AUSTIN (KXAN) — One of the longest field goals in Texas high school football history helped lift the Westlake Chaparrals to a 31-21 win over Fort Bend Ridge Point on Friday at Mercer Stadium in Missouri City.

After missing a kick earlier in the game, Chaps kicker Spencer Barnett booted a 59-yard field goal with 6:18 left in the game to give Westlake a two-score lead, fending off a furious second-half comeback by the Panthers.

Ridge Point had a chance to get the game back within one score, but a bobbled hold by their field goal team led to a turnover on downs with 1:56 left. Westlake was able to run the clock out after that.

“We’ve seen him do it in practice, so we knew he could it,” Westlake head coach Tony Salazar said. “We had a light breeze at our back, and I knew he’d redeem himself. He was going to step up for his teammates, and that was probably the back-breaker right there.”

Westlake took what appeared to be a commanding 28-0 lead following senior running back Jack Kayser’s second touchdown of the game. After Westlake blocked a Ridge Point punt and took over on the Panthers’ 6-yard line, Kayser ran the ball in on the following play with 5:38 left in the third quarter.

However, Ridge Point’s defense forced three consecutive 3-and-out drives, and then their offense converted those into points. Panthers’ quarterback Austin Carlisle scooted into the end zone from 10 yards away to give his team its first score of the game with 1:47 left in the third, and then two more touchdowns followed.

Carlisle again scored, this time early in the fourth quarter, on a short run to cut Westlake’s lead in half 28-14, and then he launched a long pass to a wide-open Dane Jones for a 68-yard touchdown to make it 28-21 with 8:40 left.

Before Barnett made the clutch field goal, Ridge Point bailed Westlake out with an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on a play that would have put the Chaps in a 4th-and-long situation. Instead, the penalty gave Westlake an automatic first down and the drive continued.

Heath McRee caught a 7-yard pass to convert a 3rd-and-7 later in the drive, and then about a minute later, Barnett’s iron boot clobbered the pigskin through the uprights from 59 yards away. According to Dave Campbell’s Texas Football, the state record is 62 yards held by three kickers with two others at 61 yards. Spencer’s older brother Charlie, a kicker for Army West Point these days, kicked a state championship game-record 53-yard field goal against Denton Guyer in 2021.

Westlake’s offense sputtered in the second half, but ended up doing just enough to hang on to the lead. Salazar knew his team would have their hands full with a very good Ridge Point team.

“They’re going to win a lot of games,” Salazar said of Ridge Point. “That’s a dang good program and hats off to them for fighting back. Our defense bowed their necks one more time and finished this thing.”

Westlake (1-0) returns home to host Converse Judson next week and Ridge Point (0-1) hosts Dickinson.

Game log

Ballgame: Westlake 31, Ridge Point 21. The Panthers’ second-half rally comes up short as Westlake hangs on to top Ridge Point on the road.

1:56 4Q: Ridge Point’s field goal unit comes up short after a bobbled hold on the kick attempt leads to a turnover on downs for Westlake. A huge break for the Chaps after the Panthers worked the ball inside the 5-yard line

6:18 4Q: FIELD GOAL WESTLAKE: Spencer Barnett hammers a 59-yard field goal to give the Chaps a two-score lead. Holy moly what a kick! Chaps 31, Panthers 21

7:09 4Q: Westlake’s Heath McRee converts a 3rd-and-7 with a 7-yard catch to keep the Chaps’ drive alive.

8:09 4Q: Westlake gets bailed out by a Ridge Point unsportsmanlike conduct penalty after the Panthers stuffed the Chaps on a third down. Wow.

8:40 4Q: TOUCHDOWN RIDGE POINT: Carlisle goes with a playaction pass and hits his man Dane Jones for a 68-yard score. He was wide open running behind the Westlake secondary. PAT good. Chaps 28, Panthers 21

9:34 4Q: Westlake has its third consecutive 3-and-out drive and has to punt, giving a hot Ridge Point offense the ball back with a chance to cut the Chaps’ lead to one score. The Panthers will take over on their own 25-yard line

10:51 4Q: TOUCHDOWN RIDGE POINT: Carlisle takes it in from a yard out, capping a long drive that began late in the third quarter. PAT good. Chaps 28, Panthers 14

End 3Q: Westlake 28, Ridge Point 7. The Panthers got on the board in the third and now they are putting together another drive.

1:47 3Q: TOUCHDOWN RIDGE POINT: I guess it wasn’t all that hard to score from there. Panthers QB Austin Carlisle takes it himself around the edge to get to the pylon for Ridge Point’s first score of the ballgame. PAT good. Chaps 28, Panthers 7

1:52 3Q: Ridge Point stubs its toe in the red zone and commits a false start penalty that turns 3rd-and-4 into 3rd-and-9 from the 10-yard line. The Panthers still have a chance to score, but that penalty makes it a bit more difficult now.

5:38 3Q: TOUCHDOWN WESTLAKE: The Chaps need one play to convert the big play on special teams as Kayser rumbles into the end zone from 6 yards out. PAT good. Chaps 28, Panthers 0

5:45 3Q: IT’S BLOCKED. Westlake’s special teams unit blocks a punt and the Chaps take over on the Ridge Point 6-yard line. Rhett Steppe got his big ol’ paw on the punt. The Chaps blocked nine punts last season

9:40 3Q: Ridge Point’s defense stands up and forces the Chaps to punt. The Panthers will take over its own 11-yard line following a penalty on the kick.

12:00 3Q: Ridge Point tries to get cheeky with a short kick to start the second half, but Westlake handles it and gets a nice return into Panthers territory

Halftime: Chaps 21, Panthers 0. The Westlake defense is up to their usual stingy ways and has swarmed the Panthers’ potent offense. Three different Chaps have scored touchdowns on the offensive side and are in control.

0:28 2Q: Westlake kicker Spencer Barnett hooks his field goal try just a little bit and it’s no good. Ridge Point takes over with no timeouts deep in their own territory

GREAT PLAY ALERT: Are you serious right now, Cal Livengood? The Westlake receiver snares this pass with one hand along the sideline for a big gain. Listen to play-by-play man Joe Taylor lose his mind after Livengood comes down with it.

1:32 2Q: Westlake’s defense does its job yet again and forces another turnover on down. The Chaps take over on their own 39-yard line

5:29 2Q: TOUCHDOWN WESTLAKE: Nate Acosta gets the carry and he slashes 12 yards for a touchdown on the heels of a 13-yard dash to set it all up. That’s 25 yards on two carries … not too shabby. PAT good. Chaps 21, Panthers 0

7:50 2Q: On 4th-and-14, Ridge Point gains about 13 yards on the pass play and the Chaps are going to take over on their own 32-yard line.

9:20 2Q: Westlake DB Denim Collins walks off the field on his own after suffering an apparent injury. We’ll see if he gets back in the ballgame.

9:35 2Q: TOUCHDOWN WESTLAKE: Jack Kayser scores his 48th career touchdown on the ground with a 1-yard plunge into the end zone. He made a sensational catch out of the backfield two plays before to set up the Chaps at the doorstep. PAT good. Chaps 14, Panthers 0

11:53 2Q: After a false start penalty turned a 4th-and-1 into a 4th-and-6, Ridge Point still decided that going for it was the best thing for them and Westlake stuffs them to take over. Westlake takes over on the Ridge Point 44-yard line.

End 1Q: Chaps 7, Panthers 0. Ridge Point will start the 2Q with the ball 3rd-and-5 on their own 47-yard line.

1:50 1Q: Westlake can’t convert on the interception and they have to punt it away. So far, outside of a 20-yard run by Ridge Point, the Chaps’ defense has been stout.

4:19 1Q: Westlake cornerback Luke Vail picks off Ridge Point QB Austin Carlisle and the Chaps take over on their own 19-yard line.

5:38 1Q: TOUCHDOWN WESTLAKE: Paxton Land finds Brody Wilhelm on 3rd-and-11 for a 22-yard touchdown. Wilhelm added a nice spin move near the goalline to avoid a defender and get into the end zone. It’s his first receiving touchdown as a starter for the Chaps. PAT good. Chaps 7, Panthers 0

9:57 1Q: Ridge Point lines up to go for it, but they end up quick-kicking it and the pooch punt goes for no return. Westlake takes over on its own 31-yard line.

12:00 1Q: Ridge Point will receive the opening kick