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A heavy rain precluded the start of the game with Del Valle High School, and before the night was over, Dripping Springs flooded the scoreboard with points as well.
Del Valle gave a better effort than expected — with some good running backs to control the ball. This gave rise to the thought that after two tough games, the Dripping Springs Tigers might be a little flat. The result was a scoreless first quarter, something that had not happened to the Tigers this season since their first game. The battle continued through the second quarter when the Cardinals decided to implode with four consecutive turnovers, resulting in 28 Tiger points by the half.
Early In the second quarter, it looked as if Del Valle was going to be the first to score when a pass play seemed destined to score from the 40-yard line. But the ball was knocked loose from the runner's hand, and Luca Picucci gobbled it up at the five. Jack Tyndall got tired of small chunks of yardage and broke for an 83-yard touchdown to open scoring at the 6.40 mark. Landon Requard made it 7-0. Then came two pick-sixes in a row. First, Rio Hay returned his 23 and then Picucci, 15. 21-0 at 3.43. Case Hubbard claimed the next fumble, and Maddox Maher would hit Kyle Koch on a 16-yard pass with 44 seconds left to make the score 28-0.
Many of the key players were given a rest for the second half. Jack Williams, seeing his first action at quarterback since injuring his foot in the first game, opened the half by hitting Cooper Reid on a sideline pass, and he weaved his way for the 55-yard touchdown. Only 13 seconds had elapsed. Del Valle averted a shutout with a 35-yard field goal. Late in the third quarter, Requard added his own 24-yard field goal. 38-3 after three. The reserves continued to pound on the Cardinals in the fourth. Jaceton Gotta scored from the 11; Jayden Hastie, from the three. Ian French added the extra points to end the scoring at 52-3. The six turnovers gotten by the Tigers almost doubled the 10 total from the previous eight games.
The Tigers (7-2, 6-1) will finish the regular season at home Friday, Nov. 3 with Austin’s Anderson High School. Kickoff is at 7:30 p.m. The bi-district opponent the following Friday has yet to be determined.
Game stats (DSHS first): First downs 17-9; Rushing 32-289, 41-117; Passing 156-73; Passes 10-17-0, 3-14-3; Punts 2-40, 5-29; Penalties 1095, 6-30.
Tiger stats: Rushing: J. Tyndall 8-118 TD; Gotta 9-69 TD; L. Lawson 1-40; Koch 1-38; Reid 1-13; Daylan Fitzgerald 1-11; Brandon Magat 4-11 TD; Jayden Hastie 2-6; Maher 4-(-) 1; Williams 1-(-) 11. Passing: Maher 5-9-67 TD; Williams 5-6-89 TD; Receiving: Tristan Felder 4-37; Reid 2-60 TD; Koch 2-30 TD; Merrik Bloomgren 2-29. KOR: Deacon Ivey 1-43. PR: Koch 2-11. Int: Hay 1-23 TD; Picucci 1-15 TD; Austin Olivas 1-0. Fum: Picucci, Case Hubbard, Gabriel Quintana.
Tiger tackling (unasst/ asst): Picucci 3-4, Tomsen Vickery 2-5, Requard 2-4, Quintana 3-2, Ivey 2-2, Colton Hanson 1-3, Ardreaux Arnold 1-4, Dominick Prehar 1-2, Ty Fran-keny 2-1, Pierce Haynes 2-0, Theo Howard 0-6, Cash Brunson 0-3, Chris Gustafson 0-3, William Hasty 0-3, Dylan Brasher 0-3, John Lamoglia 2-0.
