DAVID BARBER

davidb@vanzandtnews.com

After a successful 2024 varsity football campaign, the Van Vandals are looking for even more in 2025 as they begin fall practices Monday, Aug. 4.

Coach Jared Moffatt’s Vandals are coming off an impressive 10-4 record in 2024 advancing all the way to the Class 4A, Division 2, quarterfinals for the fourth time in school history before being eliminated by eventual state champion Carthage last December.

Moffatt, entering his 16th season in Van, with an overall record of 127-52, will have the challenge of replacing 20 lettermen that graduated from last year’s team.

The good news is that the Vandals will have 20 other lettermen returning including four offensive and five defensive starters.

“We returned in January after Christmas break to get ready for the next season,” pointed out Moffatt. “Our off-season program does not begin on Aug. 4. Our kids worked hard in the weight room and then we started working on football skills when we came back from Spring Break and that continued until the end of the school year. During the summer, our kids did a great job of showing up and working hard through the summer to get ready. We were pretty much halfway through with our off-season when we got to August. Now, we are ready for the ‘official’ start of the season.”

“We have basically been doing everything that we need to do to get ready for a new season, year after year,” continued Moffatt. “These kids in Van don’t know anything different. They have done just about everything we have asked them to do as coaches to help them be successful. This group is no exception. They have put themselves in a position to get ready for practice on Monday, Aug. 4. We are excited about getting started and preparing for a new season.”

When the Vandals begin workouts Aug. 4, Moffatt is anticipating around 120-125 high school players in attendance including approximately 45 freshmen.

“The freshmen number is a pretty good number,” said Moffatt. “We would like to have 50 freshmen if we could. I think the most freshmen we have ever had was 51. Overall, we should have 125 kids overall which has become pretty much a standard number for us.”

Key returning players for the Vandals include defensive tackle Waylon King, center Collier Bryant, offensive lineman Landon Robinson, cornerback/running back Daquavion Williams, wide receiver Aidan Willis, outside linebacker Boston Blaylock, free safety Ian Hopson, and offensive lineman Carter Broyles.

According to Moffatt, the players to watch for the Vandals in 2025 include cornerback/wide receiver Blaise Lineberry, quarterback/tight end Ryder Savage, defensive tackle Oliver Stowe, running back/defensive lineman Adam Beall, running back Marcus Fabian, wide receiver Connor Ammons, wide receiver Gunnar Stanford, quarterback Rawly Hinch, linebacker Carter Admire, defensive lineman Tiler Williams, wide receiver Cash Walker, defensive end Brigg Barton, cornerback/wide receiver Dylan Johnson, wide receiver/cornerback Turner Jones, offensive lineman Jayse Wilson, offensive lineman Reed Haltom, offensive lineman Caleb Pickrell, strong safety/quarterback Parker Rainey, and wide receiver Braxton Bass.

With 20 seniors to replace from last season’s team, Moffatt is looking forward to the challenges of the 2025 campaign as a number of young players in key positions will need to come through this season.

Van’s freshmen and junior varsity teams were also successful last season as both squads finished with overall records of 9-1.

“I have been here for a long time and some of our assistant coaches have been here for a while as well, so our kids know what is expected of them and that does benefit us heading into a new season with this young group,” pointed out the Vandal head coach. “These kids have a good background and a good base. Our kids have found ways to win tough football games at all levels, and I believe that helps us entering a new season. We graduated a really good senior class that played a lot on both sides of the ball. 

“Offensively, I don’t know that I have ever been part of a team that has brought back less offensive production from the previous season as I have this team this season,” emphasized Moffatt. “Guys that ran the ball, caught passes, the quarterback, you look at our team from last season and the guys that produced for us were seniors. Right now, we don’t have a lot of guys on offense that have produced on Friday nights yet. Anytime you have to replace players from last season, there are always going to be questions entering the next season. We have to get these questions answered. Same thing on the defensive side of the ball as well. We have 25 seniors on this season’s roster.”

Beginning Monday, Aug. 4, the Vandal varsity and junior varsity teams will be practicing from 6:30-8:30 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. On Wednesdays, the team will practice from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The freshmen team will practice from 7:30-9:30 a.m. Monday through Friday.

“With school starting here on Thursday, Aug. 14, we are going to have about a week and a half with that practice schedule,” pointed out the Vandal head coach.  

The Vandals will have their annual Media Day Friday, Aug. 8, at 6:45 a.m. at Van’s Memorial Stadium.

Their annual Red/White scrimmage is scheduled later in the evening on Friday, Aug. 8 before scrimmaging two other schools as they will host Corsicana Friday, Aug. 15, before traveling to Palestine Thursday, Aug. 21.

Van will open its 2025 regular season schedule at Van’s Memorial Stadium against Dallas Carter in a 7:30 p.m. kickoff Friday, Aug. 29.

Their District 7-4A, Division 2, opener will be at Spring Hill in a 7 p.m. kickoff Friday, Oct. 10 against the Spring Hill Panthers.

Dave Campbell’s Texas Football Magazine predicts that the Vandals will finish third in the district race behind Gilmer and Texarkana Pleasant Grove. 

The magazine also picks the Vandals as the 23rd best team in the state entering the season.

“I appreciate the fact that we are ranked despite the fact we graduated a lot of starters from last season,” pointed out Moffatt. “People have noticed that we have graduated a lot of players through the years and continue to be competitive and win. I appreciate what they think about us.

“Being in a district with Gilmer and Texarkana Pleasant Grove presents great challenges,” emphasized Moffatt. “They are both going to be really good football teams again this season.”

Spring Hill is picked to finish fourth in the district followed by Pittsburg and Paris North Lamar.

“I have been impressed with the job that Spring Hill has done with their football program,” said Moffatt. “Pittsburg and Paris North Lamar have new coaches. It is hard to know what they are going to do this season. We will have our work cut out for us.”