The Van Vandals established an early lead against the Lindale Eagles on Friday night, heading into halftime with a 19-14 advantage in their FM 16 Rivalry matchup at Van Memorial Stadium in Van, Texas. The first half saw significant offensive action from both teams, marked by turnovers and a series of scoring drives.
Van began the game with possession but fumbled on their first play from scrimmage, with Lindale recovering the ball at the Van 25-yard line. Despite the strong field position, the Vandals’ defense held, forcing the Eagles to attempt a field goal that was ultimately unsuccessful, keeping the game scoreless.
Taking over at their own 20-yard line with 9:48 remaining in the first quarter, the Vandals mounted an 80-yard offensive drive, executed over 12 plays. Quarterback Rawley Hinch capped this effort with an 8-yard rushing touchdown. The subsequent extra point attempt was blocked, giving Van a 6-0 lead with 4:26 left in the opening quarter.
On Lindale's next possession, the Eagles ran three plays before David Lindig fumbled the ball, and the Vandals recovered it at the Lindale 47-yard line. Capitalizing on the turnover, Van drove 47 yards in seven plays. Hinch once again found the end zone with a 2-yard rushing touchdown, extending Van’s lead to 13-0 with 11:12 remaining in the second quarter.
Lindale responded after a strong kickoff return positioned the Eagles at the Van 44-yard line. The Eagles then scored in five plays when JB Ray ran the ball in from 3 yards out, putting Lindale on the scoreboard and narrowing Van's lead to 13-7.
Van answered on its subsequent possession, driving 67 yards over nine plays. Rawley Hinch recorded his third rushing touchdown of the half, this time an 8-yard run. The Vandals’ extra-point attempt was unsuccessful, making the score 19-7 with 4:50 left in the first half.
Before halftime, Lindale orchestrated another scoring drive. Lindig connected with Reed Carnathan on a 29-yard pass play, completing a five-play, 59-yard drive. This touchdown brought the score to 19-14, where it stood at halftime, with Van holding a narrow lead over Lindale in the rivalry contest.
