2024 Record: 3-9 overall, 1-4 Region 3 record

Playoffs: lost 56-0 to No. 1 seed Corner Canyon in the second round

Players to Watch: Sr. LB Dreysen Afuvai, Jr. RB Ashton Taylor, So. OL/DL Malakai Leilua, Sr. QB Boston Fountaine, Jr. WR Malik Sika

Outlook: A new region affiliation and improving play through the program has Westlake coach Arnold Ale very optimistic about the future. It’s a sentiment that he’s felt all the way down his program, with players working diligently for the Thunder to reach new highs this season.

“We see this as a breakout year for our program,” Ale said. “We’ve been talking about it all offseason and we have a lot of buy-in from a great group of kids.”

Ale feels his team features a healthy mix of experienced seniors who will be asked to lead coupled with some exciting new up-and-comers.

“We’re hoping to form a great team that can compete for a region championship,” Ale said. “It was tough competing in Region 3, but now, we feel like we like this new region will be a good thing for us.”

Ale feels great about all his position groups, but is particularly bullish on his offense, which adds the services of quarterback Boston Fountaine, who transferred to Westlake from Skyridge.

“He adds a really good dynamic to our offense,” Ale said. “He can do a lot of things and we like the weapons we have around him.”

Region 3 has traditionally been a meat-grinder, with the prospect of facing top teams like Corner Canyon, Lone Peak, American Fork and Lehi on a week-to-week basis. Westlake moved to Region 2 as part of UHSAA’s realignment, and even though the region features other top teams like Bingham and Mountain Ridge, the task to legitimately compete within the region won’t likely be as tough.

“We look at our schedule and we feel we can beat anyone we have ahead of us,” Ale said. “To be honest, that wasn’t always the case in the past.”

What’s the best way to motivate today’s high school athlete? “It’s all about holding kids accountable. It’s really that simple.”

-Brandon Gurney