Student-Athletes Sign Letters of Intent on National Signing Day

On Feb. 5, 13 Dripping Springs High School seniors announced their commitments to continue their athletic careers at the collegiate level.

Announcing their intent were: soccer players Cailey England, Taylor Waters, Eli Sass, and Jalen Chavez, football player Scotty Crosby, swimmers Kiara Bobb and Joshua Dowdy, cross country/track athlete Ellie Hovre, and lacrosse players Nicolas Austin, Ethan Hooks, Jakob Joy, and Pierce Walker-- all signed National Letters of Intent. 

Nicolas Austin, Lacrosse, Queens University of Charlotte (N.C.)                                                      

Nicolas Austin has been a four-year starter at attack and is a senior captain this spring. In 2017, he set the freshman scoring record with 20 goals and followed that up with an even more productive sophomore year. As a junior, Nic led the team with 32 goals and 29 assists on his way to earning all-state honors. Nic also was a member of the Tigers football team and played club lacrosse with Ironhorse for four years. The son of Edith and Barney Austin, he plans to major in business. Coach: Bill Caffereta.

Kiara Bobb, Swimming, Austin College

Kiara Bobb has been a four-year high school swimmer and letter winner for the Lady Tigers and, according to Coach Andrea McCarthy, “has been a huge part of developing the “team-first” atmosphere at DSHS. She also has been swimming for Nitro Swimming for seven years. Kiara, who also has been involved in the Youth and Government program, will be receiving an Academic Excellence Scholarship from Austin College. She is the daughter of Heather and Brian Bobb. Coach: Andrea McCarthy.

Jalen Chavez, Soccer, University of Mary-Hardin Baylor

Jalen Chavez is a three-year starter on the Tiger varsity soccer team and is this year’s team captain. He has helped lead the team as a center defender to the playoffs the last two years. DSHS also captured the district championship in 2019. Jalen was named to the All-State Second Team as a junior. He also has played club soccer for Lonestar. Jalen plans to major in Business Management and is the son of Leslie and Hugo Chavez. Coach: Josh Hill.

Scotty Crosby, Football, Texas Lutheran University

Scotty Crosby started at safety this year, contributing on defense for the district champion Tigers. A three-year letterman, Scotty recorded 29 tackles including three tackles-for-loss, and broke up five passes this past fall. According to defensive coordinator Chris King, “Scotty represents the Tiger core values of Trust, Discipline and Passion to the highest level.”  The son of Fawn and Dave Crosby, Scotty plans to major in Business at Texas Lutheran.  Coach: Galen Zimmerman.

Joshua Dowdy, Swimming, Lees-McRae College (N.C.)

Joshua Dowdy came to Dripping Springs High School as a sophomore and has made an impact on the boys’ team for three years. He swam on the 400-Yard Relay team at last year’s state meet and will do so again this year. The current 400 relay team holds the DSHS school record in that event. The son of Jennifer and Jason Dowdy, Joshua plans to study Wildlife Management. Coach: Andrea McCarthy.

Cailey England, Soccer, University of Oklahoma

Cailey England played Dripping Springs High School soccer her freshman year, starting all 25 games and scoring a team-high 38 goals with six assists as the Lady Tigers were Bi-District Champions. Following that season, she was named to the All-Region First Team, All-District First Team, Academic All District Team, and was the Most Valuable Player. Since that year, she has played for the U.S. Soccer Development Academy (which does not allow players to play high school soccer) and her club team last summer was National Champion Runner-ups.  In October 2019, she was invited to the U-18 USWNT (United States Women's National Team) camp in Florida. According to Topdrawersoccer, she currently has a four-star rating and ranks #31 nationally, #11 at midfielder nationally, and as the fifth-ranked player in the region. Cailey, who currently ranks among the top 10 seniors academically, plans to study Pre-Med. She is the daughter of Laurisa and Teddy England. 

Ethan Hooks, Lacrosse, Florida Southern College

Ethan Hooks has been a three-year starter on defense for the Tigers. Ethan didn’t start playing lacrosse until eighth grade, but learned the game quickly and improved his skills each year. He also played quarterback and wide receiver for the Tiger football team, which helped Ethan become a tenacious defender on the field. Ethan played club lacrosse with the Jammers team for three years. The son of Melinda and Jason Hooks, he plans to major in Engineering at FSC. Coach: Bill Caffereta.

Ellie Hovre, Cross Country/Track, St. Edward’s University

Ellie Hovre is a two-year letterman in cross country and a three-year letterman in track. She began her track career as a hurdler, but transitioned to the 1600 Meters and 3200 Meters as a junior. She also joined the cross country team and had a successful two seasons, qualifying both years for the state meet. Ellie has earned all-district and academic all-district honors for both cross country and track. The daughter of Mitzi and Greg Hovre, she plans to major in Business in college. Coach: Marisa Tuzzi.

Jakob Joy, Lacrosse, High Point University (N.C.)

Jakob Joy has been a four-year starter and three-year captain for the Tigers, playing on defense. As a sophomore, Jake earned all-district honors while helping to lead the team to a top-eight state finish. As a junior, Jake received all-state honors and helped the team finish in the top 12 in the state. He also played club lacrosse with Ironhorse since eighth grade. Along with lacrosse, Jake was an all-district linebacker for the Tigers football team. He is the son of Monica and Thomas Joy. Coach: Bill Caffereta.

Eli Sass, Soccer, Southwestern University

Eli Sass has been a varsity starter for the last two years for the Tiger soccer team. As a junior, he was instrumental in the team winning the district title. A great teammate and leader on and off the field, Eli also is an outstanding student. He also has played club soccer for Lonestar. The son of Lisa and David Sass, Eli plans to major in Business at Southwestern. Coach: Josh Hill.

Pierce Walker, Lacrosse, Westminster College (Utah)

Pierce Walker has been a three-year starter and has earned four varsity letters at midfield. According to Coach Bill Caffereta, “Pierce is one of the hardest workers who has ever come through this program and does all the little things for our team including playing short stick defense, picking up ground balls, and even scoring some goals.” He played with two lacrosse clubs –Austin Elite and Jammers – over the past 10 years, and also was a member of the Tiger football team. Pierce is the son of Patricia and Troy Walker. Coach: Bill Caffereta.

Chase Warden, Wrestling, Campbell University (N.C.)

In 2019, Chase Warden claimed a state championship in the 145-pound class by pinning all four of his opponents in the first period of each match at the state meet. Warden needed only a total of 4 minutes and 36 seconds to win his four matches and was voted the most Outstanding 5A Boys' Wrestler. He is undefeated this season at 25-0, with 22 matches won by pin. He currently is ranked #1 in his weight class and #4 in all weight classes for all 5A and 6A wrestlers in the state. Chase also was undefeated as a junior and has a career record of 147-7. He finished in second place at state as a sophomore, and third as a freshman. The son of Tammy and Chris Warden, Chase plans to major in Chemical Engineering. Coach: Joe Kirksey.

Taylor Waters, Soccer, Cal Lutheran University

Taylor Waters is a three-year letterman and two-year starter at center midfielder. According to Coach Perrine, “Taylor controls the majority of the field and has great technical and communication skills.” After missing a year due to an injury, Taylor is back in action and has stepped into a strong leadership role and is a solid contributor. Taylor previously earned academic all-district honors. Taylor is also a member of young life, plays club soccer for Sting and volunteers with the animal shelter. The daughter of Jenifer and Christopher Waters, Taylor plans to major in Film and Television. Coach: Bailey Perrine.

Combined with the student athletes who signed in Nov., DSHS class of 2020 now has 23 seniors who have committed to continuing their athletic careers at the collegiate level.