J. Thompson ended his Pop Warner regular season career with a huge day with 11 tackles, 6 behind the line of scrimmage and a TD run from the (TB) position. T.J. ended this regular season with a record 49 solo tackles. (DE) Brent Beaty scored an extra point on a sweep. Defensively the Cats threw their third shutout for the season. Sean Roman, Kyle Martin, Shawn Lawson, Alex Trapote, Thomas Loth and Hayden Smith all had a big defensive game for the Cats, Smith falling on a key fumble in the 2nd half. The 4-2-1 Cats squeaked into the playoffs as the 8th seed in a field of 8 division winners and runner-ups. Post season play will begin this Saturday.

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