Forty-eight more minutes.

Thanks to a 35-10 win over Vista Ridge Friday night, the varsity football team now has four morequarters of football to play. For the first time in school history, the Raiders have advanced to the playoffs.

After last week’s loss to Vandegrift caused a three-way tie for fourth, the Raiders needed to beat Vista by seven to secure the final playoff spot. With Logan Kinder scoring two touchdowns and Billy Ray McCrary and Andre Alger each adding another, the Raiders had more than enough points for the final 25-4A playoff spot.

“I thought it was the biggest win in Rouse history,” Kinder said. “And I was really excited to be a part of it.”

The defense forced six turnovers, including a fumble in the second quarter that Sean Hallberg returned 75 yards for a touchdown.

After the game, head coach Joshua Mann congratulated his team for bouncing back so well after the Vandegrift loss. A week ago, the Raiders blew a 14-7 lead in the fourth quarter after allowing the Vipers to tie up the game and then score the winning touchdown after recovering a blocked punt.

But the team regrouped this week, having what Mann called their best week of practice all season. They opened the game strong, scoring on their first offensive play. Almost three-fourths of McCrary’s 109 yards came off the 73-yard touchdown run. The team would continue to capitalize off of Vista’s botched snaps and fumbles and hold the Rangers to one touchdown and a field goal.

“You’re guaranteed 48 more minutes of football,” Mann said to his players after the game as the huddled together on the field.

The Raiders will play in the Division I bracket and take on McCallum Thursday at 7:30 p.m. at House Park in Austin. The Knights went undefeated in 26-4A and are 7-3 for the season.