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VYPE Austin Central Texas Game of the Week Recap: Dripping Springs decks Vandegrift
Drip was ready.
Roughly three years after the Dripping Springs Tigers shocked the Vandegrift Vipers with a walk-off field goal to open the 2022 season at Vandegrift, they did it again. Only this time, they did it convincingly in all phases to knock off the defending 6A DII State Champion Vipers 41-14 in front of an enraptured crowd at Tiger Stadium on Friday (8/29).
Junior running back Lawson Attaway opened the scoring with a bullrush into the end zone from 4-yards out to cap off a well-executed 1st quarter drive. With the Dripping Springs defense keeping the Viper offense off-balance, Tigers quarterback Chase Ames found senior Cooper Reed (5-83, TD) for a 26-yard strike and the Tigers led 14-0 after Ian French’s PAT.
After the Drip defense came up with a huge stop on 4th down with the first half winding down, Ames connected with Merrik Bloomgren (3-42, TD) for 21-yards out and the Tigers led 20-0 after the PAT doinked off the upright. Ames (17-24, 244 yds., 4 TDs), looked like anything but a rookie making his first career start, finding open receivers and consistently navigating the Tigers offense through multiple third and fourth-and-long situations.
But the Vipers came back to life.
Senior quarterback Miles Teodecki suddenly began finding his receivers Brock Chilton, Gavin Koeseter and Thomas Buechler while senior running back Justin Moore started finding some holes in a masterful 2-minute drive. Teodecki (17-34, 199 Yds., TD, INT) somehow squeezed the ball into the hands of unheralded senior tight end Arnav Sagi amidst a mass of humanity in the end zone on the final play of the first half. Wiley Olson’s PAT sent the game into the half at 20-7.
Vandegrift picked up where they left off in the second half. Following a long Teodecki-to-Koester pass play, Moore pinwheeled to paydirt from 6 yards out and the Vipers were back in it at 20-14.
But Dripping Springs went right back to work, with Ames finding running back Jaceton Gotta on an 11-yard wheel route to up the Tiger lead to 27-14. Gotta also had a solid rushing night with 66 yards on 21 carries for the Tigers.
After the Tiger defense plucked a ricocheted pass out of the air to stymie the Vipers’ next drive, Attaway (9-43, 2 TDs) capped off another grinding drive with his second touchdown run to rebuild the hosts’ 20-point edge. Situational quarterback Mateo Perez capped off the scoring with a 47-yard pass to Will Foreman.
Vandegrift (0-1) will look to bounce back and avenge their only loss last season when they host their oldest rival Cedar Park Friday night (9/5) at Ed W. Monroe Memorial Stadium. Dripping Springs (1-0) will look to avoid a letdown when the Tigers travel to San Antonio to face Wagner.
VYPE Austin Football Game of the Week: Vandegrift vs. Dripping Springs (Week 1)
Friday, August 29 – 7:30 PM / Tiger Stadium – Dripping Springs, TX
The 2025 season kicks off with a heavyweight Central Texas clash as defending 6A-Division II State Champion Vandegrift travels west to face a talented Dripping Springs squad under the lights at Tiger Stadium.
For Vandegrift, Friday’s game marks the beginning of a new chapter following a historic 2024 campaign that saw the Vipers finish 15–1 and claim their first-ever UIL state title with a 24–17 victory over Southlake Carroll at AT&T Stadium.
Head coach Drew Sanders — named District 25-6A Coach of the Year — returns a battle-tested core hungry to prove last season was no fluke.
Leading the charge is senior signal-caller Miles Teodecki, a three-star Kansas State-commit who put together one of the state’s most prolific seasons last fall. Teodecki threw for over 3,200 yards and 48 touchdowns, adding four more scores on the ground to earn district Offensive MVP honors.
He’ll once again have top target Brock Chilton at his disposal. The Air Force-bound senior wideout earned first-team, all-district recognition last fall and brings a blend of quickness and sure hands to the perimeter.
Up front, the Vipers will be anchored by a veteran offensive line featuring Parker Cecil, the reigning District Offensive Lineman of the Year, alongside Carter Mannon, another first-team selection.
Defensively, Vandegrift’s front-seven brings back proven starters in linebacker Parker Davis and defensive end Hugo De La Vara Vazquez. Both earned second-team, all-district honors last season and will be instrumental in slowing down a high-powered Dripping Springs passing attack.
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The Tigers, meanwhile, come into 2025 with plenty of motivation after finishing 8–4 in one of the state’s most competitive districts. Coach Galen Zimmerman and co. placed third in 26-6A — behind juggernauts Westlake and Lake Travis — and advanced to the Area Round before falling to a surging Harlan squad.
Offensively, Dripping Springs boasts one of the top wide receiver duos in the area. Senior Cooper Reid, an Arizona State-commit, returns after posting over 1,000 receiving yards and 15 touchdowns en route to unanimous first-team, all-district honors. He’s joined by Merrik Bloomgren, a reliable second-team selection who adds depth and experience to the group.
Up front, the Tigers feature a promising mix of youth and experience, headlined by junior Hudson Whitenight — a three-star tackle and Offensive Newcomer of the Year in 2024 — and senior John Ault, a first-team, all-district honoree.
On defense, Malachi Igharo leads the secondary after earning first-team recognition at cornerback, while Kyle Daniel and Dylan Brasher round out a versatile linebacker unit that will be tasked with containing Vandegrift’s balanced offensive attack.
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Though it’s only Week 1, both programs enter with expectations — and rosters — built for deep postseason runs.
For Vandegrift, the target is squarely on their back as the reigning champs. For Dripping Springs, it’s an early opportunity to show they belong in the conversation. Under the Friday night lights, those ambitions will begin to take shape — one possession at a time.