Top Players: Vista Ridge vs Leander

The game between Leander and Vista Ridge was a close one with the game being decided in literally the final minute of play and Vista Ridge getting the 23-21 victory on Thursday night. Leander held the score for most of the game, but Vista Ridge awakened in the second half and the Rangers defense was able to hold off a Leander come back in the final minute of the game. Both teams had excellent offensive performances, check them out! 1. <strong>Alexander Franklin III (SR-RB) - Leander High School (Leander, TX)</strong> Stats: 174 rushing yards, 2 rushing touchdowns Franklin was a workhorse all game and displayed his strength as he would often bulldoze over Vista Ridge defenders. Franklin is undoubtedly one of the best running backs in Central Texas and a severely underrated talent. He can make any defense work and that was shown in this game against a tough Vista Ridge defense. 2. <strong>Alex Berndlmaier (JR-RB) - Vista Ridge High School (Cedar Park, TX)</strong> Stats: 91 rushing yards, 1 touchdown Berndlmaier was also the main factor in Vista Ridge's running game. Although the Rangers often opted for long and medium passing plays, whenever the Rangers did run the ball, Berndlmaier would deliver being both fast and tough to tackle. If he got into open space, Berndlmaier was essentially gone. He is definitely a player to watch going forward. 3. <strong>Tian Murry (SO-WR) - Vista Ridge High School (Cedar Park, TX)</strong> Stats: 5 receptions, 135 receiving yards Murry was the main driving force in Vista Ridge's passing offense. Both he and junior wide receiver Reese Heffelfinger were the main targets in the game and both players were able to cut down the Leander secondary, especially in the second half. Once the Vista Ridge passing offense gets going, it is tough to stop, and for a while Leander was able to stop it, but senior quarterback Desmonde Thomas was able to find an answer. 4. <strong>Desmonde Thomas (SR-QB) - Vista Ridge High School (Cedar Park, TX)</strong> Stats: 214 passing yards, 2 passing touchdowns Although it was a rough first half for the Vista Ridge offense, Thomas was able to get things going in the second half. He was able to stay calm in the pocket and would often not leave to early despite the pressure. More so, his passes were accurate, rarely getting knocked down or almost picked. He had great vision down the field, as Vista Ridge would often get big plays on their drives as opposed to Leander's strategy of small plays and getting first downs. 5. <strong>Aidan Perrott (SR-QB) - Leander High School (Leander, TX)</strong> Stats: 169 rushing yards On the opposite side, Perrott struggled to get a passing game going, but he was excellent when keeping the ball or on QB draw plays. Despite Leander essentially abandoning throwing the ball, the Lions with Perrott were able to keep it moving on running plays. In an old-school type of offense, Perrott and Franklin make quite the team and Perrott showcased his athleticism and speed in this game as he was not always easy to tackle and could get into open space quick if the defense was not set for a draw play.