DRIPPING SPRINGS — A Dripping Springs 35-20 halftime lead proved to be too much for the visiting Buda Johnson Jaguars to overcome on Friday, Sept. 20.
The Tigers deferred to the second half and Johnson’s only lead, 6-0, in the game came after scoring on their opening drive after the kickoff, but the point after was blocked. Defensive lineman Clive Wahl scored on the Tigers first possession on a 4-yard run for a 7-6 lead. Dripping Springs quarterback Maddox Maher, 16 of 23 for 282 yards and four touchdown passes, connected on a 7-yard touchdown pass to Cooper Reid for a 14-6 lead.
Johnson scored on a 7-yard run before Tristan Felder returned the Jags kickoff 96 yards and Jack Tyndall scored on a 4-yard run. Johnson would get as close as they’d get, 2120 on an 11-yard run, before Maher tossed a 77-yard touchdown pass to Merrik Bloomgren and a 13-yard pass to Reid for the 35-20 lead at the half.
Both teams scored touchdowns in the third and final quarters. Jack Tyndall scored early in the third quarter on a 21-yard run to give the Tigers a 42-20 lead. Buda cut the Tigers lead 42-27 on a long drive by scoring on a 6-yard run after Dripping Springs was penalized for running into the Jaguar’s kicker on a fourth down punt. Johnson scored on an 8-yard run early in the fourth quarter after a pass from Tiger quarterback Maher was batted in the air and intercepted by the Jaguars to make it 42-34.
The Tigers turned the ball over on downs on their ensuing possession, but recovered a Jaguar fumble to get the ball back. Reid scored his third touchdown reception on an 18-yard pass from Maher to give the Tigers a 49-34 lead with 6:48 in the game. Johnson took the Tigers kickoff on a 13-play drive to the 7-yard line, where the Tigers knocked down a Jags pass on fourth down and one, ending in a 49-34 win. Jack Tyndall led in rushing with 18 carries for 125 yards. Jaceton Gotta had 22 yards. Reid led receivers with five catches for 88 yards. Nick Tyndall had 59 yards. Aidan Burgess was 7 for 7 on point after touchdown attempts.
Dripping Springs will face Akins High School to begin district play on the road at Burger Center at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 26.
PHOTO BY WAYLAND D. CLARK Dripping Springs defensive lineman Clive Wahl (No. 94) gets a hole opened up, thanks to a block from Nick Tyndall and Dane Kizer, and now has his eyes fixed on the goal line. Wahl scored the first of seven Tiger touchdowns in a 49-34 win over Buda Johnson on Friday, Sept. 20.
