That game on Aug. 26 was a milestone for Rouse, an 0-10 team last season, its first as a varsity squad .

A day earlier, Vandegrift ripped Lanier 44-7 at Nelson Field, beginning a winning streak that stands at four games.

Rouse and Vandegrift, a pair of Leander ISD high schools, are natural rivals. Both schools have senior classes for the first time, and both endured growing pains in athletics before tasting some success.

"Nothing starts the school year off right like a winning football program," Vandegrift coach Drew Sanders said.

While Rouse struggled to an 0-10 mark in 2010, Vandegrift finished 4-6. The Vipers' 31-29 victory over the Raiders in late October, sealed by Brett Koster's 20-yard field goal as time expired, ignited the Vandegrift-Rouse rivalry.

"It was tough," Mann recalled. "That game ripped our hearts out."

Rouse (2-1-1), which has an open date Friday, rides a defense that has allowed 17 points a game, down from last year's average of 45. A balanced offense is led by quarterback Michael Botello (495 yards passing, four touchdowns); running back Ed Butts (262 yards rushing); and receivers Wesley Lewis (11 catches, 134 yards, one touchdown) and Logan Kinder (10 catches, 231 yards, two TDs).

The presence of a senior class has been just one factor in Rouse's improvement.

"We trusted in each other and believed we could get it done," Botello said. "First, everyone had to commit. Then we concentrated on building around each other rather than building around one player like previous teams."

Mann said the Raiders felt a "sense of urgency" because the seniors vowed to erase the memory of a winless season. Beating Liberty Hill changed everything.

"After going through a humbling experience, it was time to celebrate because you never know how many (victories) you're going to get," Mann said.

In a poignant moment in the locker room, Mann presented a game ball to Charley Rouse, the school's namesake . The retired Leander High principal spoke briefly, telling the players the victory brought "added responsibility" and wishing them luck for the rest of the season .

"It felt like we had won the Super Bowl (after Rouse finished speaking)," Mann said

Unbeaten Vandegrift tackles Cedar Park (3-1) in its toughest game to date on Friday. The Vipers have plowed through four opponents by an average score of 44-7, a feat that doesn't impress Sanders.

"A 4-0 predistrict record and a nickel will buy you a piece of gum," he said.

Playing in a district that includes Lake Travis, a four-time defending state champion, the Vipers will follow quarterback Dakota Prukop, whose first name was inspired by a character in a Louis L'Amour novel. A senior, Prukop has a combined 974 yards passing or rushing yards along with 14 touchdowns.