Friday’s District 26-6A contest between Lake Travis and Dripping Springs was closer to flat-out bizarre. The Cavaliers, the No. 20 team in The Sporting News Texas top 25 rankings, scored the go-ahead touchdown on a 7-yard run by Vann Hopping with 1:37 remaining, then held on for a 14-7 victory over the Tigers, the No. 19 team in The Sporting News Texas top 25, on Friday night at Tiger Stadium. With its stadium being renovated, Lake Travis has been playing its home games at Dripping Springs this season.
Lake Travis (TX) outduels Dripping Springs (TX) in battle of undefeated District 26-6A rivals originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
DRIPPPING SPRINGS, Texas — It seems fitting that a game between undefeated rivals that have been sharing a home stadium this season would have a strange vibe to it.
Friday’s District 26-6A contest between Lake Travis and Dripping Springs was closer to flat-out bizarre.
The Cavaliers, the No. 20 team in The Sporting News Texas top 25 rankings, scored the go-ahead touchdown on a 7-yard run by Vann Hopping with 1:37 remaining, then held on for a 14-7 victory over the Tigers, the No. 19 team in The Sporting News Texas top 25, on Friday night at Tiger Stadium.
With its stadium being renovated, Lake Travis has been playing its home games at Dripping Springs this season. The Cavs will also play at least three home games at the venue next season.
“Credit to Dripping Springs,” Lake Travis head coach Hank Carter said. “[Dripping Springs head] Coach [Galen] Zimmerman and his bunch, they do a great job. I’m proud of my guys. Great job by our coaches and our kids. Excellent crowd behind us, too.”
The Cavaliers (7-0, 3-0) never led before the Princeton commit crossed the goal line for his 56th career rushing touchdown, which breaks the school record set by Shaun Nixon.
“It shows that when times are tough, we can lean on each other, rely on each other and get through those tough times,” Hopping said. “Scoring the winning touchdown and getting the record were amazing.
“Our defense is great. We go against them every day in practice. They show great looks every time. They are a really talented group. It was weird being on the away sideline a couple of weeks after being on the home sideline. It was good to come here before we played them.”
Junior defensive back Teddy Lofgren set up the game-winning score when he picked off a pass from Dripping Springs quarterback Chase Ames with less than two minutes to play and the game tied at 7-7.
“We were running man,” Lofgren said. “The wide receivers crossed. I saw the ball coming. I just had to go make a play. I saw it, and I was like, ‘No way he’s throwing this.’ Then, it was in my hands. I was so excited. I heard the crowd. It felt so surreal. It was like a movie out there.”
The first half, which included a combined nine punts and four turnovers, was scoreless. Dripping Springs forced three first-half turnovers, including a pair of interceptions by Liam Lawson and a fumble recovery by Major Bettridge. Braeden Lott recovered a fumble for Lake Travis late in the second quarter.
The Tigers (7-1, 3-1) scored the first points of the game on the opening possession of the third quarter. Ames scored on a 6-yard run with 4:30 left in the third quarter.
Dripping Springs had another chance to tie the game and force overtime when it got the ball back with 1:31 to go. But a fumble with 42 seconds remaining sealed the win for Lake Travis.
The Cavaliers came into the game averaging 49.1 points per game, while the Tigers were averaging 46.5 points per game.
“It’s one of those things where neither one of the offenses could get anything going,” Carter said. “We thought they might be pretty conservative down there, but they decided to throw it, and we stepped in front of it. It was a great game. They gave us fits all night.”
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Category: General Sports
