Parish Looks to Complete Sixth Title Run
Parish Episcopal is embracing a new role as it aims for a sixth consecutive TAPPS Division I football championship on Saturday — as the underdog.
The Panthers will face Argyle Liberty for the state title on Saturday in Waco, trying to avenge a 35-27 defeat against the Warriors during the regular season.
Parish already has defeated two district rivals during its postseason run including a 61-55 thriller over Plano Prestonwood, which knocked off the Panthers (9-4) in October.
So there’s precedent this year for Parish. Plus, there’s the championship experience on a roster that includes quarterback Sawyer Anderson, who signed with Purdue on Wednesday.
Anderson has thrown for almost 5,000 yards and 47 touchdowns this season, including 10 scores in three playoff games. He recently became the fourth Texas high school quarterback to surpass 14,000 passing yards in his career.
“A lot of people wrote us off, and that was a mistake, because, especially with [Anderson] out there, he’s got the heart of a champion and he’s hard to beat,” said Parish head coach Daniel Novakov. “Anytime he’s out there, we’ve got a chance.”
The Panthers suffered two losses in TAPPS district play this season for the first time since 2018. Whether that makes them more vulnerable is up for debate.
After all, in the five games since the Liberty loss on Oct. 18, Parish’s high-powered offense has averaged 55.4 points.
“We had a good offensive game against them. We just spotted them 21 points at the beginning. They’re a great team, so sometimes that happens,” Novakov said. “We’re going to go out there and give it our best shot and see what happens.”
The Warriors (11-1) are looking to begin a dynasty of their own under fourth-year coach Jason Witten, the former Dallas Cowboys tight end. Liberty was unbeaten last year and claimed the Division II title before moving up to the highest TAPPS classification during the offseason.
The Warriors have won 10 straight games and have steamrolled their two playoff opponents by a combined margin of 126-19. Their only loss this season came to public-school powerhouse Texarkana Texas in early September, and the defense has posted four shutouts.
