Football: Westlake is ready for its Friday night lights experience in Texas

Westlake Village Westlake football players are about to find out what Texas prep football is like, playing at Aledo High on Friday night.

They might want to read, “Friday Night Lights.”

Or they can watch the TV series, “Friday Night Lights.”

Quarterback Dax Blinn of Westlake will make his starting debut in a stadium that supposedly seats 10,000 and an entire community comes together to support their team. There’s even luxury boxes (Westlake assistants can’t wait to sit in one).

Westlake leaves on a red-eye flight Wednesday night. The team will stay through most of Saturday so it can attend the Alabama-USC game, then take a flight home afterward arriving in the early morning hours of Sunday.

It’s a big test for the players, because Westlake had trouble several years ago when players went on a trip to Hawaii.

“Our kids have been drilled what the rules are,” Westlake Coach Tony Henney said.

Henney visited Aledo last spring. It’s near Fort Worth.

“As I was leaving Fort Worth, I didn’t see anything for 15 minutes,” he said. “Then I saw this hillside and beautiful campus.”

Aledo is in 5A. Aledo and Westlake are both 1-0. Aledo QB Dillon Davis passed for 330 yards and four touchdowns last week.

But Westlake has nothing to fear. It has played tough Southern California teams for years and big games against Gardena Serra and Oaks Christian.

Of course, it’s Texas, and everything is big, from the ribs to the crowds.

Westlake players had to raise all the money for the trip themselves, so they’ve already accomplished something.

Coming home with a victory, however, would be really nice.

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