The game by the numbers
The Van Vandals (12-1, 5-1) and the Kennedale Wildcats (10-3, 5-0) are meeting for the first time Friday night and in the region 4A finals. The game will be played at the Dallas Cowboys’ The Star in Frisco, the Cowboys’ new headquarters. {{more:Read more …}}Forget the rainy weather, it is a covered stadium. No coolers, no outside food and no bags unless they are clear.Van Vandals …
Van has a great season and hopes to repeat the success of the 1979 team that won a state championship. They have a single loss coming against district rival Terrell by a score of 19-14. That loss did create a three way tie in District 8-4A between Terrell, Kaufman and Van. But since that loss at the end of the regular season, Van has gone on to outscoring their three playoff opponents 150-48.
The Vandals had rolled through pre-district and district putting up some big numbers using the spread offense to hi-light their talent and in the process beat 3A Mineola (11-2) 41-21; 4A Princeton (5-6) 56-28; 5A Lindale (2-8) 56-14; 4A Palestine (5-5) 38-21; 4A Crandall (4-7) 44-6; 4A Athens (2-8) 44-13; 4A Brownsboro (2-8) 49-7; 4A Mabank (0-10) 47-0; and 4A Kaufman (8-4) 34-14.
In the playoffs, Van beat Princeton (5-6) 41-14, Mineral Wells (9-3) 54-7 and Paris (9-4) 55-27.
Van is coming off a 7-5 season in 2015. But had a 10-1 season in 2014 and were 9-2 in 2012 and 10-2 in 2011. Their overall playoff record is 28-25-3. Head Coach is Jared Moffatt in his seventh year as head coach.
Van has averaged 42.8 points per game while allowing just 14.3 Kennedale has averaged 39.0 points per game while allowing 17.3.
On the plus side for the Cats
Kennedale is coming off of back to back 12-1 seasons. The Wildcats have been to the state quarterfinals 3 times since 2001. Kennedale has an overall playoff record of 24-22-0. And Kennedale is on an eight game winning streak.
Schedule-wise, Kennedale had played the tougher schedule with opposing teams with a combined winning record above .500 while Van’s opponents have a combined winning record below .500.
While Kennedale’s offense has done its job this season, so has the defense. Kennedale has recorded five shut outs. Van has had one.
Common opponents …
Common opponents have been Mineral Wells and Terrell. In the Mineral Wells game Van won 54-7 last week and Kennedale won 38-28 in week 8. In the Terrell game as mentioned Van lost to Terrell 19-14 in week 10 and Kennedale beat Terrell 21-20 in week 1 and again two weeks ago 15-7 in area play.What will it will take to win …
The key to this game for Kennedale is to slow down Van’s high flying offense. Last week against Paris and using the spread to maximum benefit, the Vandals rolled up 672 yards of offense with 27 first downs.Kennedale has had plenty experience this season against the spread offense. They have played only one team, Alvarado, this year that didn?t use the spread. Kennedale hopes to make this another Terrell game, a low scoring affair that favors the Cats. Although, the Cats were able to match the powerful offense of the Midlothian Heritage point for point and eventually winning by 2.
