GAMES
RANKINGS
VYPE Central Texas Game of the Week Preview: Liberty Hill vs. Rouse
Liberty Hill vs. Rouse may not be quite the grudge match in football as it is in baseball, but it’s still an intense affair when they meet up. The latest installment kicks off Friday night (9/5) when the Panthers meet the Raiders in the VYPE Central Texas Game of the Week from Gupton Stadium.
Liberty Hill (0-1) typically punches above its weight during non-district and last week’s opener vs. Cibolo Steele was a perfect example. The Knights – one of the more powerful 6A teams in the state every year – throttled the Panthers’ powerful running game enroute to a convincing 45-10 victory.
Liberty Hill lives or dies with that running game – the Panthers threw just one incomplete pass the entire night – but Steele held the vaunted Slot-T rushing attack to just 190 rushing yards on 56 carries. Senior running back Bryce Muchow led the way with 76 yards on 21 carries -- but he’s been known to log that many yards on the way from the bus to the locker room.
First-year Head Coach David Seaborn not only hopes his Panther offense can get untracked, but that Liberty Hill’s defense will fare better against Rouse after giving up 21 first-quarter points and 461 total yards on the night vs. Steele.
That won’t be easy, as Rouse (1-0) scored early and often, outlasting Pflugerville Connally in a 55-33 track meet. Longtime Raider Head Coach Joshua Mann – the only coach in Rouse’s history – hopes his squad can pick up where it left off at The Pfield. Senior quarterback London Morgan lit up the Cougars for 375 yards and six touchdowns, while junior Joshua Park (4-159, 39.8 YPG, 2 TD) and senior Anthony Reyes (10-105) chewed up Connally on the ground.
The Raiders needed all that offense, however, as their defense gave up 33 points and 432 yards.
Liberty Hill leads the series 5-2 and many of those games were high-scoring affairs. While their baseball and football teams always go at it, this non-district showdown between Liberty Hill and Rouse may more likely resemble a basketball game.
What: Liberty Hill @ Rouse
When: 6:45 Pregame, 7:00 Kickoff
Where: Gupton Stadium, Leander HS
Who: Trevor Hargrove, Matt Lorenz
Watch: https://www.vype.com/7pm-football-liberty-hill-vs-rouse-2673957188
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.