A big smile showed on the face of Dripping Springs Tigers senior Trevor Greenman when he tried to recall a similar experience to his performance in Friday’s 40-7 win over the Kerrvile Tivy Antlers.
Prior to his breakout 446 total yard, six touchdown performance Friday, Greenman said the most touchdowns he ever scored was seven in a junior varsity game.
But when the lights shone bright and the stakes were high, Greenman was happy he could play a role in delivering a key district opening win.
“It feels better to score six touchdowns on Friday than seven on Thursday,” Greenman said.
Dripping Springs (4-0, 1-0) entered its district opener with plans to improve on a close non-district win over Hays a week previous, Greenman said.
Greenman and the Tigers stayed true to their words when they leapt out to a 20-0 lead over Tivy midway through the second quarter. The barrage was highlighted by 50-plus yard touchdown passes to wide receivers Parker Alford and Curtis Raymond.
Galen Zimmerman, Dripping Springs head coach, said the Tigers’ passing offense executed well during the course of the game.
Greenman went 14 of 19 for 336 yards passing and four touchdowns through the air. He was helped by an experienced corps of wide receivers that included Raymond and Johnny Hoyle, who finished with 144 and 123 yards receiving, respectively.
Zimmerman said Dripping Springs’ wide receivers are able to put “pressure on people,” while Greenman said he is surrounded by playmakers.
“You can’t pick one out. They’ve all got strengths and are pretty good,” Zimmerman said. “We are blessed with a wide receiving corps that’s talented enough that if someone gives us a crease, we can make some yards.”
Aiding Dripping Springs was a defense that smothered Tivy’s offense to the tune of 201 total yards in the game. Dripping Springs junior linebacker Matt O’Neal said the game plan was to place pressure and contain Antler backup quarterback Trapper Pannell, who struggled to effectively move the ball downfield.
Tivy’s lone touchdown in the game was scored when its defense recovered a Tiger fumble in the end zone. O’Neal said limiting Tivy’s offense “felt good.”
Zimmerman said the defense also executed well.
“Everyone thinks we have a target on our backs because we had our best season last year,” O’Neal said. “Tonight was to put a target on their back and go hunting for some Antlers.”
With a 27-7 halftime lead, Dripping Springs’ offense continued its onslaught by scoring two more touchdowns, capped off with a 27-yard touchdown run by Greenman.
But work will still need to be done for Dripping Springs, even as the team cracked the Associated Press Class 5A Texas state rankings at no. 10 this week, which is the first time it’s ever happened in school history.
Rectifying several issues, including three fumbles in the game, will be the focus as they ready for a road tilt against Seguin.
“It’s about being 1-0 every week. But there are also four other teams in district who are also 1-0,” Zimmerman said. “We want to keep ourselves in the top half in district. We’re playing now for a district championship and a shot at Week 11.”
