Faith Academy Flames lose their first-round contest 50-0
STAFF WRITER JENNIFER FIERRO
The Faith Academy of Marble Falls football team’s season ended in Amarillo with a 50-0 playoff loss to San Jacinto Christian Academy on Nov. 17.
The Patriots took a 28-0 lead in the first quarter that went to 50-0 by the half in the first round of the Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools six-man playoffs.
The game ended after the second quarter as San Jacinto Christian Academy had more than a 45-point lead. Under TAPPS six-man football rules, if one team leads by 45 points at start of the second half or at any period during the second half, the game is called.
Patriot’s senior quarterback Spencer Wallace completed all three of his passes for 89 yards and three touchdowns. Senior running back Christyn Abalos had five carries for 88 yards and two touchdowns and caught one pass for 34 yards and a score. Senior receiver Jayton Hollis caught two passes for 55 yards and two touchdowns. Senior running back Cody Konnecke had two rushes for 32 yards and two touchdowns.
Faith head coach Jeremy Wentrcek said the Patriots were one of the best opponents the Flames (2-8 overall, 1-3 Division I, District 2) faced all year.
“They had six seniors who started for them on both sides,” he said. “They’re one of the better teams we played all year. We did make a ton of mental errors and mistakes. That’s what happens when young teams play old teams.”
The Flames took the eight-hour drive Nov. 16 to Amarillo and spent the night. The next day, they played in 27-degree weather with a 20-mph wind. Still, Wentrcek didn’t offer excuses.
“At the the end of the day, they beat us, and we didn’t play our best,” he said. “Amarillo is a really good team. We could’ve put up more offensive points and limited their offense to get us into the third quarter and possibly the fourth quarter. Good teams overcome those (weather and travel) factors.”
Wentrcek said his players learned a great deal from the experience that he believes will carry over to next season. At the top of the list is the Flames will have a lot of familiarity in the offensive and defensive schemes. During this past August, coaches were installing both as Faith returned to six-man football. This year’s eighth-graders should give the roster a total of 20 players in 2019.
“They enjoyed the new system and the new program,” Wentrcek said of his Flames. “We’ll have a strong returning group next year. We’ll be much further ahead coming into August. I’ll remember the places it started and the places it ended, and the growth was huge.”