The Steele Knights will face off against the Vandegrift Vipers at 3:00 p.m. on Friday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Steele is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Thursday. They blew past Pharr-San Juan-Alamo, posting a 63-12 victory. Winning may never get old, but the Knights sure are getting used to it with their eighth in a row.
Steele's receiving core played a big role in the win, headlined by Jalen Cooper and Royal Capell. Cooper picked up 111 receiving yards and a touchdown while Capell picked up 73 receiving yards and a touchdown. Capell showed off some serious burst, connecting on a big catch for 68 yards.
Steele didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off two passes before the game was over. The picks came courtesy of MARSHALL KENNER and Jalen Morgan.
Meanwhile, Vandegrift entered their tilt with Sotomayor on Thursday with nine consecutive wins but they'll enter their next game with ten. They took their match with ease, bagging a 51-0 win over the WILDCATS. Given the Vipers' advantage in MaxPreps' Texas football rankings (they are ranked 41st, while the WILDCATS are ranked 270th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Vandegrift was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 259 rushing yards. That's the most rushing yards they've posted since back in September.
Vandegrift wouldn't let Sotomayor keep a hold of the ball as they managed to force two fumbles. Vandegrift can thank Hollister Stephens and Ian Witt for forcing both of them. Stephens is also on a roll when it comes to total tackles, as he's now made six or more in the last three games he's played. Another thorn in Sotomayor's side was Adam Scott, who picked up a sack and made six total tackles (4.0 for loss).
Steele's victory bumped their record up to 11-1. As for Vandegrift, their win bumped their record up to an identical 11-1.
The upcoming matchup will be a clash of competing strengths. Steele has relied on air attacks this season and has averaged 273 passing yards per game. Vandegrift, on the other hand, has relied on a stout run game: they average 154.6 rushing yards per game. So which strategy will prevail on Friday? There's only one way to find out.
Steele was dealt a bruising 38-0 defeat at the hands of Vandegrift in their previous matchup back in November of 2021. Thankfully for Steele, Brayden Buchanan (who threw for 237 yards and two touchdowns, and also punched in two touchdowns on the ground) won't be suiting up this time. Will that be enough to change the final result? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
