Westmoore 2024 LB Connor Cavnar enjoys being in the middle of the action
MOORE, OKLAHOMA - Connor Cavnar likes to be in the middle of it.
Any time the Westmoore linebacker is on the field, he is like a heat-seeking missile that has been programmed to find the action.
This was never better illustrated than during the Jaguars' first-round 48-43 playoff victory over Mustang last week. On one particular play, the 5-foot-11, 200-pound Cavnar immediately saw a run play coming and attacked.
He met the Broncos' tailback in the hole and not only stopped him dead in his tracks, but Cavnar proceeded to lift him off the ground as he drove the pile backward.
When the play was over, Cavnar turned to the Westmoore fans with his arms outstretched as if to ask, “Are you not entertained?”
That play was just a microcosm of what Cavnar’s senior season has been like. It has been comprised of one big play after another that has helped propel the Jaguars into the quarterfinals of the 6AI playoffs.
“I feel like this year has just been everything a player could ask for; all the love from everyone, and I feel like I've hit the weights a lot more and I feel like just my improvement has helped the team improve,” Cavnar said. “I got to be a captain of the defense and I feel like my hard work has been reflecting on this team, and then I just love going all around the field and it's showing off.”
Oklahoma high school football playoff brackets updated for all classes
Cavnar’s success this season hasn’t come as a surprise to anyone around the Westmoore program. As a junior, he broke the school’s single-season record for tackles with 187.
“I try not to think about those things most of the time because it gets in the way of my true goal and that's to win the game at all costs,” Cavnar said. “But it's a pretty cool thing to think about.
"When you can make it more than about just yourself, you can make history and I feel like that's big.”
Yet, because that took place during a sub-par year, what Cavnar was doing didn’t seem to get much notoriety. But as the team started to win games, the effect he was having on those games was becoming more evident.
But for Cavnar, the most important aspect is not only that he is helping the Jaguars win games, but also changing the way people look at Westmoore.
“I feel like it's just been a really big turnaround because the past few years it's been a little shaky in the past and people have really looked down on us,” Cavner said. “We feel like we changed the whole program this year because we worked so much harder and it's really paid off.
"I feel like it's just really, it's more than just the football game now. It's just the whole program of Westmoore that’s been affected.”
Norman North advances past Edmond North in opener of Oklahoma Class 6AI playoffs
Cavnar said the turning point came early in the season after the team had lost two of its first three games. That included a 49-7 blowout to Tulsa Union in the opener.
Instead of calling it quits and just playing out the schedule, the Jaguars won their next four games. That included beating rival Moore and then stunning Jenks, 16-12, on the road.
“The thing was is we knew going into that week we had to do something we've never done before,” Cavnar said of beating Jenks. “We just told ourselves we have to prepare, prepare, prepare. And we just had so much preparation that when it came to the game, it was easier.
"And then everyone saw that day and just said, now, we have to do that for all of our other games if we want to be successful this season.”
Entering the postseason, Cavnar was still racking up the tackles. He had 168 total tackles and 80 solo stops.
But this year, Cavnar has been a menace behind the line of scrimmage as well. Through 10 games, he had 9.5 sacks and 26 tackles for loss.
Westmoore linebacker Connor Cavnar (right) makes a tackle on a Norman North ballcarrier during a recent game.
However, the numbers do not tell the true story of just how disruptive Cavnar can be to a team’s offensive game plan.
“It kind of makes you feel kind of powerful,” Cavnar said. “It kind of makes you feel like a presence on the field and everyone's making sure they have got to take care of you.
"I feel like if they're looking at me, then that frees up somebody else. I feel like that's also a big part of our success is our other guys are stepping up pretty big.”
In order for Westmoore (7-4) to be the last team standing this season, Cavnar and the rest of the team will have to play at another level for the rest of the playoffs. That includes traveling to Tulsa in this Friday's quarterfinal round for a rematch with Union.
But regardless of how the season concludes, Cavnar plans to continue his athletic career. He has offers to play both football and baseball at the next level.
In a perfect world, one school would let him play both. But as of now, Cavnar is just looking for the best offer, regardless of the sport.
“That dude's been amazing, man,” said Westmoore coach Zo Williams. “He is just lights out no matter what the situation is. He's a dog. He is one of the best linebackers I ever coached in my life.
"I'm definitely going to miss him when he’s gone. But man, we're going to keep riding as long as we can with him.”
-- Michael Kinney | @SBLiveOK
