Faith Academy fights to the end in loss to St. Paul
Faith Academy’s Jonathan Bryer shakes off one Shiner St. Paul tackler as he braces for another in the Flames’ 48-13 district loss Oct. 3. Photo by Virgil Belk/Hill Country Sports Images
JARED FIELDS • PICAYUNE STAFF
MARBLE FALLS — Down 41-0 in the third quarter to Shiner St. Paul, the Faith Academy Flames could have packed up and called it a night.
But they didn’t, and that’s when things got interesting in the Division III District 3 game Oct. 3.
“In the second half, we didn’t quit; we didn’t lay down. We came back and fought hard,” junior Rich Coleman said. “It shows what kind of fight our team has, and we’ll continue to have that fight.”
The Flames (1-5 overall, 0-2 district) scored two touchdowns and made a mad dash at a third before time ran out on the clock in a 48-13 loss.
Against perhaps the best team in the district, head coach Russ Roberts looked to the positives.
“Some of (our players) learned a really good lesson, and some of them will be better,” Roberts said.
In the third quarter, Coleman helped get the Flames on the board when he out leapt a Cardinals’ defender for a Magnum Burcham pass and raced to the end zone for a 69-yard touchdown.
Shiner St. Paul scored a little more than a minute later, but late in the fourth quarter, the Flames struck again.
“My guard that was pulling told me to cut back right behind him. We tried it. I cut back right behind him, and it was wide open,” Coleman said. “He was right. I took his advice, and it worked out pretty well.”
Coleman ran 37 yards for the score on the play.
With the clock running and no timeouts remaining, Burcham and Coleman connected on back-to-back 38-yard passes before reaching the end zone for a thrilling final minute of the game.
Faith Academy heads out on the road Oct. 10 for the final time this season to play San Antonio St. Gerard in another Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools match. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. at St. Gerard Catholic School, 521 S. New Braunfels Ave. in San Antonio.
jared@thepicayune.com
St. Paul: 14-21-13-0 – 48
Faith Academy: 0-0-7-6 – 13
TEAM STATS
(ST. PAUL) First downs —16; Total net yards — 377; Rushes-yards — 28-256; Passing — 13; Comp-att-int — 5-6-0; Penalties-yards — 2-25
(FAITH ACADEMY) First downs — 13; Total net yards — 254; Rushes-yards — 31-165; Passing — 124; Comp-att-int — 4-17-0; Penalties-yards — 3-35
INDIVIDUAL STATS
RUSHING – (Faith Academy) Magnum Burcham 13-72, Jonathan Bryer 9-41, Rich Coleman 7-51-1 touchdown, Dylan Bradbury 2-1
PASSING – (Faith Academy) Burcham 3-13-120-1 touchdown, Rich Coleman 1-3-4
RECEIVING – (Faith Academy) Coleman 3-117-1 touchdown, Rawley Jackson 1-4, Gavin Henderson 1-3