The Vista Ridge Rangers jumped out to a 12-0 lead and never looked back, opening their season with a 31-21 win over Hendrickson on Friday.

Vista Ridge was on the scoreboard less than a minute into the game when Blake Estes connected with Jaylen Harris for a 32-yard score on the game’s second play. Three minutes later Harris blocked a Hawk punt and scooped up the ball and raced 28 yards into the end zone for the second Ranger score. Despite two missed extra points Vista Ridge was up 12-0.

The Hawks battled back, scoring on a two-yard Damarion Jackson run and a 27-yard fumble return by Kingsley Ike to take a 14-12 lead with six minutes to play in the first quarter, but the Rangers had the last shot in the high-scoring frame. After stopping the Hawks on fourth down to get the ball back, it took just two plays before Chris Showels exploded from the line of scrimmage and sped 57 yards down the field for the final touchdown of the first half. Cory Patton added a 36-yard field goal as the first half expired to send the Rangers in with a 23-14 halftime lead.

Vista Ridge added just one more score in the second half when they capitalized on the good field position they got thanks to a bad snap on a Hawk punt attempt. The muffed snap set the Rangers up at the Hendrickson 19-yard line and three plays later Kyle Sullivan scored on an 8-yard run.

Showels led the Rangers with 86 yards rushing. Vista Ridge’s defense held Hawk Kenny WIlliams (Texas Tech) to just 41 yards on 13 carries.