Coming into their rematch with Bowie High School, the Dripping Springs High School basketball team knew it was the battle for the one remaining district playoff berth.
In their previous matchup, Bowie came out on top with a buzzer- beater. This game was another close matchup before the DSHS Tigers tamed the Bowie Bulldogs in the final quarter: 53-42. Bowie had a 14--11 advantage after the first quarter, only to have the Tigers come through to lead at the half 2825. The third quarter brought the score back to a tie at 39-39, leaving it all up to the fourth quarter.
Following that game, the Tigers hosted one of the top teams in the state: Hays ISD’s Johnson High School. Johnson’s team was ranked #13 and measured up to that ranking.
Johnson got off to a very good start and never took the foot off the pedal in the 64-36 final, showcasing their mettle as an all-around solid team. Beyond their scoring ability, it was their defensive ability that impressed the most — especially their ability to track down rebounds and loose balls. This affected the Tigers shooting as well. When one knows they are only getting that one shot, it puts extra pressure on the shot to be perfect.
The Jaguars started off on a 6-0 run and extended the lead to 19-10 after one. At the half, it was 32-14. Dripping Springs came out with a burst to start the second half, narrowing the margin to 13 (21-34) before Johnson moved ahead. After the third quarter, the score was 47-29.
Vs. Bowie: Judson Loe 16, Luke Spozio 12, Jaxon Reagan 9, Cade Brunson 7, Kooper Brown 5, Maddox Bloomgren 4.
Vs. Johnson: Spozio 9, Loe 6, Bloomgren 5, Brown 3, Austin Moore 3, Jack Williams 2, Reagan 2, Davis Budge 2, Benjamin Beatty 2, Zach Fleming 2.
