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Dripping Springs seemed to have been a little off in their game with the Bowie Bulldogs. It was understandable for the passing game when it became known two of their top three receivers, Cooper Reid and James Montgomery, would not suit up for the game. The continuity of the passing was definitely missing. Bowie was also using the strategy that many teams use when their opponent has offensive skills. They were slow-playing and letting the clock run, keeping the Tigers off the field. In the end the Tigers turned the game over to the running game and the defense would come up big when it counted.
The Tigers came out strong and scored twice in the first quarter. The defense threw a three and out giving the Tigers the ball at the Bulldogs 48. Chase Ames would finish the drive with a 7 pass to Dodge Reid. Ian French made it 7-0. Another three and out put the ball on Tiger 34. This time it was Ames to Merrick Bloomgren for 11. 14-0. It looked to be another Ho! Hum! Same old, same old. Instead it looked like they believed it too and lost focus. Two turnovers on punt returns turned the ball over on the Tigers 19 and 29. Bowie turned them into TD’s. The final with 18 seconds remaining. Also there was a lackadaisical toss that was intercepted on the four. 14-14 at the half.
The Tigers could not move the opening drive in the second half. Bowie took over and marched 58 yards for the score. The 21-14 score was the first time they had trailed in a game this year. The Tigers decided to use Bowie’s script and marched 70 yds on the legs of Lawson Attaway and Ames in 16 plays to tie the game.
The defense took front and center in the fourth. They stopped the Bulldogs on a fourth and one. The Tigers drove it down for the winning TD when Ames took it in from the four. They repeated the act of stopping another fourth down play. The Tigers ran out the clock to put them at 7-0. Final score 28-21.
Friday night will pit two 7-0 teams when the Tigers play longtime rival Lake Travis. The game was supposed to be at Lake Travis but they are renovating their stadium and it will be at Dripping Springs. Kickoff 7:30.
Team stats (DS first): First downs 15-14; Rushing 39-161, 36-59; Passing 115-92; Passes 11-17-1, 13-15-0; Punts 3-37, 5-36; Penalties 6-52, 3-10; Turnovers 3-0.
Tiger stats: Rushing: Attaway 26-124 TD; Frank Accetta 4-15; Jaceton Gotta 2-12; Ames 7-10 TD. Passing: Ames 11-17-115-1 2TD. Receiving: Harrison Rohrer 4-48, D. Reid 2-21TD, Bloomgren 2-26TD, Bobby Wilkinson 1-19, Will Foreman 1-1. KOR: Ryder Frost 2-44, Accetta 1-30, Mateo Perez 1-7.
