GAMES
RANKINGS
THE POWER RANKINGS: Lake Travis clings to top spot in Austin area
Westlake kept up the pressure with another tough road win over powerful Atascocita; Lake Travis cruised to an easy win over Midland Legacy in response and Dripping Springs edged a dangerous Harker Heights squad to maintain the 26-6A podium sweep for another week.
Vandegrift seems to have settled into its groove with a shutout over Stony Point and Bastrop outlasted Prestonwood Christian in one of the many Friday night track meets to round out our Top 5.
Anderson’s impressive win over College Station helped them leapfrog Weiss, who lost a tough one to league favorite A&M Consolidated. With Georgetown holding serve at #8, Vista Ridge edged Round Rock to step over Rouse who became the latest local team to come up short against the resurgent Waco Midway Panthers.
Liberty Hill travelled 5 hours each way to get Coach David Seaborn’s first win to remain #11 while Austin LBJ edged Wimberly in a battle of 4A powers to move up to #12.
McNeil flexed its offensive muscles with a 70-spot to surge past district rivals Stony Point and Cedar Ridge, The Hutto Hippos debut at #15 after outlasting Cedar Ridge. Sandwiched in-between is Bowie, who won impressively on the road at Bible Stadium over Glenn.
Hendrickson knocked Hays out of the Rankings with a wild 1-point road win over the Hawks; Pflugerville and Pflugerville Connally reappear after impressive non-district wins while Cedar Ridge and Stony Point hang on for now to close out this week’s Rankings.
Another batch of districts begin district play this week, which should bring things further into focus. For now, here’s this week’s Power Rankings comers and goers heading into Week Four.
VYPE Austin Top 20 Combined Class 4A-6A
*Last parentheses indicates most recent game result
1. (1) Lake Travis Cavaliers (6A) – 3-0 (W 59-13 vs. Midland Legacy)
2. (2) Westlake Chaparrals (6A) – 2-1 (W 35-28 @ Atascocita)
3. (3) Dripping Springs Tigers (6A) -- 3-0 (W 31-26 vs. Harker Heights)
4. (4) Vandegrift Vipers (6A) - 2-1 (W 24-0 vs. #14 Stony Point)
5. (5) Bastrop Bears (5A-2) – 3-0 (W 70-55 vs. Prestonwood Christian)
6. (7) Anderson Trojans (5A-1) – 3-0 (W 37-14 vs. College Station)
7. (6) Weiss Wolves (5A-1) -- 2-1 (L 48-40 @ A&M Consolidated)
8. (8) Georgetown Eagles (5A-1) – 2-1 (W 35-32 vs. Copperas Cove)
9. (10) Vista Ridge Rangers (6A) – 3-0 (W 30-29 vs. #17 Round Rock)
10. (9) Rouse (5A-1) – 2-1 (L 38-28 @ Waco Midway)
11. (11) Liberty Hill (5A-2) – 1-2 (W 33-20 @ El Paso Eastlake)
12. (13) LBJ Austin Jaguars (4A-1) -- 2-0 (W 34-33 @ #19 Wimberley)
13. (15) McNeil Mavericks (6A) – 2-1 (W 70-45 @ Westwood)
14. (16) Bowie Bulldogs (6A) – 2-1 (W 38-14 @ Glenn)
15. (NR) Hutto Hippos (6A) – 2-1 (W 63-49 @ #12 Cedar Ridge)
16. (20) Hendrickson Hawks (5A-2) – 2-1 (W 42-41 vs. #18 Hays)
17. (NR) Pflugerville (5A-1) – 2-1 (W 40-0 vs. Ft. Bend Christian)
18. (NR) Pflugerville Connally (5A-1) – 2-1 (W 35-24 vs. Bryan Rudder)
19. (12) Cedar Ridge Raiders (6A) – 1-2 (L 63-49 vs. Hutto)
20. (14) Stony Point Tigers (6A) – 2-1 (L 24-0 @ #4 Vandegrift
VYPE Austin Central Texas Game of the Week Recap: Rouse outlasts Liberty Hill in overtime
It was every bit as intense and wildly entertaining as predicted.
Rouse’s London Morgan hit Coen May for a 15-yard touchdown strike in overtime to lead the Raider’s to a scintillating 49-43 win over Liberty Hill Friday night (9/5) at Gupton Stadium in our VYPE Austin Central Texas Game of the Week.
The offenses dominated all night, although they were mirror images of each other. For Rouse, it was Morgan getting it done through the air. The senior signal caller was outstanding, completing 29-40 passes for 422 yards and five touchdowns to four different receivers with one pick. Senior Alfredo Lopez (6-143 yds., 2 TDs) and junior Aubryn Davis (6-109 yds, TD) led the way with senior Anthony Reyes hauling in the fourth scoring strike. The Raiders had just 85 total rushing yards, 61 of that courtesy of Morgan who hauled one carry into the end zone.
Liberty Hill, on the other hand, did all their damage on the ground where they amassed 471 yards on 69 carries with six rushing touchdowns as a team. Junior Pierre Dylan Belinga led the Panthers with 162 yards and three touchdowns on 17 carries. (That’s 9.5 yards-per-carry, or nearly a first down with every carry, in case you’re scoring at home.) Seniors Preston Benefield (26-167, TD) and Bryce Muchaw (25-138, 2 TDs) also cracked the century mark. Panthers junior quarterback Hudson Prior threw just two passes, completing one of them for a 35-yard touchdown to junior Cayden Timmons.
Neither team led by more than a touchdown the entire night. The game was tied 14-14 after the first quarter and 28-all at the half. Rouse held a slight 34-28 edge heading into the fourth quarter after a missed PAT.
With the teams trading punches, the Panthers fought back to take a 43-40 lead late in the fourth quarter – but the Raiders mounted one last drive, capped off by Matheus Zocca’s 30-yard field goal with 0:20 left to send the game to overtime.
Ironically, after all the offense, it was a defensive play – a fumble recovery by Rouse on the first play in overtime -- that set up the Raiders for Morgan’s game-winner.
Rouse (2-0) faces a stiff Thursday night test at Gupton Stadium against a vastly improved Waco Midway squad. The Panthers (0-2), meanwhile, will make the long trek to Andrews (north of Midland-Odessa) on Friday for a neutral site rematch of last year’s game vs. El Paso Eastlake. VYPE Live will broadcast that game with an early 4:45 pregame and 5:00 kickoff.