Tigers take two in a row

Carl Waits

Sports Writer

The Dripping Springs High School Tigers are making it hard on opposing defenses to have a solid game plan. No doubt the Wagner High School Thunderbirds were set on stopping the Austin Novosad-Garon Duncan combo that dealt Vandegrift High School misery the previous week, but securing another win was no sweat for the Tiger football team.

Quarterback Austin 10 Novosad (#16) went to wide receiver Walker Wright (#7) for the big night. On the ground, running back Kade Curry (#23) had carried the load in the previous game; this game, the Tigers turned loose running back Jack Tyndall (#18). The result of the solid performance by the Tigers doomed the Thunderbirds to a 37-7 defeat for the second straight win to start the Tiger season.

Anytime you ask a football coach what the difference in the game will be, most will recite turnovers. In this game especially, those had a key role in the final outcome. The Tigers were able to take advantage of the ones they got, and the Thunderbirds squandered theirs. The Wagner team was known to be a running team with much deception, but they did not fool the Tigers, who shut down almost all attempts to run.

The Thunderbirds kicked off to the Tigers, and they would drive the ball 46 yards before stalling at the 23. The defense held, making it a three and out to set DSHS up at the 42. On the next play, Novosad found Wright crossing deep across the field and hit him in stride for a touchdown. Wright would also add the extra point to make it 7-0 at the 5.56 mark. Wagner blew an excellent opportunity to get in the game when a Tiger fumble was picked up at the DSHS 34-yard line and ran it to the 8 before being tackled. However, the Thunderbirds were guilty of an illegal block, which put them back to the 34. The Tiger defense then blocked a field goal attempt.

A bad punt snap in the endzone allowed defensive lineman and tight end Braiden Vaughn (#44) to tackle the Wagner punter for a safety with 3.42 left in the half. After the free kick, the Thunderbirds intercepted a Tiger pass but ended up coughing up the ball as defensive lineman Elijah Gonzales (#93) outbattled the others for the ball on the 22-yard line. Wright raised up and tossed the ball into a crowd in the endzone that wide receiver Skylar Capone-Ford (#15) came down with, making it 16-0 at the half.

On the Tigers’ first possession of the second half, Tyndall would break a tackle and pop into the clear for a 47-yard sprint for the score. 23-0. A little later, linebacker Tomsen Vickery (#11) pounced on a loose ball to set the Tigers up at the 26, which Tyndall finished off with a 4-yard run. 30-0. Wagner finally answered with a score of their own. On the Tigers’ last drive of the night, Jack Williams (#10) took over as quarterback and scored from the seven for the final score.

The Tigers drew the first district bye in the schedule, so they will not be playing Friday night. They will be hosting the Austin High Maroons on September 16 for their first district game of the season.

Game stats (DSHS first): First downs 20-11; Rushing 28-171, 54-150; Passing 201-20; Passes 14-27-1, 1-4-1; Punts 2-44.5, 4-39.3; Penalties 2-15, 4-37; Fumbles lost 1-2.

DSHS results: Rushing: Tyndall 17-122-2TD; Williams 4-28-1TD; Joseph Holmes 6-15; Novosad 1-6. Passing: Novosad 12-24-173-1TD-1Int; Wright 1-1-22-1TD; Williams 1-2-6. Receiving: Wright 6-125-1TD; Duncan 2-27; Boston Papp 1-6; Joseph Moreland 1-19; Ford 1-22-1TD; Maddox Bloomgren 1-19; Kade Curry 2-(-) 1. Int: Gabriel Quintana. Punt ret: Greyson Jones 3-40. KOR: Quintana 2-30; Tyndall 1-18.

Tackling (unasst/ asst): Luca Picucci 10-4, JD Casteen 7-3, Nathan Prehar 4-3, Vickery 5-2, Derek Edgar 5-2, Gonzales 2-2, Landon Requard 4-0, Raphael Siewen 1-4, Bryson Amrine 4-1, Jones 2-2, Jacob Lengner 2-0, Daniel Sedillo 1-2, Reed Mohon 1-1, Keller Stafford 1-0, Quintana 0-1, Gunnar Betts 1-0, Owen Rhodes 0-2, Jackson Mills 0-1, Noah Chomout 1-0, Rio Hay 1-1, Johnny Martinez 1-1, Dylan Sedillo 1-0.