GAMES
RANKINGS
VYPE/ESPN Austin Central Texas Game of the Week Preview: Cedar Park vs. Rouse
It wasn’t all that long ago that the Cedar Park Timberwolves were the dominant 5A football program in the Austin area and a perennial threat to win it all. The Timberwolves nabbed two State Championships – 2012 and 2015 -- and reached the title game on two other occasions – 2014 and 2020.
Cedar Park (1-0, 2-2) returned to Earth a bit in the past three seasons, even as they continued to make the playoffs. Now, however, the Timberwolves appear to be trending in the right direction again, as evidenced by a double overtime win over powerful Vandegrift in Week 2. The T’wolves host the Rouse Raiders at Gupton Stadium in the VYPE Central Texas High School Football Game of the Week this Friday night (10/4), simulcast on 102.7 FM ESPN Austin radio.
Sophomore quarterback David Cooper (59-98, 900 yds., 8 TDs, 2 INTs) and explosive junior running back Trae Hill (105-459, 4 TDs) key a T’wolves offense that’s averaging just under 400 yards/game. Meanwhile, the vaunted Black Rain defense seems to be finding itself after allowing Killeen Chaparral just 12 points last week.
Coach Joshua Mann’s Rouse Raiders haven’t exactly been slouches in the meantime. The Raiders (1-0, 2-2) reached the 2012 state semifinal game in just the program’s third season and have reached the playoffs in eight of their 14 seasons, including an 8-4 run last season.
Junior quarterback London Morgan (59-99, 934 yds., 9 TDs, 2 INTs) leads the Raider offense with senior running back Bryce Johns pacing the ground game.
Even when they’ve struggled in recent years, Cedar Park has done well in district games. We’ll see what happens in this District 8-5A-1 clash Friday night from “The Gup.”
What: Cedar Park vs. Rouse
When: 6:45 Pregame, 7:00 Kickoff
Where: Gupton Stadium
Who: Josh Willard, Cecil Coconougher, Brad Cone
Watch: https://www.vype.com/7pm-football-cedar-park-vs-rouse
Listen: 102.7 FM ESPN Austin, https://www.1027espn.com/
The Dripping Springs Tigers prepare for kick-off
THE POWER RANKINGS: Familiar faces climb to top of Austin-area football rankings
Let’s face it. Just two weeks into the 2024 high school football season, nobody really knows anything yet.
Teams are still sorting themselves out while playing unfamiliar foes; upsets and near misses unfold that would never happen when the teams are in their grooves, and so forth.
As a result, the cream rises to the top until a rising power curdles that cream by inflicting a second or third loss.
That’s why Lake Travis stays at No 2 despite a near-miss vs. Rockwall and Vandegrift stays at No. 3 despite their upset 2-OT loss at Cedar Park.
It’s also why Cedar Park – a team trying to reconnect with its own elite status from the recent past – has cracked this week’s list.
That said, here’s our stab at the Top 20 teams heading into Week 3.
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VYPE Austin Top-20 Combined Class 4A-6A
*Last parentheses indicates most recent game result
1. Westlake Chaparrals (6A) -- 2-0 (63-7 W v. San Benito)
2. Lake Travis Cavaliers (6A) -- 2-0 (45-42 W v. Rockwall)
3. Vandegrift Vipers (6A) -- 1-1 (49-46 L 2-OT v. Cedar Park)
4. Dripping Springs Tigers (6A) -- 1-1 (35-6 W v. SA Wagner)
5. Weiss Wolves (5A-1) -- 2-0 (54-0 W v. San Marcos)
6. Hutto Hippos (6A) -- 1-1 (31-29 L v. Judson)
7. Bowie Bulldogs (6A) – 2-0 (38-27 W v. Vista Ridge)
8. Liberty Hill Panthers (5A-2) – 1-1 (57-38 W v. Rouse)
9. Cedar Park Timberwolves (5A-1) – 1-1 (49-46 W 2-OT v. Vandegrift)
10. LBJ Austin Jaguars (4A-1) -- 1-0 (Bye)
11. Round Rock Dragons (6A) – 2-0 (42-21 W v. Temple)
12. Buda Johnson Jaguars (6A) – 2-0 (35-24 v. Stony Point)
13. Anderson Trojans (5A-1) – 2-0 (62-20 W vs. Elgin)
14. Pflugerville Panthers (5A-1) – 2-0 (46-7 W v. Hays)
15. Rouse Raiders (5A-1) 1-1 (57-38 L v. Liberty Hill)
16. Georgetown Eagles (5A-1) – 2-0 (39-10 W vs. Belton)
17. Glenn Grizzlies (5A-1) – 2-0 (41-40 W v. Copperas Cove)
18. Wimberley Texans (4A-2) – 2-0 (35-9 W v. Fredericksburg)
19. Vista Ridge Rangers (6A) – 1-1 (38-27 L v. Bowie)
20. Austin High Maroons (6A) – 2-0 (35-34 W v. Westwood)
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VYPE Austin Top-5 Private Schools
1. Regents Knights (TAPPS) – 1-1 (63-7 W v. San Benito)
2. St. Michael’s Crusaders (TAPPS) – 2-0 (34-9 W v. St. John XXIII)
3. Brentwood Christian Bears (TAPPS) – 1-1 (53-14 W v. Savio)
4. St. Andrew’s Highlanders (SPC) – 2-0 (55-13 W vs. St. Francis Episcopal)
5. Hyde Park Panthers (TAPPS) – 0-1 (41-22 L vs. Lutheran South Academy)