Leander Vandegrift Routs Round Rock Stony Point

By Chris Doelle
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Updated: September 18, 2021

Vandegrift vs Stony Point by Steve Thomas

photos: Steve Thomas

Vipers cruise past Tigers in district opener

Four games into the season, the Leander Vandegrift Vipers look almost unstoppable. Offensively, the Vipers have given opposing defenses fits on the ground and through the air. Head Coach Drew Sanders attributed the success to his offensive coordinator’s ability to find and exploit favorable matchups. Defensively, the Vipers have wreaked havoc on opposing offenses applying constant pressure, swarming to the ball, and forcing turnovers. In non-district play, the Vipers went 3-0 with a 28-point average margin of victory. On Friday night at Kelly Reeves Stadium in Round Rock, the Vipers’ dominance continued with a 56-21 drubbing of the Round Rock Stony Point Tigers.

Entering the game. the Tigers were 2-1 and featured a potent rushing attack led by running back Cameron Cook. The Tigers also featured a formidable defense with significant experience on the defensive line and linebacker corps. Regarding Cook, Coach Sanders said, “You can’t shut him down. You just have to limit him.” Throughout Friday’s contest, his defense was able to do just that. Cook rushed for 123 yards in the game but only found the end zone once. On offense, the Vipers were once again able to exploit favorable matchups for big plays. Through the air, the Vipers threw for 267 yards and scored on touchdown passes of 21, 38, 70, and 52 yards. On the ground, the Vipers ran for 172 yards and four touchdowns.

Early on, the Tigers were able to keep the game relatively close. The Vipers jumped out to 14-0 lead in the first quarter following a 21-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Brayden Buchanan to receiver Jack Nelson and a 14-yard touchdown run by running back Ryan Sheppard. Early in the second quarter, however, Tiger running back Jaden Leonard caught a pass off a tip and ran it to the Viper 38-yard line. A few plays later, Cook found the end zone on a seven-yard touchdown run which narrowed the gap to 14-7. This was as close as the Tigers would get. On the next Vandegrift drive, Brayden Buchanan found the end zone on a six-yard scramble. Following the touchdown, Viper defensive back Griffin Shaffer intercepted Tiger quarterback Ivan Villegas’s pass on the ensuing drive; and Buchanan connected with receiver Reece Beauchamp on a 38-yard double pass one play later. The Tigers cut the deficit to 28-14
on their next drive with Leonard’s three-yard touchdown run, but the Vipers widened the gap back to 35-14 on a 70-yard touchdown pass from Buchanan to Beauchamp shortly before halftime.

On the opening drive of the third quarter, Vandegrift running back Alex Witt extended the Vipers’ lead to 42-14 with a nine-yard touchdown run. Later in the quarter, Ivan Villegas connected with Jaden Leonard on a 12-yard touchdown pass which cut the Vandegrift lead to 42-21. Vandegrift responded on the next drive with a 52-yard touchdown pass from Buchanan to receiver Graylan Spring. Midway through the fourth quarter, the Vipers capped off the scoring with a two-yard touchdown keeper by Buchanan.

With the win, Vandegrift improves to 4-0 overall and 1-0 in district. The Vipers are on bye next week before returning home to face district rival Cedar Park Vista Ridge on October 1st . The Rangers are 2-2 overall and 1-0 in district following a 23-14 over Round Rock McNeil. Stony Point, meanwhile, falls to 2-2 overall and 0-1 in district. Next week, the Tigers have a bye and will travel to Dragon Stadium in Round Rock on October 1st to face the Round Rock Cedar Ridge Raiders. The Raiders are 3-1 overall and 1-0 in district following a 21-13 win over Round Rock.

by Steve Thomas