The story of the Dripping Springs High School boys soccer team's state playoff run this year had an eerily similar conclusion as the last one in 2022. Only this year had more of a Cinderella sound to it.
As the playoffs approached, the team’s motto seemed to be: “All we want is a chance.” Fighting through their first year in Conference 6A, the Dripping Springs Tigers had to win the final game of district to receive the number-four seed. They did, putting them up against a number- one seed, making advancement improb-Friday able. But the team motto lived on.
The Tigers continued to defy all odds and made it to the state tourney — where they were scheduled to play Allen High School in the semifinals. Allen was not only one of the top teams in the state but also the largest school in 6A with over 5,300 students. Contrastingly, Dripping Springs is one of the smallest with fewer than 3,000.
Allen put it in the net at the 13.06 mark of the first half. At the 17.03 mark, Mason Russell saw an opening and tried to take it in himself. His shot was blocked by the goalkeeper, but his scoring buddy, York Merrill, put the rebound back to tie the game. Unbelievably, neither team could score the rest of regulation and the two OT's. This meant it was time for the shootout.
The shootout is where five players on each team get a kick, and the team with five wins. Merrill and Russell made theirs. Alex Hutchinson and Parker Johnson kept the streak alive. On Allen's first kick, Tiger goalkeeper, Lucas Perez, blocked the attempt. When Joey Svoboda made his, the Tigers got to advance to the finals by virtue of the 5-3 shootout.
The competition got no easier in the finals when they took on the only number-one team in the tourney, Katys Seven Lakes High School. There would be no score in the first half, but Seven Lakes would score at the 55.59 and 62.32 marks to take the lead 2-0. At the 66.40 mark, Svoboda received a free kick. He was straight-on from 35 yards away, and kicked the Tigers first and only goal of the game.
The final score was 2-1 with Seven Lakes taking the title. This was the second consecutive year this happened to the Tiger soccer team, following the finals against Wakeland High School in 2022. Third time’s the charm?
