Very quietly, District 25-5A has become one of the most dominant districts in the state, and it isn’t just because of football. Leander Vandegrift won the Lone Star Cup for the 2014-’15 school year, and the district sent a team to the state semi-finals in nearly every competitive sport.
On the football field, the district was well-represented at the 2015 UIL State Championships in Arlington when Cedar Park fell a minute short of capturing the school’s second state title.
It should be another impressive year for the district in 2015. Two schools – Cedar Park and Vandegrift – were ranked in the AP Preseason Poll in Class 5A. Cedar Park Vista Ridge, a team that reached the playoffs in 2014 – returns nine starters on offense and seven on defense. This was supposed to be the year the Rangers returned to the state playoffs, but last year’s success should prove valuable for Rodney Vincent’s team.
It isn’t just the Leander ISD schools that will make a run at the playoffs. Dripping Springs and Marble Falls are expected to battle for playoff contention. Marble Falls is the smallest school in the district, but head coach Matt Green fields a squad with talent like high-level prospect Ryan Becker, but lacks the depth the bigger schools possess. Dripping Springs, on the other hand, is undergoing changes with Galen Zimmerman taking over as head coach. The Tigers are talented, however, and should contend for one of the four playoff spots.
Leander struggled mightily in 2014, and while the program probably isn’t ready to return to the playoffs, Tim Smith is now in charge and should right the ship. Add in Georgetown and Georgetown East View, and there is no easy win during district play.
This was proven in 2014 when Dripping Springs, a team that didn’t reach the playoffs, beat down Cedar Park in district play before the Timberwolves went on a run that almost ended in a state championship. Expect Cedar Park and Vandegrift to be the class of the district, but no one will want to see the other two teams that reach the playoffs.
