GAMES
RANKINGS
THE POWER RANKINGS: District 26-6A sweeps inaugural 2025 Austin area football
Playing Pick-up Sticks; throwing darts at a dartboard; pulling names out of a hat. Every one of those highly scientific methods is as equally valid as any rankings any honest person can come up with after just one game complete in the 2025 high school football season.
But we’ve gotta start somewhere – and that “somewhere” is a podium sweep by the top three teams in District 26-6A. Lake Travis leads the parade after dominating Arlington Martin while Dripping Springs raised eyebrows with a convincing 41-14 win over defending 6A-DII state champ Vandegrift. Nestled in between is last year’s 6A-D1 state finalist Westlake, not falling far despite a close loss to Prosper.
Bastrop battered Alvin to snag the highest ranking for a 5A club, although Weiss, Georgetown and Anderson also populate the Top 10. Cedar Ridge earned a tough road win over Buda Johnson to place 9th, while Liberty Hill rounds out the Top 10 despite a rough loss to 6A powerhouse Cibolo Steele.
Austin LBJ just missed the Top 10, although they are the highest 4A team on the list. Behing the Jags is Bowie, the leading contender for the final 26-6A playoff spot, and a gaggle of four 25-6A teams – Vista Ridge, Round Rock, Stony Point and McNeil – that promise to make a wild playoff scramble in that district.
Rankings rarely mean anything, especially this ridiculously early in the system. No doubt, some of these teams will drop out like anvils from a hot air balloon, while other teams not listed here will pop up by the time we’re decorating for Halloween.
But it’s never too early to start the water cooler debates, so here’s our first Power Rankings, heading into Week 2.
VYPE Austin Top 20 Combined Class 4A-6A
*Last parentheses indicates most recent game result
1. (3) Lake Travis Cavaliers (6A) – 1-0 (W 48-21 vs. Martin)
2. (2) Westlake Chaparrals (6A) – 0-1 (L 29-22 @ Prosper)
3. (5) Dripping Springs Tigers (6A) -- 1-0 (W 41-14 vs. #1 Vandegrift)
4. (1) Vandegrift Vipers (6A) - 0-1 (L 41-14 @ #5 Dripping Springs)
5. (4) Bastrop Bears (5A-2) – 1-0 (W 55-14 vs. Alvin)
6. (6) Weiss Wolves (5A-1) -- 1-0 (56-28 W vs. McNeil)
7. (7) Georgetown Eagles (5A-1) – 1-0 (W 27-0 vs. Victoria East)
8. (NR) Anderson Trojans (5A-1) – 1-0 (W 37-2 @ McCallum)
9. (NR) Cedar Ridge Raiders (6A) – 1-0 (W 49-31 @ Buda Johnson)
10. (8) Liberty Hill (5A-2) – 0-1 (L 55-10 vs. Cibolo Steele)
11. (9) LBJ Austin Jaguars (4A-1) -- 1-0 (W 46-13 vs. Sam Houston)
12. (NR) Vista Ridge Rangers (6A) – 1-0 (W 30-14 vs. Killeen)
13. (NR) Bowie Bulldogs (6A) – 1-0 (W 49-14 vs. Manor)
14. (NR) Rouse (5A-1) – 1-0 (W 55-33 vs. Pflugerville Connally)
15. (NR) Round Rock Dragons (6A) – 0-1 (L 56-28 @ Killeen Shoemaker)
16. (NR) Stony Point Tigers (6A) – 1-0 (W 42-20 @ East View)
17. (NR) McNeil Mavericks (6A) – 0-1 (L 56-28 @ Weiss)
18. (NR) Pflugerville Panthers (5A-2) – 1-0 (W 21-14 @ Leander)
19. (NR) Buda Johnson Jaguars (6A) – 0-1 (L 49-41 vs. Cedar Ridge)
20. (NR) Wimberley Texans (4A-2) – 1-0 (W 36-35 @ Canyon Lake)
VYPE Austin Football Game of the Week: Vandegrift vs. Dripping Springs (Week 1)
Friday, August 29 – 7:30 PM / Tiger Stadium – Dripping Springs, TX
The 2025 season kicks off with a heavyweight Central Texas clash as defending 6A-Division II State Champion Vandegrift travels west to face a talented Dripping Springs squad under the lights at Tiger Stadium.
For Vandegrift, Friday’s game marks the beginning of a new chapter following a historic 2024 campaign that saw the Vipers finish 15–1 and claim their first-ever UIL state title with a 24–17 victory over Southlake Carroll at AT&T Stadium.
Head coach Drew Sanders — named District 25-6A Coach of the Year — returns a battle-tested core hungry to prove last season was no fluke.
Leading the charge is senior signal-caller Miles Teodecki, a three-star Kansas State-commit who put together one of the state’s most prolific seasons last fall. Teodecki threw for over 3,200 yards and 48 touchdowns, adding four more scores on the ground to earn district Offensive MVP honors.
He’ll once again have top target Brock Chilton at his disposal. The Air Force-bound senior wideout earned first-team, all-district recognition last fall and brings a blend of quickness and sure hands to the perimeter.
Up front, the Vipers will be anchored by a veteran offensive line featuring Parker Cecil, the reigning District Offensive Lineman of the Year, alongside Carter Mannon, another first-team selection.
Defensively, Vandegrift’s front-seven brings back proven starters in linebacker Parker Davis and defensive end Hugo De La Vara Vazquez. Both earned second-team, all-district honors last season and will be instrumental in slowing down a high-powered Dripping Springs passing attack.
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The Tigers, meanwhile, come into 2025 with plenty of motivation after finishing 8–4 in one of the state’s most competitive districts. Coach Galen Zimmerman and co. placed third in 26-6A — behind juggernauts Westlake and Lake Travis — and advanced to the Area Round before falling to a surging Harlan squad.
Offensively, Dripping Springs boasts one of the top wide receiver duos in the area. Senior Cooper Reid, an Arizona State-commit, returns after posting over 1,000 receiving yards and 15 touchdowns en route to unanimous first-team, all-district honors. He’s joined by Merrik Bloomgren, a reliable second-team selection who adds depth and experience to the group.
Up front, the Tigers feature a promising mix of youth and experience, headlined by junior Hudson Whitenight — a three-star tackle and Offensive Newcomer of the Year in 2024 — and senior John Ault, a first-team, all-district honoree.
On defense, Malachi Igharo leads the secondary after earning first-team recognition at cornerback, while Kyle Daniel and Dylan Brasher round out a versatile linebacker unit that will be tasked with containing Vandegrift’s balanced offensive attack.
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Though it’s only Week 1, both programs enter with expectations — and rosters — built for deep postseason runs.
For Vandegrift, the target is squarely on their back as the reigning champs. For Dripping Springs, it’s an early opportunity to show they belong in the conversation. Under the Friday night lights, those ambitions will begin to take shape — one possession at a time.