Youth is no barrier to Lady Vipers’ success (in this week’s newspaper delivered tonight)
Vandegrift Vipers senior outside hitter Ryan Palmieri (15) in action during Leander ISD’s annual Volleypalooza tournament at Vandegrift High School in Austin, Texas, on Thursday, August 24, 2017.
By ZACH SMITH
Hill Country News
Listen closely before the next Vandegrift volleyball match. Before the JV game is even over, the varsity team has already begun their pregame routine, blasting a trio of songs in the locker room and sweating after jumping around together.
It always ends with the same song, Neil Diamond’s “Sweet Caroline” right before the team goes out.
“I’m pretty sure you can hear it playing in the gym,” senior Simone Priebe said.
After a fantastic non-district schedule, the Lady Vipers were ranked for a few weeks. But they began district play with two losses in their first three games. Since then they have won against Leander, Vista Ridge and Westlake.
Vandegrift has always relied on younger players to play key roles. Priebe and fellow senior outside hitter Ryan Palmieri have been on varsity since they were freshmen. And with a first-year head coach and a roster yet again filled with youth, their leadership has been key to the team’s success.
Riverbend staffer shot twice in Las Vegas (in this week’s newspaper delivered tonight)
Danae Gibbs, a Riverbend Church staffer, was shot twice by the Las Vegas shooter at the Harvest 91 concert on Sunday night.
By LYNETTE HAALAND
Four Points News
Danae Gibbs, a part time children’s ministry staff member at Riverbend Church, was one of the hundreds of wounded victims in the Las Vegas mass shooting at the Route 91 Harvest Festival.
Gibbs was shot twice: once in the groin, and once in the abdomen. As of Monday night, she was out of surgery and in recovery at University Medical Center in Las Vegas. She was still groggy from the surgery but she is expected to recover well, said Kevin Hedges, Riverbend pastor of creative arts.
On Sunday night, Gibbs, 23, was at the three-day country music festival listening to Jason Aldean with a friend as part of an early birthday celebration. Gibbs will be turning 24 later this month.
Gibbs, who lives in the San Marcos/New Braunfels area, graduated from Texas Tech University in the class of 2017 several months ago.
Middle school night at VHS
By MONICA LITTLE
Contributor
Photos by Bill Seitzler, Monica Little
Middle school night was Friday night at the Viper football game where 8th graders, who are in band, dance and football, from Canyon Ridge and Four Points middle schools, were invited to participate with students in the same organizations at Vandegrift.
It is a night the middle school is welcomed to get a glimpse of what is to come. It is a night 8th graders may for the first time dance or perform in front of a full stadium with a packed and spirited student section. A night they can ask a high schooler anything from should I take that AP class to how heavy is that drum? A night for the first time they will trade up their mini tuba for a sousaphone with pride. A night the students of Vandegrift welcomes their brother or sister into their beloved section for just one night.
Snake wrangling has been busy this year
Local resident Rodney Reid is a snake wrangler and so far this year, he has removed nearly 150 snakes from the Four Points area like the one shown here.
By LYNETTE HAALAND
Four Points News
Brian Jameson found a large rattlesnake in his backyard one evening earlier this month and called snake wrangler Rodney Reid to remove it and relocate and release it.
“He was very calm and handled the situation with professionalism and ensured everyone watching was in a safe place,” said Jameson, of Steiner Ranch.
Just Sunday afternoon, Suzanne Lucas, also of Steiner, found a rattlesnake curled up under her flowers near her front door. She also called Reid to remove it, and that event made his 149th snake removal in the Four Points area since January 1.