It's the time for our updated Volleyball and Football Rankings. How do things stack up after 5 weeks of action of Football? And how about Volleyball as well? Scroll down to find out.
** Records come from maxpreps unless otherwise noted.
5A-6A: Canyon drops out of the rankings after their shutout loss to Smithson Valley. We could have put the Rangers in the rankings to replace them, but Dripping Springs has looked absolutely dominate so far since moving up to 6A. Westlake had a little bit of struggle against Lake Travis but pulled away in the 2nd half and stay in the top spot.
1A-4A: No changes this week, with Boerne still looks the team to beat in 4A-DI, Davenport is right on their tail. Cuero rebounded after their loss last week, and Wimberley survived a potential comeback against Lampasas.
Private School: After their loss, TMI drops out of the rankings and are replaced by 6-man San Marcos Academy who is on a 3 game win streak since their week 1 loss. Regents has kept on doing what Regents does and remains at Number 1.
5A-6A: Things have seemed to take shape for the most part here, though Dripping Springs drops after Lake Travis beat them this week. Replacing them are the Cavaliers. O'Connor is rolling and remains at the top spot.
1A-4A: No changes in the top teams, though a restructure in the order as Johnson City and Wimberley both lost. Wasn't enough for me to drop them for the rankings especially when Johnson City (a 2A team) lost to a 6A team
Private School: 4 of the 5 schools stay the same with arguably the best team in the state at the Number 1 spot. John Paul II replaces Hill Country School of Austin to jump back in after being out the last few weeks.
There are plenty of marquee football matchups this week in the Austin area. Plenty of folks will be curious to see how Cedar Ridge holds up against Lake Travis or just exactly how many points Cedar Park and Hutto are going to score between them in their battle for 24-6A lead.
But the vast majority of games each week slip under the radar, largely unnoticed by anyone except the teams themselves and their fans. That doesn’t make those games any less important. And this week’s VYPE Central Texas Game of the Week between McNeil and Stony Point at Kelly Reeves Athletic Complex is a perfect example.
There are similarities between these two longtime Round Rock ISD rivals. Both are operating under new head coaches. And both are trying to build new cultures around those coaches and return to playoff form.
McNeil’s journey has been the most harrowing of the two. The Mavericks (0-2, 0-6) returned to the playoffs in 2024 and were one freakish play away from repeating that accomplishment last season under former head coach Scott Hermes. The program then went through the process of replacing Hermes twice, ultimately landing Jerry Gardner from Wylie East late in the summer.
Between the late change and seriously rebuilding after losing a ton of talent to graduation, the Mavericks have gotten off to a slow start. Senior quarterback Orion Covault has worked through the air (52-100, 646 Yds., 5 TD, 3 INT – stats through 5 games) while tacking on 261 rushing yards with a touchdown. Senior Zylen Hall (48-255, 9.5 YPC, 4 TD) has provided a spark on the ground with young receivers Quincy Sampson (13-194, 14.9 YPC, 2 TD) and sophomore Jeremy Powell (12-143, 11.9 YPC, TD) emerging as his favorite targets.
It’s a similar, if more conventional story at Stony Point (1-1, 2-4). Former Hutto offensive coordinator Dustin Pleasant travelled west along Hwy. 79 to land in Tigerland, taking over from legendary head coach Craig Cheshire. Unlike McNeil’s recent playoff appearance, the Tigers haven’t been to the postseason in a minute or two. And while the path to postseason is difficult in a district with Lake Travis, Westlake, and Round Rock, the path potentially exists with a win over Cedar Ridge (or a huge upset of either “Lake” team.)
Senior quarterbacks Brady Davis (49-89, 670 yds., 5 TD, 2 INT) and sophomore Kadin Smith (29-55, 324, 2 TD, INT) have both seen time behind center while junior Aiden Lloyd (98-475, 4.8 YPC, 8 TDs) anchors the running attack. Senior Olamide Aroworade (28-456, 16.3 YPC, 3 TD) has been the Tigers’ leading receiver.
It’s easy to hype the drama between two powerhouse teams. These two – McNeil and Stony Point – each have their own goals and agendas. At the most basic level, McNeil is simply looking for their first win of the season and of the Coach Gardner era; a chance to reap the rewards after months of hard work.
The Tigers’ slender playoff path relies on winning all their game against the rest of the district while punching one of the favorites in the nose down the road.
But mostly, it’s just one of the 10 nights these kids get to experience the thrill and joy of playing Texas High School Football. The fact that it’s our VYPE Austin CenTex Game of the Week is just icing on the cake.
