Vandegrift (Texas) slows down high-powered Southlake Carroll to win Texas 6A-II title

Despite compiling more than 55 wins over the past five seasons, Austin Vandegrift hadn’t been able to get over the hump in the UIL state playoffs.

In 2022, they reached the 6A-Division II title game for the first time in school history, only to get routed by DeSoto 42-17. The Vipers didn’t boast a roster loaded with future college football players this year, but were still one of the Lone Star State’s most dominant teams. Coming into Saturday’s title game against powerhouse Southlake Carroll, they were considered significant underdogs to the 15-0 Dragons.

Using an electric passing offense and a bend-but-not-break defense they upset Carroll 24-17 and claimed their title for the first time since the school opened in 2009.

Junior quarterback Miles Teodicki completed 14 of 17 passes for 248 yards and a pair of touchdowns, and senior running back Brendan Fournier added 160 yards and a touchdown on 28 carries. The Vipers defense gave up 330 passing yards, but came up with three crucial turnovers and a late stop inside their own 5-yard line to secure the win.

Carroll quarterback Angelo Renda got things going early, hitting Brody Knowles from 9 yards out to go up 7-0 with 3:13 left in the first quarter. The Vipers responded almost immediately, as Teodicki hit George Farley for an 84-yard score, the longest receiving TD in 6A state history, according to UIL.

Tied at 7 and in possession after a Carroll punt, Vandegrift drove down the field — aided by a Dragons penalty — before Brendan Fournier scored from two yards out to go up 14-7. Carroll responded with a drive of its own, but Renda was picked off in Vipers territory. That didn’t turn into any points, but Vandegrift forced another turnover on the next drive and capitalized with a 10-yard touchdown pass from Teodicki to Fournier.

That put the Vipers up 21-7 and in a commanding position, and a missed field goal for the Dragons at the end of the half kept it there going into the break.

Fourth-quarter field goal put game out of reach

Following a stop on the opening drive of the final frame, Carroll took over and marched their way down the field. Renda hit Brock Boyd for a 23-yard touchdown strike to close the gap to 21-14. Vandegrift had a chance to extend the lead on its next drive, but was stopped on a fourth-down run inside Carroll’s 5-yard line.

Neither team made much hay the rest of the third quarter, trading punts until the midway mark of the fourth quarter. An 11-play drive for Vandegrift led to a 33-yard field goal that stretched the lead to 24-14 with 6:51 left.

Carroll drove all the way inside Vandegrift’s 5-yard line on the ensuing drive, only to get stopped on downs. After three rushes trying to drain the clock, the Vipers punted away from inside their own 20. Carroll managed a 47-yard field goal in the final seconds, but ultimately it was too little, too late.