David Lindig Leads Lindale Through Wild Rivalry Win Over Van

Photo courtesy of Big D Photo (Billy York)

VAN, Texas — Rivalry games have a way of producing moments that Texas high school football players remember for the rest of their lives.

For Lindale senior quarterback David Lindig, Friday night’s battle against Van was one of those moments.

In a back-and-forth East Texas showdown, Lindale found itself trailing by four points with roughly a minute remaining and needing one final drive to take down its rival.

For Lindig, the moment wasn’t created on Friday night.

It started days earlier.

“It started on Sunday night when we got on our Zoom meetings,” Lindig told Lone Star Sports after the game.

“We talked a lot about our game plan, and it was about toughness and connection. That’s kind of what we pride ourselves on.”

Preparation Pays Off for Lindale

Lindig pointed to Lindale’s preparation throughout the week as the reason the Eagles were ready when the game came down to its final minutes.

“You have to have a good day on Monday morning, a good day on Tuesday morning, a good day on Wednesday morning and then Thursday after school,” Lindig said.

“That’s really where the stuff comes out. It doesn’t come out on Friday night. It’s how we perform throughout the week.”

That preparation was tested repeatedly against Van.

The rivalry matchup featured packed stands, momentum swings and plenty of offense.

Late in the game, Van recovered an onside kick before finding the end zone and putting the pressure right back on Lindale.

Lindig’s message to his teammates was simple:

Next play.

“We talk a lot about having a one-and-done mindset,” he said. “That’s what I was preaching — next play, one and done.”

One Final Drive

Lindale needed that mentality when it received the ball for its final opportunity.

With the game on the line, Lindig reminded his teammates that they had already experienced difficult situations.

Lindale had battled Whitehouse the week before, and many of the Eagles had experienced the intensity of the

Van rivalry a year earlier.

“I told those guys, ‘Man, y’all are undeniable,’” Lindig said. “‘We just have to be the toughest team, and the toughest team is going to come and win.’”

Lindale did exactly that, putting together the late drive it needed to come away with a memorable rivalry victory.

Staying Off the Roller Coaster

Keeping emotions under control was especially important in an atmosphere where both communities packed the stadium.

Lindig credited Lindale head coach Chris Cochran with teaching the Eagles to “stay off the roller coaster” and remain level-headed regardless of what happened during the game.