The judge threw the book at Wakeland's defense with a triple-option offense in Week One, but the Wolverines walked out 1–0 with Tristan Lawyer representing them.

Lawyer compiled 16 tackles, two tackles for loss and was in on the game-winning sack in Wakeland's 14–10 victory over Grapevine Thursday night. On a night where a missed tackle or assignment could result in a house call, Lawyer missed just one tackle and helped the Wolverines hold Grapevine to 210 total yards.

Lawyer picked up where he left off from a stellar junior season in which he posted 107 tackles. But his athletic prowess is far from the only reason Wakeland named him a team captain as a senior.

"What you probably don't see that we get to is the genuine love he has for his teammates," Wakeland head coach Chandler Isom said. "He just wants to go out there and do his best. It's not really for him, it's for the guys that he's playing with."

True to form, Lawyer was quick to deflect praise on others for freeing him up to make so many tackles.

"My D-Line and my other linebacker (junior Cedric Thornton)," Lawyer said. "I wasn't getting touched that much, I was able to get off blocks (because) I wasn't getting double-teamed."

The 6-foot-4, 225-pound linebacker enjoyed a breakout summer on the recruiting trail and now holds 12 offers. The schools recruiting him hardest right now are Tulsa, Wyoming, Texas State and UTSA. Lawyer said Tulsa linebacker coach Koy McFarland consistently checks in on him and continues to build a strong relationship. His recruitment is far from over, however. He previously told Dave Campbell's Texas Football at the State 7-on-7 tournament he had no deadline on a decision. 

Lawyer displayed elite run defense against Grapevine, quickly diagnosing which back had the ball and shedding offensive linemen at the line of scrimmage when they were trying to block him at the second level. On the game's final play, he showed off his blitzing prowess for the first time, blowing up the running back attempting to block him before gang tackling the quarterback.