The introduction of Round Rock Cedar Ridge High School caused a trickle-down effect to the Stony Point Tigers football team. Stony Point was once one of the top schools in the area under head coach Craig Chessher, but the Tigers haven’t reached the state playoffs since 2011, when the squad reached the semifinals of Class 5A Division I.
Stony Point was once one of the biggest schools in the Austin-area, but now the Tigers are just the sixth biggest largest school in their own district. Stony Point went a respectable 6-4 in 2014, but failed to make the playoffs behind Round Rock, Pflugerville Hendrickson, Leander Rouse and even Cedar Ridge, a team that was 4-6 in the regular season but won the right district games after forfeiting the first three games of the season.
It was the second time in three years Cedar Ridge made the playoffs, and coupled with the lack of postseason berths from Stony Point, the new school on the block had overtaken the Tigers after the campus split into two schools. The two play each other on Sept. 25, but Stony Point is out to make a point this week against Round Rock.
The Tigers are already off to a 3-0 start with wins over Pflugerville Connally, Harker Heights and an upset of Belton. Stony Point gets another chance to pull an upset this week against the Dragons from Round Rock, a team favored by many to win District 13-6A. Round Rock enters the district game with a 2-1 record, but the Dragons are still the favorite. Round Rock’s lone loss of the season came in the opener against Temple, one of last year’s state finalist in Class 5A and a team many expect to return deep into the 2015 record. Round Rock beat Killeen and Copperas Cove heading into the week.
A win for Stony Point would continue its momentum in 2015 and put the Tigers in prime position to compete for a playoff berth, but even a loss sets up a class with rival Cedar Ridge that would carry a lot of weight for the fans, players and coaches. A decade ago, players at Cedar Ridge and Stony Point would be on the same team. Now, it is a rivalry like few others in the area. And this year, with both teams expected to contend for a spot in the playoffs, it will matter even more.
