Handling adversity key to Vipers' success

Watching his team battle its way through the unforgiving District 13-6A slate last year, Vandegrift coach Drew Sanders got a weekly reminder about what makes his Vipers successful.

“We were down in multiple games last year, but we just have this ability to not get down on ourselves and point fingers when someone drops a pass,” Sanders said last week.

He pointed to two instances last year in which dropped passes might have caused lesser teams to implode. Needing a big play against Round Rock, the Vipers dropped a sure-fire touchdown on a late third down before converting a tough fourth down in what became a 27-24 win, one of five by fewer than 10 points.

And then there was the area round playoff game against Klein Collins, when top receiver Trey Mongauzy let a winning score slip through his fingers.

“We just fought through it,” Sanders recalled. “We got the game into the second overtime, and then Trey catches the game-winning touchdown. One of the strengths of our team is our character, and we work on it all year long.”

The Vipers will need their character — not to mention their substantial talent — early and often as they begin what they hope is a season that finds them playing football in December.

“We want to leave Vandegrift with a bang,” Trey Mongauzy said. “Hopefully we can make another long run.”

Along with twin brother Tyler, Trey will play a key role in the Vipers’ success. Both brothers bring all-district experience to their side of the ball. Trey is the team’s top receiver, Tyler is the leader in the secondary, and they know they are surrounded by players who are just as motivated for more success.

“I am really excited for the defense this season,” Tyler said. “We have some really good players coming back from last year, and we’ve also got some younger guys who are really talented.”

All-state linebacker Jax McCauley (156 tackles in 2018) anchors a defense that must rebuild the front four, but defense has long been the Vipers’ calling card. In today’s world of fast-paced, high-scoring offenses, Vandegrift allowed only 17 points per game last year. Of course, the Viper defense benefits from working against an experienced, explosive offense each day in practice.

“We have a lot of explosive players on our offense,” Trey said. “I’m expecting a lot of big plays this year.”

The confidence starts with senior quarterback Dru Dawson, who completed nearly 70 percent of his passes last season, amassing 2,386 yards with 23 touchdowns.

“He does an awesome job,” Trey said. “He does it through the air and with his feet. He's smart. He knows the offense in and out and is a great communicator.”

And while Trey is the only returning receiver with more than 10 catches, confidence in an up-and-coming group of prospects keeps expectations high.

“I think every experienced coach would say the same thing,” Sanders said of his expectations for newcomers assuming more prominent roles. “I see some good things happening. We had some good subvarsity teams, and I think we have indicators to be successful, but we still need to see it.”

Sanders sees another set of twins following in the Mongauzys’ footsteps. Junior Bowen Lewis takes over the primary running back duties from the graduated Isaiah Smallwood, and twin Kaleb is poised to join Tyler Mongauzy in Vandegrift’s playmaking secondary, where J.J. Parker has also returns. Junior cornerback Logan Arnold has also flashed potential during preseason workouts.

Those playmakers will be tested week in and week out. The Vipers dive into the regular season by tangling with Leander school district rival Cedar Park and open district play two weeks later against Cedar Ridge, which they dethroned last season.

However successful, last season is now squarely in the rearview mirror. The Vipers have certainly gained confidence from that success, but another grueling challenge awaits, and Sanders is eager for the task at hand.

“What I want to do is achieve our potential every single year,” he said. “I’m very thankful for what we accomplished last year, but that’s behind us now. We’ve got to do the best we can this year, and that starts with Cedar Park, which is obviously a great program, and it starts with Cedar Ridge in our first district game, and everybody knows how good they are.”

Counting down

The American-Statesman continues its preseason countdown of the best high school football teams in Central Texas regardless of classification. Today we look at Vandegrift, which won its first Class 6A district title last year. Who will be No. 2 Tuesday? Here's a clue: This team has reached the playoffs for 31 consecutive years, the second-longest active streak in the state.

Statesman preseason Top 10

10. Regents

9. LBJ

8. Hutto

7. Giddings

6. Cedar Ridge

5. Cedar Park

4. Liberty Hill

3. Vandegrift