Galen Zimmerman

The Wimberley High School Texans and Dripping Springs High School Tigers success stories last year ended before the final chapter for both football teams could be finished; each are eager to pick up where they left off, but the rewrite won’t be easy.

Westlake High School head coach Tony Salazar excelled in sports as a student at Dripping Springs from 19961999, when he played basketball, baseball, football and ran track and his name can be found in the school’s athletic records. As a head coach, Salazar holds another record; in Dripping Springs’ second year in class 6A, his Westlake teams are 2-0 against the Tigers.

By Wayland D. Clark DRIPPING SPRINGS — “It hurts, and it should hurt,” Dripping Springs head coach Galen Zimmerman told the team, “You’ve worked hard and invested a lot, but don’t let this diminish what you guys accomplished this season.” Those were the words Zimmerman said to his team after a bitter 27-24 season ending loss last year to Vandegrift High School Vipers in a 6A Division II Quarterfinal. The Tigers had a fourth down and less than a yard to score a go-ahead touchdown with 1:55 in the game and fumbled.