Vandegrift (2-4, 1-1) vs Leander (2-3, 1-0)
Monroe Stadium
Friday, Oct. 7 @ 7:30 p.m.
By SCOTT W. COLEMAN
Four Points News
It’s homecoming week! The annual community-wide homecoming parade, pep rally, court presentation and fireworks show start on Wednesday, Oct. 5 at 6 p.m. at Vandegrift. The event will also include a special presentation by the UIL for the 2016 Lone Star Cup.
The Legacies-sponsored Mum Store will be in the VHS cafeteria through Thursday Oct. 6 from 3:45 – 6:30 p.m.
The Homecoming King/Queen will be crowned during the halftime presentation on Friday at the football game vs. Leander HS at Monroe Stadium.
The homecoming game starts at 7:30 p.m. and Leander is a team on a mission.
Picked to finish near last in District 25-6A, the Lions haven’t had a winning season since its 11-2 campaign in 2012 under Clint Harper.
That season Leander went 5-1 in district play, its only loss to eventual state champion Cedar Park, and finished with disappointing third-round playoff loss to Flour Bluff. It was the second straight playoff loss on an end-of-game play by an opponent under Harper, and the coach departed after that season.
The oldest team in the district has endured on-field and off-field hardships in the ensuing years, with veteran coach Lee Bridges taking over in 2013 and then leaving as he was elevated to the district’s Athletic Director just two seasons later after an 0-10 campaign. Former Cedar Park quarterbacks coach Tim Smith, the offensive coordinator under Bridges, earned the nod as head coach and led the team to a 4-6 mark in his first season.
Last year, the Lions lost district games to Rouse, Vandegrift and Cedar Park but strung together enough victories, including a 34-24 upset of then-ranked Georgetown, that it had a shot at making the postseason under its then first-year head coach.
A big part of Leander’s struggle in recent years has been on the offensive side of the ball. Quarterbacks and running backs have come and gone, often with injuries taking their toll, but there hasn’t been a real standout at either position in several years.
This season, injuries have been part of the story again.
The Lions also have a big win over Westwood on their record, and with all of their big games ahead, Leander is an opponent that has shown it has talent and is on a mission to return to the postseason.
Vandegrift will need to continue the momentum from its big win over Lehman last week, which was what coaches like to call a ‘complete game’ where the Vipers dominated on offense, defense, and special teams. A young quarterback like Carter, who was recently promoted from the JV squad, will likely be susceptible to making mistakes under pressure. Look for the Viper defense to go after Carter, who was responsible for the vast majority of Leander’s offensive production last week.
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