DRIPPING SPRINGS – Frank Accetta can lower.
And lower.
Bowie Bulldogs operating again Rhys Moreno (20) runs via a spot within the protection within the second quarter of the Bulldogs’ recreation in opposition to Dripping Springs at Tiger Stadium, Oct. 16, 2026. (Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman)
And lower some extra.
Accetta, Dripping Springs’ electrical junior operating again, had his signature recreation Friday, showcasing an uncanny capacity to immediately change instructions on a number of runs as he torched Bowie for 280 yards and 5 touchdowns dashing.
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And although it was a complete showcase by the Tigers in a 56-14 win, Accetta was the gem for Dripping Springs because it walked off the sphere at Tiger Stadium within the driver’s seat for the District 26-6A title.
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“It is superior,” Accetta mentioned. “Bowie is a good staff, so coming in right here and being dominant is certainly what we needed to do from the beginning. … The offensive line labored their butts off and the receivers blocking downfield actually helped me tonight.”
After sitting a 12 months in the past behind two seniors who at the moment are enjoying in school, Accetta has burst onto the Central Texas highschool soccer scene in his first 12 months of beginning. Or, as Dripping Springs coach Galen Zimmerman put it, he is “benefiting from his alternative.”
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Accetta has run for 975 yards and 14 touchdowns because the Tigers (6-1, 4-0) appear poised for a district championship. However it’s his lateral cutbacks and expertise to elude defenders that stand out in particular person.
“It simply comes with apply,” Accetta mentioned. “That is my essential factor that I love to do is attempt to get into the open subject and make a person miss. … However it helps when I haven’t got to make a defensive lineman miss.”
A operating again is barely pretty much as good as his offensive line, and Dripping Springs’ was dominant Friday. Accetta endlessly praised his blockers, together with Baylor commit Hudson Whitenight, for permitting him to get to the second degree of the protection almost unscathed. However the linemen respect his expertise, too.
“He is only a nice athlete,” mentioned Whitenight, who has six different Energy 4 affords. “I am comfortable to see what’s coming for him.”
Dripping Springs Tigers offensive lineman Hudson Whitenight (74) walks out of the locker room forward of the Tigers’ recreation in opposition to the Bowie Bulldogs at Tiger Stadium, Oct. 16, 2026. (Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman)
What’s coming might be seems from some small faculties over the subsequent 14 months, however Accetta is not involved about that. He is simply residing within the second and searching ahead to creating extra cuts.
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“We’ll have fun this one,” he mentioned. “Then we’ll get again to work shortly as a result of we’re not happy.”
Dripping Springs’ protection was dominant
Nearly as good as Accetta was, Dripping Springs’ protection wasn’t far behind.
Bowie’s offense entered the competition with just one turnover, but the Tigers produced 4 – two interceptions and two fumbles – and their starters gave up no factors and fewer than 150 yards. (Bowie’s touchdowns got here on an interception return and in opposition to Dripping Springs’ backups.)
“It wasn’t excellent, however man, our execution was actually good,” Zimmerman mentioned. “We have been bodily in opposition to a extremely bodily staff, and I actually appreciated how locked in our children have been.”
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The very best moments from Dripping Springs vs. Bowie
The Tigers contained Bowie star operating again Rhys Moreno, who completed with 124 yards dashing, with their starters protecting his longest run to 12 yards. And Dripping Springs fully took away Bowie’s passing assault, which solely had 41 yards the primary three quarters.
“All week we have been getting ready for (Moreno),” Tigers defensive lineman Jackson Saafir mentioned. “He is an excellent again who runs exhausting and breaks a variety of tackles. Our level of emphasis was simply all 11 of us attending to the ball. I believe we did an excellent job of that and of taking his legs out.”
Bowie Bulldogs operating again Rhys Moreno (20) runs via a spot within the protection within the second quarter of the Bulldogs’ recreation in opposition to Dripping Springs at Tiger Stadium, Oct. 16, 2026. (Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman)
Bowie hopes to bounce again and make the postseason
Bowie coach Jeff Ables is short-sighted. And that is a praise.
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The dean of Central Texas coaches, who has been teaching at Bowie in some vogue because it opened in 1988, did not give any thought that the Bulldogs (5-2, 2-1), who shall be favored of their closing three video games, might be headed for an 8-2 end.
“The objective is to go 1-0 subsequent week,” mentioned Ables, whose staff will possible clinch a playoff berth with a win Thursday over Del Valle. “We’re not waiting for something aside from subsequent week.”
Moreno is a particular expertise who provides Bowie an opportunity in opposition to anybody, however Ables appreciates his group as a complete.
“We’ve got good youngsters who play exhausting,” he mentioned. “After they lose a recreation like this, it hurts. And so they regroup, and they are going to come again and be stronger. Once we misplaced earlier within the 12 months, we got here again and acquired higher from that. That is what we’ve to do tonight is return, take a look at issues we did effectively and issues we did not. … And we’ll return to the drafting board.”
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This text initially revealed at ‘Joyful to see what’s coming for him:’ Frank Accetta runs wild in Dripping Springs’ win.
