Scoring 42 points in the fourth quarter and amassing 382 yards on the ground, including eight rushing touchdowns, Dripping Springs (7-1) rose to a district defining 66-28 win over the Seguin Matadors (4-4) last Friday night at Tigers Stadium.
“They put great effort in this week, and to see a positive result is phenomenal for these guys,” Dripping Springs head coach Galen Zimmerman said after the win. “You can kind of see the excitement and the energy, and it’s really because they came to work and they worked so hard this week. So, I’m happy for them. Seeing guys smile from ear to ear is the phenomenal part.”
Quarterback Preston Alford led the charge for the Tigers offense with 168 yards on the ground on 23 carries and had four rushing touchdowns, three of which came in the fourth quarter, while also adding 90 passing yards on six completions.
After watching their 17-6 halftime lead quickly turn to a 20-17 deficit due to back-to-back scoring drives in the third quarter by Seguin, Dripping Springs offense answered with two rushing scores within four minutes that would ultimately change the rest of the game.
A 12-yard touchdown run by Dripping Springs senior running back Curtis Cox, and a 6-yard score on a bulldozing effort by sophomore quarterback Preston Alford sparked the Tigers’ offensive explosion where they outscored the Matadors 49-8 in the final 18 minutes of play, including 42 points in the fourth quarter.
“That was awesome, I just put my head down and I knew I had to get into the end-zone,” Alford recalled about his early fourth quarter touchdown where he bulldozed a Matador defender to get into the end zone.
Alford led the charge for the Tigers offense with 168 yards on the ground on 23 carries and had four rushing touchdowns, three of which came in the fourth quarter, while also adding 90 passing yards on six completions. Alford credited much of his success on the night to the play of Dripping Springs offensive line.
“O-line, shout out O-line,” Alford said. “I mean the whole team collectively, we played together and we got the job done.”
The other counterpart of the Tigers’ potent rushing attack was Cox, who had 184 yards rushing and two scores on 22 carries. Cox also praised the lineman up front for creating opportunities for the Tigers’ playmakers.
“They definitely stepped it up this game,” Cox said about the offensive line unit. “They knew what we were playing for. They were moving bodies, wide open holes almost every time we ran.”
The Tigers’ veteran offensive line is led by seniors Kevin Kelly, Steven Wright and Keith Bottles, and juniors Jack Masters and CJ Neffendorf. The unit’s dominant play at the line of scrimmage throughout the game did not go unnoticed.
“I felt as the game went on we had a little bit of a size advantage from our offensive line and that we were able to really wear on them a little bit,” Zimmerman said. “I credit the offensive line, the offensive line coaches and how they practiced this week. It was a great four quarters by them.”
The victory keeps the Tigers undefeated at 5-0 in District 12-5A, and gives them sole possession of first place with only two games remaining in the regular season.
Dripping Springs will hit the road this week for a matchup versus Northeast Early College (2-6), at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 1.
