Sports Opinion: Random Musings
We are getting back to the Dripping Springs school sports histories. This one will cover the first half of the 90's. It was a very good half decade as nineteen teams earned playoff berths and two state championships. Through most of these years, district foes included Burnet, Fredericksburg, Lake Travis, Lampasas, Liberty Hill and Marble Falls when those teams had some of their better teams. All those years Dripping Springs competed in the 3A classification.
Football: The Tigers were unable to break the .500 mark but managed to make the playoffs once. The 90 team finished the season 4-6 with their high water mark being a 22-21 win over Marble Falls for the first victory over them in quite a few years. Contributing seniors were Jeff Hall, Michael Lindemann, Lewis Jenkins, Danny Smith, Dustin Floyd, Thomas Gil, David Labinski, Mark Stancell and Jeff Bratton.
The next two years the Tigers broke even at 5-5. Helping the 91 team were Ryan Street, Kris Stienke, Oscar Tovar, Kevin Dydalewicz, Jason Covington, Jason George, Derek Key, Kevin Whitley, Morgan Crow, Trey Sanford, Eric Frels, Lee Gravell, Rocky Konnight. The 92 team included Joey Case, Tommy Fry, Phillip Blake, Mark Myers, Ricky Vaughn, Duane Hendrickson, Eddie Barnett, Ty Gosnay, Micah Thompson, Brian Wood, Russell Cunningham, Jesse Trevino, Brandt Whisenant, Don Rogers, Patrick Garza, Randall Tomanetz and Garrett Kunz.
The 1993 team had some key injuries and dropped to 3-7. A huge play occurred late in the Burnet game when it appeared the Tigers were headed for their eighth loss. A Bulldog fumble was picked up by Kevin Adrian and returned for the winning TD. Among the seniors was Greg Dydalewicz, Wade Hudson, Jason Berry, Casey Miller, Brock Stewart, Robert Dunn, Adrian, Jason Cones, Jason Coil, Juan Sal, Chris Blevins, Seth Kenton, Craig Phillips, Rick Seiders, Brad Schroeder, Ronnie Love, Aaron Carter, Thomas Flemons, Micah Johnson and Billy Hughes.
A 5-5 season in 1964 was enough to get the Tigers in the playoffs with a second place finish. It was one of the wildest games ever as Caldwell topped the Tigers 43-37 in the Bi-district game held at Westlake. Jeff Mayes set several scoring marks that still stand but it still was not enough. Other seniors were Jared Bray, Jake Bell, Aaron Wardlow, Aaron Anderson, Jeriah Burns, Scott Ferguson, Kenneth Leslie, Steve Alvarado, Burt Dement, Joey Tovar, Michael Sanford, Derek Smith, Chad Bowles, Michael Moore, Chad Williams, Frank Aguilar and Nick Folger.
Boys basketball: A resurge brought the Tigers two seconds and a first, but they could not get past the bi-district hurdle. However, a 20-10 season in 90-91 still left them out of the running. Among the seniors were Jacob Tingle (who still holds free throw records), Chris Campbell, Arthur Marshall, Lewis Jenkins, Jeff Martin, Travis Weitzel, Kyle Penny and Lance Whitefield. A 23-7 was good for second in 91-92 with Corbin Edmondson, K. Dydalewicz, Scott McNary and Peter Crosswell being seniors. Another winning record, 17-14, was not enough in 92-93 as seniors were Fry, Hoyt Hill, Wood and Charles Claycamp.
Tandy Betak, Brian Varnell, Bryan Linder, Dunn and Miller placed second in 93-94 with a 24-8 season. Finally, a championship in 94-95 with a 23-8 record. Team members included Lucas Claycamp, Matt Robbin, Jeff Borho, Patrick Manske, Paul Gammage, Daryl Dikes, Marshall Sullivan and Jesse Wark.
Girls basketball: The best half decade up to that time as each team made the playoffs and three would make the state finals, including a state championship. A 24-9 record in 90-91 brought a second place finish and a bi-district loss. Paula Fletcher, Jorey Schwartz, Missy Odom and Kristen Wood were seniors. A 26-6 won them a title in 91-92 but still a bi-district loss. Meredith Johnson, LeeAnne Martin, and Misti Borho were seniors. A 33-4 district title in 92-93 left them wanting more as Dimmitt stopped them in the state finals. Seniors included Carrie Stewart, Kayce Morgan, Sarah Kenton, Lisa Lunday, Rinda Rippy and Christina Daniel. With a strong starting nucleus returning, the Lady Tigers would not be denied in 93-94. It took a 36-3 record and a win in the finals over Waco La Vega, a team that had earlier beaten them by 13 points. Members of that team included Cassell Puryear, Melanie McMullin, Sandy Bourland, Chandra Moore, Dusty Eickenloff, Sarah Strait, Tamara Crane, Katie Stienke, Jinni Touchstone, Angie Ketch and Dawn Phillips.
For the third time in a row, the 94-95 team went back to the finals before falling to Bowie. They had a 27-12 record. Members of that team included Strait, JJ Rhiel, Phillips, Touchstone, Colie Edmondson, Stienke, Ketch, Julie Hurlbut, Sarah Kuykendall, Dawn Franklin, Amanda Kuykendall and Trish Flowers.
Volleyball: The Lady Tigers continued their winning district titles streak by winning all five years and it was culminated with a state championship in 1994. The 1990 squad was 22-7 and lost in the regional finals. Record not available in 1991 but were defeated in Area. The next year they had a 17-7 record, losing in bi-district. In 1993, they were denied at the regional finals again with a 23-8 record. 1994 was the big year as the Lady Tigers found themselves in the state finals against perennial power, Bellville. These were the days of best of three. After splitting the first two and the Lady Tigers trailing in the third, it looked dire. However, the Lady Tigers started getting the perfect sets and Jinni Touchstone kept putting it to earth with the result being a state championship with a 31-5 record. Joining Touchstone on that team were Ketch, Amanda Carter, Darby Broussard, Caitlyn Rhodes, Crane, Brenda Johnston and Jessie McIlvain. Other players that helped win the titles were Nikki Harmon, Fletcher, Heather Watkins, Rippy, Borho, Christy Bible, Jamie Hurlbut, Wood, Denise Edwards, Shondra Ritter, Jill Montague, Amber Belk, Shelli Guinn, Brandi Read, Rhonda Dildine, Moore, Leah Koenig and Jennifer Bratton.
Baseball: Baseball teams were able to net three second places in this time span but could not get past Area. The 1991 team was 15-11-1 and Abilene Wylie stopped them in Bi-district. Members of that team included Lindemann, Hall, B. Peterson, Lyndon McCarty, Floyd and Jenkins. The next year was a repeat. 16-10-1 and loss to Wylie. Players included McNary, Jeff Fluitt, Miranda, George and Street. In 1993 it was 14-9-1 and 1994, 17-7, but neither team could make the playoffs. Members of the 93 team were Case, Fry, Doug Appelt, Myers, G. Dydalewicz, Vaughn and Barnett. For 94 it was Dunn, Matt Bomar, Hudson, Schroeder, Brandon Stephens and Corby Peterson. The 1995 team placed second with a 13-12 record and lost in Area. Heading up that team were Mayes, Alvarado, Leslie and Michael Moore.
Softball: Softball became a UIL sport for Dripping Springs in 1994. Betty Molk, a senior transfer pitcher helped the team to a 10-8 record, good for a championship. However, a strong Elgin squad stopped them at Bi-district. Other seniors were Leticia Salazar and Dusty Eickenloff. The next year was even better as they improved to 18-6 and lost in the state tourney quarterfinals. Members of that team included Erin Fasel, Tracy Briscoe, Julie McCullough, Molly Miller, Jamie Franklin, Julie Hurlbut, Wendy Settemeyer, Becky Mahar, Audrea Wilkerson, Trish Flowers, Kristy Krabe, Brenda Johnston and Elizabeth Valdez.
Other sports: Unfortunately, most of the other spring sports do not have a way that keeps yearly information like the other sports above. Also, unfortunately, yearbooks, many times do not cover these sports very well with explanation as one would hope for future references. Too many times only a few pictures, not many words. This was still a time when the school was small enough that many of your better athletes in other sports, also presented the school well in these sports too.
Track: In 1991, the Lady Tigers finished second in district while Puryear, Martin, C. Stewart and Missy Russell qualified for state in the 1600 relay. M. McMullin had good times in the 300 hurdles while K. Wood showed well in the discus and shot put and still holds the school record in the shot put. Jeff Martin qualified for state in the 800 and Jason Martin soared 6'5 in the high jump.
Other athletes that distinguished themselves were Kevin Adrian, who holds school records in the 400 and 200, while earning a spot at the state meet. Kjirsten Diltz, made it to state each year in cross country with a second place her best effort. She still holds the school record in the 800. Other notables include Clint Bonnell, Street, Alan Brooks, Shawn Sultemeier, Paul Hussey, Travis Couey, David Summers and Erik Hernandez. In the girls department was Tracy Briscoe, Nicole Bird, Mindy Sultemeir, Colie Edmondson, Dawn Franklin, Michelle Savage and Thea Delamater.
Tennis: There were no individual district champions during this time. The 1992 team placed second. Among the people that competed on the team were Amanda Adams, Rippy, Jamie Hurlbut, Rachel Moore, Amy Edwards, Touchstone, Strait, Cindy Tom, Meegan Leesley and Joanna Tom. On the boys side were Martin Volko, Chris Tom, Jake Bell, Tandy Betak, Burt Dement, Ryan Burke and Thomas Flemons.