In the News 09.20.2018
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HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL TOP 10 COUNTDOWN Dripping Springs gets hungrier After consecutive district titles, Tigers want to battle for state crown. ABOUTTHI.S By Rick cantu SERIES [email protected] The Amerlcan statesman·s DRIPPING SPRINGS-cedar Parle, aMual f ~ .s, Liberty Hill and Wim ranking of the berley are Central Texas football area·s Top l O programs Lhat have won multi high school ple state championships. football teams ID lime, Dlipping Springs coach regardless of Galen Zimmennan wants to join classlficatlon that elite dub. contlrv..ies with There is no reason the Tigers No. 7 Drippfng should fail in that quest, be said Springs. The school is loaded with alhletic talent. Soccer, sofiball and track are among several campus Learns that have become regular state contenders. Dripping Springs - the No. 7-ranked team in the American-Statesman's annual counmdown poll, finished lied for fourtll place in the state's Lone Slar Cup Slandings for Class SA H.S. Football continued on C2 Dripping Springs has compiled a record of 23- 3 (Including playoffs) over the last two seasons while reaching the playoffs In three straight years. AMERICAN-STATESMAN FILE H.S. Football continued from C2 schools in tbe 2017· 18 school year and tied for sixth in 2016·17. And footbaa. it appears, is on the verge of doing something special. Drip· ping Springs has been to the playoffs the past three years. won district champi· onships the past two years and finished the 2017 regular season with a 10·0 record. "We aspire to be like the school (Lake Travis) up north Dri pping Springs coach Galen Zi mmerman's team finished 10-0 In the 2017 regular from ust Zimmem1an said. season. 11-1 overaJI.AMEIIICAN-STATESMAN FH.E · Every time they go into a game they have a target on their backs . ... You can be up to us to follow them." ing and running with tbe on a defense anchored by encouraged by how things Prewit admits he has "big football. lineman Kevin Perrydore are going. but if you're ever shoes to fiU" with the depar• "We want guys who are and Linebackers Jakob Joy satisfied, that's when some ture offorrner'n~ quart.er· leaders and Tanner has lead and Haden Dahl. one will get you." backTre,'OrGreenman. Last ership qualities," said Zim· Barring injury, Zimmer· Coming off two successful season Greenman averaged mennan, who added that bis man likes bis teanl's chances seasons- the Tij,Hs wenr 12·2 239 yards passing a game, new quarterback is an1ong for having another memora in 2016, LH in 2017 - there 85 yards on the ground and the top lifters in the weight ble season. is reason to feel optimistic. combined for 47 passingand room. "That's the million·doUar Dripping Springs joins rushing touchdowns. Prewit will rely on running question, - the coach said a district this season with Prewit, who had 50 tack· back Jake Cox, who rushed after being asked how far teanis from the Austin school les as an outside linebacker for 1,002 yards and u touch• these Tigers can go. "They district. lfthe'l1~rscan win lastseason, waslhe]Vteam·s downs as a junior last yea r. have the ability to contend non-district games against quarterback in 2016. Alford became a big-play for a district championship. Kerrville Tlvy, Hays and New The biggest difference speciaUst in 2017, averag We've got the ability to con Braunfels Canyun, they have between Greenman and ing 28.5 yards a reception tend for a regional champi a chance to go unbeaten in Prewit? and catching eight touch• onship. I know that's a lofty the regular season for the "Trevor is quicker and down passes. goal because there are a lot second straight year. faster while Tanner is more The Tigers return only six ofgreat teams around AUstin "Our goal is to go l·O each of a run-you-over kind of sttaners from last year's team and Houston that we might week," quarterback Tanner guy," wide receiver Parker - three on offense, three on see in the playoffs." Prewit said. "I have confi Alford said. "Tanner will hit defense - and Zimmem1an dence ~can go further tl1an you in the face." said the Tigers do not have as ContactRickGantuat512- we did last year. That team Zimmerman said Prewil's much depth as last season. 445-3953. set the foundation and it's value extends beyond pass· Dripping Springs will rely Twitter: @Rickyprep High school football preseason Top 10 1 CHR1s B1LS,AMeR1CAN-STATESMANcoRRESPONDENT 1ncentra1Texas,Augustmeansscorchlr\8Claysandheatedpreseasondebatesaboutthearea'stophlghsch0olfootball teams. Leading upto the season's kickoff Aug. 30, we unveil our Top l 0,as selected byot.r high school reporting staff. NO. 6 HENDRICKSON ■ Coach: Chip Killian (79-39, 11th season) ■ 2 017: 10-4, Class 6A, Division I regional finalist ■ Hello: LB Curley Young, DB Myles Brooks ■ Goodbye: S Tobias Harris, RB D.J. Jackson ■ Returning starters: 5 offense, 5 defense ■ 2017 stats: Averaged 31.3 PPS, allowed 23.4 PPS QUESTIONS TO PONDER ■ I. Can Hendrickson get over the hump and beat district rival Cedar Ridge, Who handed the Hawks their last two losses by a combined 44 points? ■ 2. Will one of running back trio Timieone Jackson, Donny Newsome or Dre Conley approach D.J. Jackson's 2017 ruShlng total of nearly 1,500 yards? ■ 3. Can Killian find a way to utilize sophomore Jaden WUllams, a dynamic athlete whO was the Central Texas newcomer ofthe year In basketball? CURLEY AND CLIFFTON ■ Perhaps t he best linebacker duo in the area, Curley Young and Cliffton Styles have names that go great together. Young, a Cal commit, led the HaWks with 18 tackles for loss and seven saCks In 2017. Styles had a team high 135 tackles. Head coach Chip KUIian (holding trophy) and HendrlCkson DOUBLE DUTY had t heir deepest postseason run since his first year, ■ Three Hawks who will play primary roles - Brooks, beatingSachse before falling to Ced ar Ridge In the 6A DI WIiiiams and James Hester - were on the Hendrickson regional finals. RICAl!OOB. BIIAZZIEI.L/ AMERICAN-STATESMAN basketball team that won District 13-oA. Coach Dustin White wlll want them back as soon as football season ends, but that could be late again this year. LB Clifton Styles and DB Myles Brooks - at each level of the defense. But Cedar Ridge isn't going to relinquish its NEW CHALLENGER crown without a ftght. ■ The District 13- 6A race got even more interesting during the offseason. The UIL's biennial realignment in PAST THREE SEASONS February stretched the district to nine teams, and brought ■ 2017 (10·4): KIiiian continued his 10-year playoff streak Vandegrift into the mix. The Vlpers, who pushed Westlake with the deepest run since his first year, knocking off and Lake Travis the last two years, could challenge Sachse before falling to Cedar Ridge In the 6A DI regional Hendrickson and Cedar Ridge at the top. finals. ■ 2016 (3·7): The Hawks needed a season-ending win IUKEIKE over pflugervllle to sneak Into the postseason, where they ■ The Hawks are senior-laden but will be relying on a suffered a 41-28 bi-district loss to Bowie. host of juniors and sophomores. One junior to watch Is ■ 2015 ( 9-3) : A second-straight 9-3 campaign ended at defensive lineman Michael Ike, who has been Impressing the hands of Spring In the area round. upperclassmen in preseason. · He's gonna be the talk of the town nextyear, I promise you that,·Stylessaid. RANKINGS IN REVIEW ■ 10. Wimberley OURTAKE ■ 9. Bowie ■ Will Hendrickson win Its first undisputed district ■ 8. Cedar Ridge championship In five years? ■ 7. Dripping Springs ■ Rick cantu: Hendrickson has plenty of Incentive after ■ 6. Hendrickson toslng to Cedar Ridge twice last season - one game In district and the other In the playoffs. Flip a coin. UPNEXT:N0.5 ■ Thomas Jones: I say yes, based on having a three-year ■ Hint: This team has fewer losses over the past three starter at quarterback and elite talent - DE Curley Young, seasons than any other program In the Austin area. Early road tests a new challenge on schedule By Jay Plotkin Contributing Writer FULL SCHEDULE: Aug. 24 at Cedar Ridge Each year, Lake Travis foot (scrimmage) ball fans like to plan at least one AUg.31 at Arllngton Martin, trip to the Merroplex, usually 7:30p.m. around Christmas for the state Sept. 7 at Mansfield Summit, championship game in Arling 7:30p.m. ton's AT&T Stadium. Sept.14 at Bowle, Burger If the cavaliers are to make Stadlum,Sp.m. their fourth straight state title Sept. 21 vs.Akins, 7:30 p.m. game this year, Lake Travis fans Sept. 28 atAustin High, will be all too familiar ,vith the House Park, 7:30 p.m. drive. Lake Travis opens the sea Oct. 5 vs. Lehman, 7:30 p.m. son with back-to-back road games Oct.12atWestlake,7:30p.m. in the Mecroplex and doesn't play Oct. 26 vs. Del Yalle, 7'.30 p.m. a game in the fiiendly confines of Nov. 2 at Hays, 7:30 p.m. cavalier Stadium witil sept 21. Nov. 9vs.Anderson, 7:30p.m. "I'm beyond overjoyed that we have 10 games on our sched Wide receiver Jackson Scruggs (12) during the lntrasquad football ule," take Travis coach Hank scrimmage. carter said in late July, acknowl edging tongue-in-cheek the cbal early in the season.~ lenge of filling a schedule after Realignment added two teams with four AusLln school district he struggled before agreeing to the biennial LJIL realignment.