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Editor’s Note: The following article is part of an ongoing series about the history of school sports in the Dripping Springs area.
Despite the size of the district increasing to 360 square miles, enrollment did not increase for several decades.
This was because most of the area was large ranches. Until the mid’60s, high school enrollment hovered around 100 — and enrollment has a lot to do with sports success, especially football. Teams had around 20 players, which did not allow for junior varsity teams. One year, a Tiger team finished with only 11 healthy bodies on the field.
The ‘60s only produced three winning football seasons. The 1961 team had the best 11-man record, to date, at 6-4. Numbers started getting better, and in 1965, a win in the final game would have put them in the playoffs. The 1967 team had a record of 5-4-1, and the 1968 team won the first 11-man title with a 9-3 record, losing at the regional competition. A dropped ball as the runner broke for a touchdown prevented the second title the next year.
Girls basketball turned the corner starting in 1965, when Donna Pittman (who holds all the scoring records) entered as a freshman. A number of other notable athletes helped start a five-year title run beginning in 1968. The 1969 Tigers finally broke the hard-luck streak and won the district title behind the floor leadership of Poe Shelton. The next year, a repeat win was thwarted by a last-second loss. The team put it all together the next year to claim the 29A title.
Baseball enjoyed a three-year title streak in 1966–1968. Tennis and golf were well represented in the ‘60s. Track was also competitive.
The ‘70s brought about results from an enrollment spurt that bolted the Tigers into Class A. The football teams prospered when the districts assigned put the Tigers in the middle of enrollment size and a good run of excellent athletes. The Tigers earned titles in 1970, 1973 and 1975 — in addition to a couple of near misses. When the Tigers moved up to 2A in 1976, Dripping Springs began a history of growth that put them in the lower half of their district and made success much tougher.
Both basketball teams still stayed in the mix with the 1971 boys team winning the title. Boys track won four titles (1971– 1974) and came a close second in 1975. The UIL began sponsoring girls track in 1971–1972 and had good participation. Girls volleyball came into the UIL in 1966–1967 and won titles in 1976, 1978 and 1979. Boys golf won titles in 1971, 1972, 1976 and 1979. Tennis was also well represented.
