Vandegrift Edges Cedar Ridge in OT

By Chris Doelle
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Updated: September 16, 2018

photos: Steve Thomas

Playoff Atmosphere Starts Early

Senior kicker Tim Barney netted a 33-yard field goal in overtime to lead the Leander Vandegrift Vipers to a 17-14 comeback win over the Round Rock Cedar Ridge Raiders Friday night in both teams’ district opener. Vandegrift entered district play at 2-0 with wins over rival Cedar Park and Killeen Ellison. As one of the new teams in District 13-6A, the Vipers faced a critical opening test against the defending district champions. Cedar Ridge, meanwhile, entered the game at 1-1. The Raiders suffered
an opening loss to 6A newcomer Temple but got back on track last week beating Cedar Park in Burnet. For the Raiders, the matchup with Vandegrift marked a big first step in their quest to defend their district title.

To open the game, Cedar Ridge got off to a fast start. Junior quarterback Jalen Brown took advantage of a missed assignment and connected with senior wide receiver Jaylen Ellis for a 41-yard touchdown pass. Following the touchdown, the Raider defense recovered Vandegrift junior quarterback Dru Dawson’s fumble to set up Cedar Ridge at the Viper 45-yard line. Despite the good field position, the drive ended with a punt. For the rest of the half, neither team could sustain any momentum on offense. Cedar Ridge went into the half with a 7-0 lead.

In the beginning of the second half, the Raiders squandered an excellent opportunity to build on their lead. After the defense forced the Vipers to punt on the opening drive, junior running back Deuce Vaughn broke free on a screen pass which set up Cedar Ridge with first and goal. On the next play, however, junior running back Jacory Isaac fumbled the ball; and the Vipers recovered the ball at their own three-yard line. Late in the third quarter, the Raiders got another chance when the defense recovered Vandegrift junior wide receiver Trey Mongauzy’s fumble at the Viper 43-yard line. This time the Raiders capitalized when Dru Dawson scored on a two-yard touchdown keeper. The Vipers responded with senior running back Isaiah Smallwood’s two-yard touchdown run which cut the deficit to 14-7.

Following the touchdown, Cedar Ridge suffered a major loss when Jaylen Ellis was ejected for targeting. After the ejection, the Viper defense forced the Raiders backwards resulting in a punt. On the next drive, Isaiah Smallwood found pay dirt again on a ten-yard touchdown run to tie the game at 14-14. Despite having 1:03 left in regulation, Cedar Ridge opted to kneel out the clock and settle for overtime.

On the first possession of overtime, the Vandegrift defense carried the momentum from the fourth quarter and forced Cedar Ridge backwards. The Vipers got sacks on third and fourth down to force the Raiders to turn the ball over on downs. Needing only a field goal to win, Isaiah Smallwood and senior running back Brendan Bennett set up Tim Barney for the field goal attempt. Despite the pressure situation, Barney netted the attempt which sent the home side of Monroe Stadium into a frenzy.

After the game, the message from the Vandegrift players and coaches was about resilience. Isaiah Smallwood praised his team for staying together despite being down and said that the team is never down as long as they trust each other and the coaches. Head coach Drew Sanders also praised his team’s resilience despite being down for most of the game, “They amaze me. I just look in their eyes and they’re still coachable,” he said. He lauded his defense for their performance against a potent offense. He also praised Dru Dawson and for making big plays and credited his offensive line for handling an excellent front four for Cedar Ridge

With the win, Vandegrift improves to 3-0 overall and 1-0 in district. The Vipers will travel to The Pfield next Friday for another key district showdown with Pflugerville Hendrickson. The Hawks are 2-0 overall and 1-0 in district following a 64-14 drubbing of Round Rock Westwood. Cedar Ridge, meanwhile, falls to 1-2 overall and 0-1 in district. The Raiders will host the Leander Lions next Friday at Kelly Reeves Stadium. The Lions are 1-2 overall and 0-1 in district following a 33-9 loss to Round Rock Stony Point.

by Steve Thomas