Both Cedar Ridge and Rouse football will have the chance to notch a statement victory heading into district play when the two teams face off at 7 p.m. Friday.
All five of the combined wins for Cedar Ridge (3-0) and Rouse (2-1) have come against teams that are under .500 entering the fourth week of the Texas high school football season.
With district competition a week away for both squads, this contest at the Kelly Reeves Athletic Complex should be a quality barometer of each team’s ability.
Here are three things to know ahead of the game:
A pair of explosive offenses
Both Cedar Ridge, which is experiencing its best start to a season since winning a district title in 2017, and Rouse have proven they can to rack up points.
Cedar Ridge has scored 112 points over the last two weeks, headlined by a 70-23 victory Sept. 10 over Vista Ridge.
Senior quarterback Dylan Snoga has completed 41-of-59 passes (69.5%) for 744 yards, 10 touchdowns and no interceptions over the first three weeks. The primary beneficiaries of Snoga’s strong season have been Cedar Ridge receivers Carter Copeland, Terrez Harrison and Zaccai Williams, who have combined for 720 yards and nine touchdowns.
“I don’t have to rely on one guy,” Snoga said at practice Wednesday. “I know that whoever I put or give the ball to, they’re just going to work their magic and do what needs to happen.”
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Rouse prioritizes the run game much more than its upcoming opponent, but has still scored plenty. First-year coach Mark Hopkins’ squad has recorded 100 points in its last two games – a 45-33 win over Georgetown and a 55-3 trouncing of McNeil last Friday.
Amauri Dickson has had a breakout sophomore season with 343 yards on just 31 carries (11.1 yards per run) and three touchdowns. Dickson is complemented by seniors Aubryn Davis and Isaiah Arellano, who have rushed for 271 yards and two scores and 108 yards and two touchdowns, respectively.
“Takes some weight off my shoulders,” quarterback Chase Whitten said of the run game. “So I can just hand the ball, let them go to work, and then whenever we need to throw it, I can just throw it.”
The senior has completed 36 of his 53 passes (67.9%) this fall for 420 yards and six scores. Davis, who paced the Raiders with 79 catches for 1,010 yards and 13 scores in 2025, is still the team’s leading receiver despite spending more time in the backfield this season. He’s hauled in 18 passes for 152 yards and two touchdowns.
An improved Cedar Ridge defense
Cedar Ridge’s offensive exploits were on display last fall when the team scored 36 points per game. The problem is that they allowed just under 40, leading them to finish 5-5 and a game out of the UIL postseason.
The Cedar Ridge defense looks much improved early this season. The Raiders have yielded only 64 points through three games, although that includes a 21-6 win over East View on Aug. 27 that was ended at the half due to inclement weather.
Senior Ayden O’Brien-Brown leads the team with 37 tackles and four sacks. He is also tied for the team lead with five tackles for loss.
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Trent Bell, a junior safety with offers from Texas State and Sam Houston State, said the defense’s performance in 2025 motivated the group to play better this fall.
“We’re just pulling in a new intensity, new drive,” said Bell, who snagged three interceptions last year and already has one this fall. “Everyone’s hungry. Everyone doesn’t want the same results as last year – we want more. We got huge expectations for this team and this defense as well.”
A ‘dogfight’ could be in store Friday
Rouse opened its season with a 19-0 loss to Midway before entering the fourth-quarter with a 24-point lead against Georgetown and a 45-point advantage against McNeil.
The team is expecting a much more competitive game Friday. Davis said Week 4 should be a good measuring stick of where Rouse is before the team’s District 24-6A opener against Vista Ridge.
“We haven’t been in a dogfight, and I think this Friday, that’s what it’s going to come down to,” Davis said.
Cedar Ridge, a member of District 25-6A – which includes both Westlake and Lake Travis – had a dramatic victory over Copperas Cove on Sept. 4, when an 80-yard touchdown from Snoga to Harrison with 2 minutes, 38 seconds left in the fourth quarter propelled Cedar Ridge to a 42-35 triumph.
If this week’s game needs similar heroics, Cedar Ridge is prepared, according to coach Bryan Vardeman. He just cares that his team is the one ahead when the clock runs out.
“Our guys have encountered a lot of different things this season. … But we’re always up for the challenge,” the second-year head coach said. “Whether it’s a one-point game or a 50-point game, it doesn’t matter to us. We just want to have more than they do at the end of the game.”
This article originally published at A ‘dogfight’ between high-powered offenses: 3 things to know about Rouse vs Cedar Ridge.