Austin sportscaster Jeff Power documents Cavaliers' historic football championships

When the Lake Travis football team won its unprecedented fifth consecutive state championship in 2011, TV sportscaster Jeff Power was there to capture it with a video camera.

Power, who has been an Austin TV sportscaster for the past 15 years and hosts the high school football program "Fox Football Friday," said he was so impressed by the historic run that he decided to make it the subject of his first documentary. The result, "The Quest for Greatness – The Lake Travis Story," is set to air on Fox Sports Southwest in mid-December and tell the story of the five championships.

"I've been doing this for 21 years; I'd like to think that lends me some credibility for doing the project," he said.

Through game footage and interviews with current and former players, coaches, athletic directors and parents, "The Quest for Greatness" documents the record-breaking journey of the LTHS football team from 2003–11.

The documentary starts with Jeff Dicus being appointed head coach in 2003 by Athletic Director Jack Moss. Under Dicus, the team went from winning almost no games to taking home a state championship in 2007.

Recalling Dicus' first year as coach, former player Austin Wrinkle says in the film's trailer that Dicus dismissed six players on one of the first days of practice because their hair was too long.

"When Coach Dicus got there, he demanded discipline," he said.

"The Quest for Greatness" goes on to cover the team under coaches Hank Carter and Chad Morris. Power said he was impressed the team won consecutive championships under different coaches while also sustaining significant injuries.

"It's been the consistency of good coaching, having the right people in place and a system that is set in place that allows the players to thrive," he said.

Power traveled outside the state to do some of the interviews and said he enjoyed following up with the LTHS players.

"I like seeing these players in new uniforms," he said. "I think it speaks volumes that this many kids who played at Lake Travis are playing college football."

With an established system and a winnable district, the Cavaliers could continue doing well, Power said. For players such as LTHS defensive back Jacob Standard, winning means carrying on a tradition that is now in place.

"We've got to set high expectations because that's what our program is about— excellence, succeeding at the highest level," he says in the film trailer.

Fundraising

To help finance "The Quest for Greatness – The Lake Travis Story," Jeff Power is trying to raise money via Kickstarter, a crowd-sourcing platform that gives backers rewards in exchange for pledging to a project.

Power is trying to raise $15,000 by Nov. 11. He said grassroots funding is a good way for projects such as his to recoup part of its expenses.

By donating to the project, backers can get rewards such as "The Quest for Greatness" movie posters, DVDs and T-shirts. If the Kickstarter project does not reach $15,000 by the deadline, Power will receive none of the funding.

View the Kickstarter project at:

The Quest for Greatness - The Lake Travis High School Story