The first fall chill was in the air Friday night at Shelton Stadium, but that didn’t seem to cool down the Vandegrift Vipers one bit. They got off to a fast start and only got faster, leaving the Lehman Lobos in the dust.
Vandegrift was flying under the radar coming into this matchup, mainly due to their not so pretty 1-4 record to start the 2016 campaign. Anyone in attendance Friday night would agree that the Vipers definitely did not look like a 1-4 team though, with an absolute beat down of Lehman.
This game was decided early, so early in fact the Vipers were able to send out their second units before the bands even performed their halftime routines. The halftime score was 48-0 and could have been even more lopsided if not for a few miscues on offense for the Vipers.
Vandegrift went to work early and often, scoring three quick touchdowns in the first quarter, and three more in the second plus a pick six. Vandegrift was able to gash the Lobos for big runs thanks to the explosive backfield, which accounted for three different first half touchdowns and adding one more in the second half. The passing game got going early as well, so well that Alex Fernandes for the Vipers had over 230 yards along with three touchdowns through the air before being pulled.
Lehman had trouble moving the ball the entire game, struggling to move the chains on the ground despite that being their bread and butter so far this season, averaging almost 200 YPG on the ground before Friday. The only real chance came with 4:17 left in the first when a Lobo receiver couldn’t haul in a sure to be touchdown on a seam route. This killed the first quarter drive and led to a pooch punt, with two interceptions and another botched big play on offense soon to follow for the Lobos. It was all Vipers from then on, keeping the Vandegrift kicker busy until the third quarter with kickoff and extra point duties.
Vandegrift looks to get back in the District 25-6A race after this victory, posting a 1-1 in district play after Friday night. Despite losses to the likes of Odessa Permian, Westlake, and Lake Travis, the Vipers are still eyeing a playoff birth. They appeared to be the superior team in all faucets on Friday, justifying that this team is not just all hype. Watch out for the Eagles to make some noise in District 25-6A, it’s all about peaking at the right time and Vandegrift appears to be on the climb. They face off against Leander at home this Friday, the winner will be looking to improve to three wins and remain in the thick of the district title race.
