Faith receives a needed gridiron test
With district play starting Oct. 17, the Flames needed a test. In their previous outing, the team routed Prairie Lea, 50-0. Denney had hoped the Prairie Lea squad would have presented a better challenge for his squad.
“Prairie Lea was a confidence builder, if you could really call it that,” he said last week.
But the Crusaders weren’t pushovers.
Round Rock Christian scored first after holding the Flames on a fourth-down play. But Faith’s William Diamond responded with a 75-yard kick-off return.
“On offense, Will Diamond, Chase Penner and Ryan Roberts had great games,” Denney said. “And our center Randy Burton caught four passes including one for a touchdown.”
Facing a Round Rock Christian team that was quite capable of putting points on the board, Denney said a lot of the credit for the win goes to the defense.
“On defense you could mention all the players,” he said. “But a couple outstanding performances were Kyle Bridges and Chase Penner.”
Even after the win, the Faith players told the coach even they saw room for improvement.
Denney said he believes the Flames are further along than he expected at this time. And with district starting Oct. 17 against Austin Hill Country, Denney said their level of prowess is where they need to be.
Though Temple can’t compete for a playoff spot because it’s their first year in the district, Denney said the game carries a great deal of weight in the standings.
“I told the seniors they are only guaranteed four more games — if they want more, it’s up to them,” he said.
daniel@thepicayune.com