GEORGETOWN: The Varsity Football team kept its Cinderella season alive on Saturday afternoon after defeating Antonian Prep 31-13 in the TAPPS State Semi-Final game held at Georgetown ISD's Birkelbach Field.
Both teams were slow out of the gate, as the Cardinals and Apaches traded punts and fumbles in their opening possessions. Antonian opened up the scoring but the Cardinals pressured the extra point attempt and the kick missed, giving the Apaches a 6-0 in the first quarter. The JPII offense kicked things into gear early in the second quarter and junior WR
Jerand Bradley (3 rec, 41 yds, 1TD) scored on a screen pass after shaking two Antonian defenders for a 35-yard score to put the Cardinals ahead 7-6. Antonian responded with a big QB run to take a 13-7 lead midway through the second quarter but the Cardinals showed off their two-minute offense with a big drive set up by huge 60 yard catch by senior TE
Donavon Johnson on a 4th and 1. Junior QB
Grayson James (14-29, 217 yds, 2 TDs) found junior WR
Shunte Nettles (2 rec, 22 yds) in the corner of the endzone just a few plays later to give JPII the 14-13 lead going into the half.
The JPII defense stepped up in the second half, holding the Apaches to just 50 yards across the 3rd and 4th Quarters, while the offense stepped on the gas and scored on 3 of its 5 second half possessions. The Cardinals would increase their lead on an 11 play, 85 yard drive, capped off by a 4 yard run from senior captain
Carson Collins (13 carries, 102 yds, 1TD). Two drives later, JPII would march 52 yards in 11 plays to set up a 21 yard FG for sophomore kicker
Jackson Mata, putting JPII firmly ahead 24-13. After forcing their 4th turnover on downs, the Cardinals punched their ticket to the state title game after Nettles found the endzone for the second time Saturday afternoon on a 14 yard scamper.
Other notable performances include junior captain and WR
Myles Parker (7 rec, 103 yds), who broke the 1,000 yard receiving mark with his big day, and junior RB
Grant Robinson did his damage on the ground for 48 yards on 10 carries. Senior DL
Dylan Harris led the Cardinal defense with 12 tackles and 3 sacks, while sophomore DL
Cameron Robertson notched 7 tackles and 3 sacks of his own. Junior LB
Brandon Tucker had 9 tackles and 2 sacks, senior DL
Kevin Harris had 5 tackles and 1 sack, and junior LB
Max Mazur had 7 tackles and 1 fumble recovery. Junior LB/TE was the Cardinals' ironman, playing both sides of the ball and logging 8 tackles along with 2 sacks. DBs
Trey Spann and
Braxton Myers had 4 tackles apiece, while junior DB
Charles Daniels III had 3 tackles and 1 fumble recovery. Freshman DL Kennedy McDowell added a sack also.
The Cardinals now turn their focus to Parish Episcopal for the TAPPS Division I State Championship on Friday, December 6th at 12pm, where they will face the Panthers at Waco's Midway Panther Stadium.
