Five Viper FFA teams going to state

The Vandegrift FFA entomology team (L-R) Aurod Ounsinegad, Alex Beaucamp, Michael Maher, and James Autry placed 2nd overall at their contest at Texas A&M University on April 6 and qualified for state on April 27 at Texas Tech University. Individually, Autry placed 1st, Ounsinegad 5th, Maher 11th, and Beaucamp 12th. This contest requires that students correctly identify insects, order, their mouthparts, metamorphosis, and significance. The competitors must also take a general knowledge exam over entomology as well. Joe Lemmons coaches entomology.
The Vandegrift FFA vet sciences team L-R Shane Shockley, Jessica Powell, Gyliana Larracuente Arroyo, and Samuel Weiss placed 3rd at their area contest hosted at Blinn College on April 5 and qualified for state on May 4 at Texas A&M. This will be Vandegrift FFA’s 4th consecutive appearance at the state vet science contest. Magan Escamilla, VHS agriscience teacher and FFA advisor, is the vet sciences coach.
Vandegrift’s first meat judging team in its FFA chapter history placed 4th overall at the area contest at Texas A&M University on April 6 and qualified for state at TAMU on May 4. The team consists of Zach Roush, Katie Wills, and Joshua Alexander. Wills also placed 9th individually. During the contest, students are in a freezing meat cooler in frocks and hard hats. They identify retail cuts of meat, their actual names and where the cuts are located on the carcass. The students also have to know which is the best way to cook the meat, such as using a grill or crockpot. Additionally they grade the quality of the meat and are tested over the meat industry. VHS student teacher, Taylor Navarette, is responsible for coaching this year’s meat judging team.
The Vandegrift wildlife team, coached by Joe Lemmons, had their area contest on April 15 and placed second which also qualified them for the state contest on April 23 in Corpus Christi. Pictured: Dylan Modisett, Zach Sagebiel, Svenja Markley, and Ava Arends
The Vandegrift floriculture team (L-R) Camille Barkhuizen, Tori Botello, Madeleine Rawlings, and Noel Attwood received first place at the area contest at Texas A&M University on April 6 and qualified for state on May 3 at Sam Houston State University. This will be the Viper’s 3rd consecutive state FFA floriculture contest appearance. Individually, all four teammates were in the top 10: Madeleine Rawlings received 1st high individual, Tori Botello 2nd high individual, Noel Attwood 3rd high individual and Camille Barkhuizen 7th high individual, according to Magan Escamilla, VHS agriscience teacher and FFA advisor.