RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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Brennan's Jayshawn Mitchell moves the ball down the field during the first quarter of a football game against Austin Vandergrift on Friday, Aug. 28, 2026 at Farris stadium. (Charlie Blalock/For the Express-News)
Aiming for a signature season-opening win, Brennan was willing to wait.
Unlucky for the Bears, their patience didn't pay off in the form of a victory. Austin Vandegrift overcame a two-score deficit in the fourth quarter to get past Brennan 28-21 in overtime in the early hours of Saturday morning following a lengthy weather delay at Farris Stadium.
"I think we had them where we wanted them, but we've got to finish," Brennan head coach Stephen Basore said. "That's our big lesson, and we need to learn that. We need to learn it now."
The Bears, ranked No. 4 in the Express-News area poll, held their ground for most of the night against a program that has reached the state semifinals three times in the last four seasons.
The two teams were tied at 21-21 at the end of regulation after Vandegrift's Landon Klein made a 39-yard field goal with 1:15 left in the fourth quarter. Vandegrift received the ball first in overtime and scored on a 15-yard touchdown run by Evan Williamson.
Self-inflicted errors backed Brennan up to the 39-yard line facing a second-and-35. Four-star running back Jayshawn Mitchell made a catch that would have given Brennan a first-and-goal, but a holding penalty negated Mitchell's play.
"That was a heck of a play he made," Basore said. "Unfortunately, there was a penalty that brought it back. But, we've got to make those plays and we can't have those penalties."
The overtime period was not the only moment of chaos in the season opener. Friday night's game extended well past midnight after a three-hour weather delay. After playing through the first quarter, which began at 7:30 p.m., lightning in the area forced a delay beginning just after 8 p.m. The game resumed shortly before 11 p.m. Friday night, even though other contests in the San Antonio area were canceled .
"That's by far the longest rain delay (I've experienced)," Basore said. "But, we (Brennan and Vandegrift) both wanted to play the game. I think the kids wanted to play the game. I'm glad we played the game. It's more fun to come out with a win, but we can learn a lot from this game."
Mitchell scored the Bears' first touchdown of the season in the second quarter on a 14-yard run. Mitchell, who received an offer from Alabama earlier this week, pushed the Bears ahead of the Vipers with two more touchdown runs in the second half.
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Brennan led by 11 points with 10:29 to play, but Vandegrift found the end zone after quarterback Gavin Koester tossed a short 1-yard pass to Madden Child. Vandegrift's ensuing two-point conversion was successful, pulling the Vipers within 21-18.
Brennan faces Reagan at Farris Stadium next Friday, while Vandegrift will host Express-News preseason No. 1 Johnson the same night.
"I'm proud of our guys for having a lot of fight and just wish we could have pulled it out at the tail end, but we've got nothing to hang our hat on," Basore said. "We've just got to learn and move forward."
Brennan's Jacob Villegas celebrates a tackle for a loss during the first quarter of a football game against Austin Vandergrift on Friday, Aug. 28, 2026 at Farris stadium. (Charlie Blalock/For the Express-News)
There’s more to San Antonio with the Express-News. Subscribe today for just 25¢. This article originally published at Brennan falls to Austin Vandegrift in overtime after three-hour weather delay .
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