Like a couple of binary stars locked in orbit around one another, they can’t get out of each other’s way. Saturday’s rematch of a season-opening 41-14 Dripping Springs win in the Hill Country will be the 12th overall meeting between these two teams, who were district foes from 2010-15 before Vandegrift grew into a 6A program. Dripping Springs joined them in the 6A ranks a couple of years later and the two teams have engaged in several epic battles since then.
The Vipers still lead the overall series 7-4, although that Tiger victory in August marked the second time in four years that Dripping Springs knocked off Vandegrift to open a season. Vandegrift avenged that opening loss in 2022, recovering a goal-line fumble in the regional finals to preserve a 27-24 win on their way to their first-ever state championship appearance.
Coach Drew Sanders’ Vandegrift (11-2) squad may not be as overpowering as past Viper teams, but they’ve overcome injuries and improved dramatically since their loss to Dripping Springs in August. Senior quarterback Miles Teodecki (162-242, 1,932 yds. 14 TD, 7 INT) has slowly returned to form after missing the last two games of the regular season, often connecting with fellow senior speedster Brock Chilton (81-903, 11.1 YPC, 9 TD). With senior Justin Moore (162-666, 4.1 YPC, 11 TD) also battling injuries, senior Sam Brown (130-683, 5.3 YPC, 9 TD) and sophomore Evan Williamson (37-300, 8.1 YPC, 3 TD), promoted from the JV squad, have gouged defenses behind a big, experienced offense line.
Similarly depleted by injuries, the Viper defense has at times fielded a shocking four sophomores to supplement senior standouts Hugo De Le Vara Vazquez and Thomas Foote. The result has been another suffocating defense that will face its biggest test to date against the Tigers. Senior kicker/punter Wiley Olson and the Vipers special teams form a not-so-secret weapon.
While the Vipers are hoping that history repeats itself in the Dome on Saturday, Coach Galen Zimmerman’s Dripping Springs Tigers (12-1) hope to finally punch their way past the Vipers and into the Final Four. Quarterback Chase Ames (215-303, 3,325 yds., 45 TD, 7 INT) has put up absolutely gaudy numbers in just his junior year. He’s fed a 3-headed beast of senior receivers about as evenly as you can imagine. Merrick Bloomgren (58-872, 15.0 YPC, 10 TD), Cooper Reid (50-778, 15.6 YPC, 17 TD) and James Montgomery (49-1,041, 21.2 YPC, 11 TD) have all torched opposing secondaries this season, aided by still more seniors in the backfield. Jaceton Gotta, especially, (147-885, 6.0 YPC, 11 TD) has punished defenses to set up Ames’ aerial display.
While the numbers aren’t publicly available, the Tiger defense has averaged just 13.8 points-per-game allowed in a district that includes Westlake and Lake Travis.
Which brings us back to where we started – the struggle to break through the public perception. Dripping Springs took major steps on that front this season. The Tigers defeated Westlake for the first time in program history earlier this year and came within a touchdown of also knocking off Lake Travis for the first time. A victory over Vandegrift would propel them to their first trip to the State semifinals.
Vandegrift is still fighting that same battle even after winning their first state title last year – their second trip to AT&T in three years. The Vipers also defeated Westlake for the first time ever in this year’s Bi-district round but are still looking for their first win over Lake Travis after dropping a highly controversial 13-10 game to the Cavs in their 2023 Bi-district clash.
Another trip to AT&T would go a long way towards cementing Vandegrift’s elite status while Drip has a little further to go. None of which matters to either team nearly as much as winning Saturday’s Region IV Championship game – and surviving to play another week.
What: 6A Div. II Region IV Final – Vandegrift vs. Dripping Springs
When: 2:30 Pregame, 3:00 Kickoff
Where: The Alamodome
Who: Merle Bertrand, Matt Sanders, Hank Hudson, Brian Spieles, Okoye Anderson, David Roy
Watch: https://www.vype.com/3pm-nfhs-6a-d2-football-reg-iv-final-vandegrift-vs-dripping-springs (Redirects to NFHS Network)
