Putting the D back in its defense

For a head coach with defensive roots, the 2025 season proved a hard pill for Bryan Vardeman to swallow in his first year at Cedar Ridge.

The Raiders finished 5-5, snapping a stretch of three straight losing seasons behind an offense that averaged 36 points per game. The offense clicked early and often, scoring 49 points twice in the first three weeks and at least 40 five times.

“It was a very successful season when you look at it from an offensive standpoint,” Vardeman said. “Early on, we were on pace to set some records here, and we’ve had some prolific offenses at Cedar Ridge with guys like Deuce Vaughn and Jaylen Ellis. When you look up as a coach and say, man, all you got to do is hold people to less than 35 points a game….”

Yeah, about that….

The Raiders held just two of their 10 opponents below that 35-point threshold. They surrendered nearly 40 points per game and held just one of their 10 opponents to less than 30 points.

“There were just some things with the system we tried to run that didn’t gel correctly with our kids,” Vardeman said on the eve of preseason practice. “I don’t think the system was completely bad, but I just think for our kids, their personalities, their structure and makeup, it just wasn’t a great fit. And unfortunately, it took us about half the season to figure that out and try to get some things worked out.”

Then-defensive coordinator Jody Littleton installed a scheme that often put five players on the line of scrimmage and employed tight man-to-man coverage with little safety help deep. The defensive coaches committed to the scheme when they arrived and didn’t see any red flags in preseason practice.

Then came the games.

After allowing 31 in a season-opening win against Buda Johnson, Waco Midway put up 58 points, and Hutto followed with 63. The rest of the season became a roller coaster. When the players tasked with getting to the quarterback didn’t get home, defensive backs were often left exposed on islands.

“It’s all about matchups,” Vardeman said. “Good offenses are going to find opportunities, and so for us, what happened was that when we did not get (to the quarterback), those guys were found.”

Changing that became Vardeman’s primary focus.

“As a defensive guy, that was not what I ever would have expected or wanted,” Vardeman said. “We never envisioned (that we’d struggle like that). It was a completely different system than what I’ve been accustomed to, but at the same time, I hire guys and trust them to do their job. But at the end of the day, it’s got to work, you know?”

New defensive coordinator Brian Gaylor joined Vardeman’s staff in the spring and hit the ground running, installing his scheme and beginning to build a defense that, in Vardeman’s estimation, needs to be almost 2 touchdowns better per game. The last time Cedar Ridge allowed fewer than 30 points per game was 2022 (27.5), which also marks the last time Cedar Ridge made the playoffs.

“I have all the faith in the world that we’re going to see a big turnaround defensively,” Vardeman said. “(The scheme) is going to fit us a lot better.”

Gaylor, who spent time coaching in NFL Europe, has given the Raiders a new defensive look, one that resembles the modern 4-2-5 framework with more zone looks for the secondary.

“I’m really excited about it,” Vardeman said. “It’s a look I’m more accustomed to, and I think the guys picked it up really well in the spring and it looked good.”

The Raiders return key players at all three levels of the defense: Alex Nelson (25 tackles, 3.5 sacks), Jeremiah Passmore and Izaiah McQuiage along the line; Powers Wallis (62 tackles, 7 TFL) and Ayden O’Brien Brown (75 tackles) at linebacker; and Trent Bell (3 interceptions, 36 tackles) in the secondary.

As preseason practice began, Vardeman could only point to the progress he saw during the spring, when the new-look defense made life tough for the offense. He’s looking for more of the same as the season kicks off next week.

“We’ve given our offense some fits at times, and if we can do that, because we have a high-energy, high-octane offense, that’s something I see as a positive,” Vardeman said.

To stay on the right track, Cedar Ridge will rely on an experienced front 6 to apply pressure and limit the time a young secondary must stay in coverage.

“We’re potentially going to be starting two sophomores in the secondary,” Vardeman said. “The front six is going to be really, really strong and those are the guys we’re going to lean on.”

If the defense can approach Vardeman’s goal of allowing 12 fewer points per game, the offense should be able to score enough to drive success.

“We have experience in the right spots,” Vardeman says about his offense. “There’s no substitute for an experienced quarterback, and we lost just one offensive lineman, and with the rotational guys back as well, I look at it like we’re bringing back five starters up front.”

Caleb Phillips (6-foot-4, 290 pounds) leads the returning linemen. Christian Hughes (6-4, 290) also returns. Andreas Torres and Cade Erickson both top 255 pounds as well.

That’s a good start for quarterback Dylan Snoga, who looks to improve upon a successful junior season that saw him generate 1,700 yards of offense and 17 touchdowns. Yes, Noah Devonish and Christian Hall have moved on, but Devin Patterson returns to the backfield, giving opposing defenses a different look.

“He’s quietly and patiently waited for his turn, and no doubt he did some great things for us as a change-of-pace back,” Vardeman said. “At 210 pounds, he’s going to be a load to bring down. He’s a different style of back (than what we’ve featured previously).”

While he’s bigger than his predecessors, Patterson’s just as good at catching passes out of the backfield and potentially stronger in pass protection and blocking when Snoga takes off on a run.

Like Patterson, receivers Carter Copeland, Tyler Burchett and Terrez Harrison saw plenty of snaps last year and are expected to take a nice step forward to keep the Raiders’ passing game going. Vardeman also likes what Zaccai Williams brings to the group as a basketball player who can create matchup problems around the goal line. Jace Allen will also see time in the slot.

“I don’t look for any kind of a slowdown from our offense,” Vardeman said. “If anything, we’re going to be a year further along, so I expect the same pace, the same octane.”

Despite winning their final two games of 2025, the Raiders came up short in the playoff hunt. In a new district – the five Round Rock ISD schools join Westlake and Lake Travis – Vardeman sees a big opportunity to take that next step. There’s a simple way to make it happen, he said.

“One of our goals is to win the city (of Round Rock),” Vardeman said. “If we can do that, four district wins is probably going to guarantee you a (playoff) spot. Even if we can win three games, that’s probably going to give you a great opportunity to get in there, but we want to beat all the Round Rock schools. Last year, we did that with the exception of Round Rock High.

“Round Rock, just with their pedigree, is always probably going to be the top school, but I like to think that we’re in there as well,” Vardeman continued. “But for us, we’ve got to go out and prove it and go show it.”

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