VYPE Central Texas Game of the Week Preview: Vandegrift vs. Dripping Springs
VANDEGRIFT VIPERS vs. DRIPPING SPRINGS TIGERS
Few were expecting Vandegrift vs. Dripping Springs to become an instant rivalry when they met for the first time in seven years to open the 2022 season. Sure, they were former district mates – but that had been nearly a decade earlier, when life in the Hill Country was still a little sleepy, no one knew who Vandegrift was, and both were largely overlooked 4A programs.
Fast forward to 2022 when a Tigers walk-off field goal shocked the Vipers on opening night. Three months later, a clutch Vandegrift fumble recovery at the goal line propelled Vandegrift to a Regional Championship win over Dripping Springs and kept them on a path to the State Championship game.
Expectations were high when the Austin area’s two newest 6A powerhouses met again to open the 2023 campaign – and they’ll be just as high when they renew their rivalry at Monroe Memorial Stadium to kickoff the 2024 season.
Senior QB Maddox Maher and Senior RB Jack Tyndall power the Dripping Springs offense for Head Coach Galen Zimmerman while a completely rebuilt Tigers defense will have to come of age fast. Dripping Springs has reached rarified Round Four postseason air the past two seasons and look to make another deep run in 2024.
Fortunately for the Tigers, they’ll get an extra couple of non-district games like this one to work out the kinks, as UIL redistricting downsized their power-centric District 26-6A –featuring both Westlake and Lake Travis – from nine to seven teams.
Coach Drew Sanders’ Vandegrift Vipers, meanwhile, will be seeking their 7th consecutive district title, this time in the newly-expanded – with the addition of Hutto -- nine-team District 25-6A. They’ll also be looking to recover from whiplash.
After their State Championship appearance in 2022, the Vipers cruised to a perfect 10-0 regular season last year, only to suffer a crushing 13-10 loss to Lake Travis in the Bi-district round.
With the departure of longtime offensive guru Blake Mouser, now the new HC at Tolar HS, junior southpaw Miles Teodecki will QB an offense under new OC AJ Woolley. Teodecki will hand off to Sr. RBs Brendan Fournier and Kent Sullivan while Sr. WRs George Farley and Jr. Brock Chilton will be key targets.
A tough DL featuring Sr. Daeshon Morgan and Ian Witt will lead a veteran Viper defense that returns six starters.
...
What: Vandegrift vs. Dripping Springs
When: 6:45 Pregame, 7:00 Kickoff on Friday 8/30
Where: Monroe Memorial Stadium, Vandegrift HS
Who: Merle Bertrand, Hank Hudson, Matt Sanders
Watch: https://www.vype.com/7pm-football-vandegrift-vs-dr...
Listen: 102.7 FM ESPN Austin -- https://www.1027espn.com/