Last night, both Lake Travis and Vandegrift fans gathered at Cavalier Stadium in hopes of leaving with a victory. Currently, the Lake Travis Cavaliers and the Westlake Chaparrals are tied for district, making tonight’s game the ultimate decider on whether or not Lake Travis takes home the trophy. The Vandegrift vipers, seated 4-0, are going to playoffs in their first year in 6A. That’s a big deal. With their stingy rush defense, nobody has been able to run on them all season, thus qualifying them as a worthy competitor against Lake Travis’s relentless offense.
Drew Sanders, head coach of the Vandegrift Vipers, states that he felt “nervous” but “ready to go,” finding confidence in the Viper’s official spot in the playoffs while still managing to remain focused on the opponent at hand. Vandegrift has never played Lake Travis in the regular season, but has participated in multiple scrimmages against the powerhouse. Though Vandegrift has never beat the Cavaliers, their continuation of improvement over these last couple of years may change the outcome of tonight’s game. The past two seasons, Vista Ridge’s football team reached the Class 5A, Division I state semifinals, undeniably assuring them a spot in the 6A Region IV District.
Last week, the Lake Travis Cavaliers were short three of their starters, but showed no evidence of it, continuing their 60+ point streak for the third consecutive week with ease. LT has incredible speed in numerous of their offensive players. The group of district juggernauts with games/strategies tailor-made for one another added to a mighty defense, makes for great head-to-head competition. .
The game started sluggish but intense in the first quarter, with Lake Travis leading 21-0. In the 2nd quarter, both teams seemed to find their stride. Though the Vipers continued to put up a strong front defensively, holding Lake Travis more in the first half than any other district opponent has, Lake Travis’s tenacious and stubborn offense seemed to be unstoppable. Just as expected, the Lake Travis Cavaliers finished the 1st half on top, leading 28-0. Lake Travis’s momentum grew as 13 more points were added to the score in the 3rd quarter, making it a whopping 41-0. Finally, the Cavs finish the takeover without letting a single Viper break the wall, stacking up a total of 55 points and walking home with a 2016 District Championship.
