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Tigers sports team hard at work preparing for new season
No doubt everyone is ready to welcome the start of a new season for high school sports. It is here and the sports of football, volleyball, cross country and team tennis will be up first to make their move toward another successful season.
In today's high school sports world most do not have an end. Today, unlike years ago, when an athlete signs up for a sport they are usually locked into that job all year. The beginning of a new season is only indicated by the start of school. That time has arrived and the new year for another round of sports officially begins. All the athletes, not to mention the fans, have been eagerly awaiting for this moment where they get to show their improvement from all the work and how they match up with their opponents.
Football
The 2024 season will find some changes to the schedule to District 26-6A. It will now be a seven-team district with Hays Johnson moving to another and Austin Anderson dropping a classification. The first game will be at Vandegrift on Aug. 30.. This year the two main opponents, Lake Travis and Westlake will be at home later in the season.
Coach Galen Zimmerman will face a new roster for the 2024 Dripping Springs Tigers minus 32 seniors from last year, many being key starters and contributors. Sounds drastic but that should be the case with most 6A schools having good numbers in their programs. It is never a rebuild, just a reload. Among the losses were experienced linemen. The juniors, who battled the seniors for playing time all year will now get to prove their ability to do the job and will.
The good news is the Tigers are returning key offensive performers. Senior RB Jack Tyndall returns from a season of rushing (247-1638), receiving (19-126) scoring (22TD- 132pts). Twin brother RB Nick Tyndall (54-335) returns from an injuryplagued year. Senior QB Maddox Maher starts his second season passing (123-2211719, 20TD, 8Int). They lost leading receiver Kyle Koch but Junior Cooper Reid looks to be that person off a season (36-616, 7TD).
Volleyball
With a pre-season ranking of #2 in the state of Texas (Division 6A), the Tigers are poised for another run at the state title.
Of all the sports in the history of Dripping Springs High School, volleyball has been the most successful through all the classification moves. It includes three state championships. After reaching the regional finals last year, following a state championship run, the Tigers lost heavily in starters. Just like football, it will simply be a reload for Coach Michael Kane. Reloading is made so much easier when your returners include future UT Longhorn, Junior Henley Anderson. One of the best allaround players, rare in this specialty sport, with 717 kills, 16 assists, 60 aces, 395 digs and 51 blocks.
The Tigers have a 91-20 record in the last two years but have failed to win district as they have had to deal with two powers in the form of Lake Travis and Westlake. They will continue to play their very tough nondistrict schedule competing in the Pearland, Fraulein and Volleypalooza tourneys. They will open their season on 8-12 at Rouse in a doubleheader with RR Westwood and Rouse.
Crosscountry
Coach Kourtney Morris is continuing the successful program that caught fire in the 2000's. They have consistently booked their passage to regional and state in one or both of the divisions. Their first competition comes on 8-23 at the Vista Ridge Invitational.
Team Tennis
The tennis program has a strong tradition too at Dripping Springs. Unfortunately, many of the district teams over the years have also majored in tennis. It is a high individual specialty sport like golf. The Tigers, coached by Carly Norment, have to deal with the good programs of Lake Travis and Westlake.
