Drew Sanders reached 100 victories as head football coach of Vandegrift High School, with a 53-7 victory over Vista Ridge.
The victory was quickly followed by tributes from players who attended the game to pay their respects to Sanders on the video scoreboard, the Austin Herald Statesman reported.
The coach, 46, credited principal Charlie Little, who hired him in 2009, for his success.
“Drew knew what he was looking for but he didn’t want to work for just anybody,” Little said to the Herald Statesman. “He wanted to work for someone who shared his values and his commitment. When I met him, he was fit, he was charming. I remember thinking these kids are going to love him.”
The 100th victory arrived as Vandegrift is having another good season, with a 5-0 start, according to the Statesman.
When he first took the job, Sanders said he had no idea what kind of team he was building.
Yet the first team went on to have a 4-6 record in a district with tough competitors like Lake Travis and Cedar Park. Sanders knew his first team had what it took after 32-30 loss to Dripping Springs, coming back from a 21-0 deficit at the half.
“They beat us on the last second,” Sanders said. “That game told me I’ve got a bunch of guys who would listen to me and fight. I was encouraged by that.”
The school is named for Matthew Vandegrift, a Marine Corps officer killed in Iraq in 2008, the Statesman reported. The school celebrates Valor Day each year in honor of Vandegrift.
The next day after his 100th win, Sanders and his wife went to Sherman to visit their sons who play football for the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor, the Statesman reported.
