Marble Falls Faith Academy football adds another undefeated district championship
CAPTION: Faith Academy senior Jordan Tarver and the Flames score on every offensive possession in setting a new school record for most points scored in a game. Photo by Stennis Shotts
The Faith Academy of Marble Falls football team mercy-ruled Temple Holy Trinity 119-70 Nov. 4 early in the fourth quarter to enter the playoffs as the District 3, Division II champions of the Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools.
The Flames (6-3, 4-0) will host Conroe Covenant at 6 p.m. Friday, Nov. 11, at Britton Field on the Faith campus, 3151 RR 1431 East in Marble Falls.
“It was a good team victory,” head coach Stephen Shipley said. “We scored on every series. I don’t know that we ever got to a fourth down. Our 119 points is a school record (for most points scored in a game). We scored 106 points three years ago against Holy Trinity.”
Faith junior Cross Sanchez led the way with 11 rushing touchdowns and a passing score and used the blocking of seniors Will Lewis and Jordan Tarver and sophomore Carter Fromberg to score.
“They blocked,” head coach Stephen Shipley said. “I texted Cross and told him I was so proud of him. It was the first time he let his blocks develop. He did a great job of letting his blocks develop. Fromberg was pancaking people. The defense didn’t want to see him. He was pancaking his for two or three yards. Tarver blocked and ran the ball well; he had a couple of touchdowns. Lewis is the ultimate team player. He goes unnoticed, but he blocks. He comes out every week and plays. I’m so proud of him.”
He also was pleased with the play of sophomore Asher Apel, who returned two kickoffs for touchdowns.
“Asher had never played football,” the coach said. “He played defense the whole night and offense.”
Shipley said the Flames scored on every offensive possession, including the final drive of the first half and the first drive of the second half, adding that these drives were vitally important to the Flames’ success. He called a timeout when the Flames forced the Celtics to turn the ball over on downs on their final possession of the second quarter.
Faith led 61-35 at intermission.
“I told our players, ‘This right here could define our game, especially since we get the ball to start the second half,'” he recalled saying during the timeout. “We drove 75 yards. At halftime I told them, ‘Don’t let off the gas.'”
And the Flames didn’t. They scored on their first possession of the third quarter to get the crucial separation Shipley wanted and earned a 105-70 lead after the third period.
“I knew our offense would score,” he said. “Our defense was very shorthanded. At one time, we had four junior varsity kids on defense, freshmen and sophomores, kids who played JV all season. We were shorthanded and inexperienced. Kids were playing hard on both sides of the ball.”
Celtics quarterback Jace Martin wouldn’t let his team fall too far behind thanks to his accuracy in passing.
“We knew our defense was going to be thin, we knew we were going to be inexperienced, and we knew it was going to be a track meet,” Shipley said. “He can chunk it. He reminds me of (Smoking For Jesus senior quarterback) Isaac Legier. They made a lot of fourth down conversions. They were going to score, and we couldn’t get down. It was a back-and-forth first half.”
Watch videos on Highland Lakes sports by going to Fierro’s YouTube channel and searching for The Broad Podcaster. Please like, subscribe and share.
