Fresh off of a 14-2 season that ended with a Texas state championship loss to nationally ranked DeSoto, Cibolo Steele entered 2017 — David Saenz’s first as head coach — with lofty expectations despite key departures.

Suffice to say, four consecutive losses following the Knights’ season-opening win over Madison was not exactly what folks in Cibolo had in mind.

Under like circumstances, many programs would’ve collapsed amid panic and finger-pointing — particularly with Saenz in the unenviable position of potentially playing the scapegoat.

Instead, Steele and its first-year coach did the opposite. The Knights remained focus, kept swinging, and six wins later, Cibolo Steele is one of the hottest teams in the state playoffs heading into its UIL Class 6A, Division II area-round matchup against Vandegrift at 2 PM CT on Friday in New Braunfels.

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Replacing graduated quarterback Xavier Martin and top wide receiver CJ Williams was no easy task for the Knights, and while there were growing pains, freshman quarterback Wyatt Beagel has grown into the role. Brenden Brady has lightened the load considerably, rushing 1,612 yards and 20 touchdowns — including a massive 255-yard effort vs. Brennan last week.

Brady is a three-star running back with over 20 scholarship offers, but it’s where the offers are coming from that really tells the story about the 5-foot-11, 190-pound senior’s headiness and propensity to lead his peers. He’s committed to Rice, with additional offers from schools such as Harvard, Princeton, and Yale in tow.

Stopping him will be the single biggest key for a Vandegrift team that has, for the second time in as many seasons, advanced to the area round by defeating San Antonio Johnson by a single point. 

For the Vipers, defense hasn’t been what you would call a strength overall, as Vandegrift has surrendered 20 or more points in a game six times this season. That being said, the same defense also held opposing offenses to 10 or fewer in three other games.

All of that simply confirms the existing narrative on Vandegrift in general: The Vipers aren’t the surest bet on Friday night, but they can absolutely play with anyone on any given night — as evidenced by two- and four-point losses to Austin Westlake and Odessa Permian, respectively.

No matter which team emerges, the winner of this one will move into a favorable regional draw, with a very real chance to advance to a quarterfinal showdown with Westlake in two weeks.

Key Matchup: Steele RB Brenden Brady vs. Vandegrift LB Spencer Jones

Characterizing this game as Brady vs. Jones is obviously oversimplifying it. But Roth’s ability or inability to plug Brady’s path to the second level of the defense will be perhaps the most telling development of the contest.

If Brady is getting into the open field consistently, the Vipers are in big trouble.

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