The ninth-ranked Vipers rode their prolific offense to a 55-30 win over Elgin to open their season Friday night.
Led by seniors Travis Brannan and Paxton Segina, the Vipers demonstrated their ability to drive down the field and score before the opposing defense had a chance to catch its collective breath.
In the first half, the game looked like it had potential to be an exciting back-and-forth affair.
The Vipers scored first on a 67-yard dash by Segina to take a 7-0 lead.
The Wildcats responded with a touchdown of their own aided by a defensive holding and roughing the passer penalties that kept their drive alive.
Vandegrift then responded with a touchdown by Travis Brannan but botched the extra-point snap to make the score 13-7.
On the ensuing drive, the Wildcats responded with a touchdown of their own and took a 14-13 lead.
After the Vipers retook the lead on another score by Brannan, the Wildcats responded with a methodical drive that culminated in a touchdown and two-point conversion to take a 22-20 lead with 21 seconds left.
At that point, it looked like the Wildcats might have had a chance at an upset.
However, Vipers' QB Alex Fernandes found a wide-open receiver over the middle who ran the ball in for a touchdown just before halftime.
In the second half, the Vipers offense began firing on all cylinders while the wheels fell off for Elgin.
The Wildcats simply had no answer on defense for the blazing speed and fast tempo of the Vipers' offense.
In addition, penalties and lack of execution plagued the Wildcats allowing Vandegrift to blow the game open.
While the Vipers did put on an impressive display, especially in the second half, they still have plenty of work to do to be competitive in their loaded district.
In addition to committing numerous penalties, the Vipers struggled to contain the Elgin rushing attack, especially in the first half.
Next week, the Vipers travel to Abilene Cooper while the Wildcats return home to face rival Bastrop.
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