4A

Regional Semifinal 4A Team of the Week: Van Vandals

by
Adam Ogburn
December 4

4A Team of the Week: Van Vandals

Van finished third in its district. Now, the Vandals are one of the last eight standing in 4A Division II.

The key to that run? Catching fire at the right time and never giving up.

Last Friday, Van found itself trailing by ten against Sunnyvale. It was the second time Van had trailed by double digits in the playoffs. The first time, the Vandals fell behind to Athens by 14 points in the first round. They rallied back to win that one 38-30.

As it turns out, history would repeat itself. Van outscored Sunnyvale 28-14 in the second half to flip the game on its head. Vandal running back Austin Moffatt slipped free for the 25-yard go-ahead touchdown with just over two minutes to go in the 42-38 Vandal victory.

Austin Moffatt 25-yard TD run. Van 42, Sunnyvale 38, 2:17 left in game. @etfinalscore @cradsports @dctf @NETsn_Live @THEKyleOwens @RyanSilapan @justinwells2424 #TXHSFBplayoffs pic.twitter.com/1dAHRGu84E

— Brandon Ogden (@BrandonOSports) November 29, 2024

“I’ve been repeatedly impressed by the resiliency of this team throughout the season and their ability to fight adversity and overcome tough situations,” Van head coach Jared Moffatt said. “We have been down a number of times by multiple scores in games and have been able to battle back to win. This team is mentally tough and has absolutely no quit in them. They just continue to battle and play the next down while never panicking. The win was an outstanding victory for our team, program, and community.”

The win would not have been possible without Moffatt’s two suns. Austin rushed for 141 yards and that go ahead score, while Jaxon, a quarterback, threw for 217 yards and two touchdowns, while adding two more scores on the ground.

However, it was far from a two man band. Caden Rowe had five catches for 101 yards, and Asher Hawkins had seven catches for 76 yards and two touchdowns.

Defensively, Wyatt Dale was a thorn in Sunnyvale’s side. He had four tackles for loss and a big pick-six to cut the Sunnyvale lead to just three in the late third quarter.

Up front, Waylon King had ten tackles and two sacks, while in the secondary, safety Cade Christiansen finished with nine tackles.

The victory means Van is headed back to the fourth round of playoffs for the first time since 2016. That matchup that awaits them is about as tough as they come. The Vandals will face powerhouse Carthage on Friday in Longview.