Faith Academy football can grab postseason spot with win
[box]GAMETIME
Faith Academy Flames vs. Texas School for the Deaf
KICKOFF: 7:30 p.m. Oct. 18
WHERE: Rudolph Gamblin Field, 1102 S. Congress Ave. in Austin[/box]
JENNIFER FIERRO • PICAYUNE STAFF
MARBLE FALLS — The Faith Academy football team can clinch a playoff spot with a win against the Texas School for the Deaf on Oct. 18.
But the Flames are preparing to face a confident opponent, head coach Russ Roberts said. TSD earned its first win of the season by defeating Texas Wind on Oct. 11.
“They’ll be motivated and fired up,” he said. “They won, and they’re convinced they can turn a bad season into a good season.”
The Rangers are led by junior quarterback Tamel Smith, senior running back Iran Banks, sophomore running back Alvin Anthony and sophomore receiver Dalton Taylor.
Roberts said TSD has a true home-field advantage.
“They have a nice old stadium right in downtown Austin south of (Lady Bird Lake),” he said. “Texas School for the Deaf is a pretty large campus that has dorms. Officials who go there try to protect the home team. They don’t want you to bounce them around and slap them around. I guarantee they can hit.”
The coach said his players will have to have the same approach to this contest they had in the 53-7 victory at Temple Holy Trinity on Oct. 11.
“It’s going to require focus, it’s going to require the kids to settle down,” he said.
Faith junior Royale Brown scored a total of five touchdowns while rushing for 49 yards and returning a kick for 85 yards in the Oct. 11 game. Roberts said Brown’s speed was too much for the Celtics to handle.
Sophomore running back Jacob Metcalf led with six carries for 182 yards.
Faith continues to add to its wild-card total with each win. The Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools awards wild-card playoff berths to the top three Class 2A teams that didn’t earn enough district wins to get into the postseason. TAPPS members earn points based on wins and the types of opponents they play.
“We’re awfully close to having it sealed based off the wild-card spot,” Roberts said. “What we would almost clinch (with the win) is the home playoff game as the district champions.”
jfierro@thepicayune.com