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Bishop Lynch High School

Bishop Lynch High School
football

Friars 'fly' away with state title

| By: Jeffrey Jose '03

Friars close best season in school history 13-1; Phillips named MVP

Bishop Lynch Varsity Football Defensive Coordinator Travis Dougherty emphasized that he and the team should not be satisfied yet at the end of the Friars' victory against Houston St. Pius X in a semifinal playoff game. However, the Friars have achieved all the satisfaction in the world of high school football as they won the TAPPS 5A state championship by a score of 50-28 over the Flyers of Victoria St. Joseph's (12-0). 

After defeating Trinity Christian-Addison for the TAPPS 1-5A District title, the Friars rose into the postseason full of momentum. The team added to their 10-1 regular season record with impressive victories over San Antonio Holy Cross 37-14 and St. Pius X 54-22 in the first two playoff games. The wins found the Friars in the state championship game versus St. Joseph's. Leading up to the Friar-Flyer showdown, the team remained optimistic and confident in their quest for a state title. According to Oliver, he sensed a good vibe from a team that was not overly confident but definitely hungry to win. 

Friars Senior Quarterback Chris Phillips added, "The only team we need to look out for is ourselves. If we keep our mind set like it has been and not beat ourselves, we're guaranteed a state championship."

Phillips, who is also one of the team's captains, commented, "With the adversity, we wanted to deal with it and put it behind us. We didn't want to talk about it. Instead, we wanted to talk about what was going to happen."

The team tried to stay on the track that had gotten them to the state championship. During the regular season, the team did well in overcoming off-the-field problems and focusing on the task that was at hand. 

Phillips, who is also one of the team's captains, commented, "With the adversity, we wanted to deal with it and put it behind us. We didn't want to talk about it. Instead, we wanted to talk about what was going to happen."

The performance on the field definitely showed that theFriars were blocking out any distractions they faced. During district play, the team outscored its opponents by an average score of 32-9. The team received a first round playoff bye by winning the district title. The extra week of preparation provided an opportunity to heal wounded players. Senior starter Mack Haning and Junior starter Jacob Rochester were able to play in the regional playoff game against Holy Cross. Haning had his knee scoped and Rochester was healing a broken hand.

"We were pretty lucky to get this opportunity," senior Offensive Lineman Nathan Wood said. "I felt confident in our team. I just couldn't wait to play."

The Friars took care of business in their heated rematch against St. Pius X of Houston. The game was littered with penalty flags as 30 penalties were called. The majority of the calls were unsportsmanlike conduct penalties against St. Pius.
The Friars' victory placed them in the state championship game against St. Joseph's, who came back to defeat TCA in their semifinal game. The stage was set for the Friars to achieve that prestigious state title and championship ring. The team knew it was gut check time, and if all went well, the team would be celebrating their right to be called the number one team in the state.

The battle for TAPPS SA supremacy kicked off at Copperas Cove on Saturday, December 7. If the Friars hoped to achieve victory once again, they could not afford to stumble now. In the first two playoff games, the opponent had scored 28 of its 36 points off four Lynch turnovers. For the most part, the Friars protected the ball reasonably well. The few turnovers that did occur did not result in any Flyer points.

BL jumped out to a 12-0 lead through the first quarter. The Friars' first possession of the game resulted in a punt. However, Junior Linebacker Frank Puskarich stripped the St. Joseph returner and ran in the fumble 28 yards for the game's first touchdown. The next touchdown came off a quarterback draw that Phillips ran in for the 39-yard score. This was the first of five touchdowns that the SMU-bound athlete would score. The extra-point attempts after both touchdowns failed. Second-quarter scoring consisted of a 36-yard field goal by Freshman Kicker Taylor Packwood and a four-yard run by Phillips. At halftime, the Friars walked into the locker room with a commanding 22-0 lead.

When the game resumed, St. Joseph's opened the third quarter with two touchdowns to close the gap to eight. The Flyers seemed to be gaining even more momentum when they caused Lynch to fumble on fourth down. St. Joseph's took the ball with 2:41 remaining with the chance to tie the game up. It appeared as if St. Joseph's would come back just as they did versus TCA. However, the BL defense stood up once again and denied any thoughts of a comeback. Junior Jason Enriquez scooped up another Flyer fumble and put the ball back into the hands of the Friars. The fumble was one of six turnovers that the defense created throughout the game.

Head Coach Gary Oliver said, "That was big. In my opinion, that put a damper on their momentum. It was big for us to take the ball right there. It might have been the turning point of the game. The X-factor was our defense. Our defense played absolutely outstanding."

The Friars capitalized on the turnover and Phillips scored a touchdown to make it 29-14. Within a six-minute span after the Flyers' two touchdowns, the offense scored three touchdowns to put the game out of reach, 43-14, with five minutes remaining.

Phillips commented, "Adversity only makes me play harder. Having that fumble and those critical errors that we had only made me play harder. Never once did I lose my cool. I kept my composure and tried to play my best."

Senior Cornerback Koda Chovanetz returned an onside kick for a 52-yard touchdown to make the score 50-20.  Another touchdown by St. Joseph's finished the game's scoring and the final score read 50-28 with the Friars on top. Phillips was named the game's MVP. He finished the game with 21 rushes for 123 yards and five touchdowns. After starling the game 0 for 6 with an interception, he completed five consecutive passes to end the game 5 of 11 with 72 yards.

Oliver added, "Chris was a little jittery early, which is to be expected in a big ballgame. But I told him to calm down, and just like I told Chris all year, 'You are the leader of our offense. Lead us."'

Oliver was presented with his first-ever state championship since he took over the program five years ago. He praised the team for fighting through obstacles during the season, as well as the cameras that were on hand to film the team for an IMAX documentary special. He said that the team told him specifically that the special exposure would not hinder their performance.

"This team has come together and gotten stronger every week, and we became a family," Oliver, who also fell victim to the traditional Gatorade shower, added. "I feel very very happy and pleased. I can't explain the feeling I have right now I'm going to enjoy this for the rest of the year. It's been a fun ride."

The countless hours of hard work and dedication were left on the Copperas Cove field. The Friars achieved the goal that every high school football player dreams of.

Senior captain and defensive lineman Pablo Kirk said, "Four years I've been playing this, and finally it paid off. I couldn't be more excited. I'm getting my ring. I'm glad we went out like this."

On this night, the only thing that could have slowed down an elated bunch would be the two-and-a-half-hour bus ride back home. But, not even that could bring down the excitement and joy that the team had finally secured.
 

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