Liberty Ousts Parish in TAPPS Title Game

By Robert Thomas / Contributor

WACO — Despite a valiant effort, Parish Episcopal’s amazing streak of TAPPS Division I state championships has come to an end. Aiming for their sixth consecutive crown, the Panthers fell to Argyle Liberty 45-24 on Saturday at Waco ISD Stadium.

Parish trailed just 24-17 at the half. But the Warriors outscored the Panthers 21-0 in the third quarter, which made the difference.

“Our guys fought their hearts out against a great Liberty Christian team,” said Parish head coach Daniel Novakov. “In the end, the game didn’t go our way but that doesn’t take away what an unbelievable run this program has had over the last six years.”

The contest was a rematch from district play, which resulted in a 35-27 win by Liberty, and Saturday’s game had the makings of another high-scoring affair early on.

The Warriors (12-1) took a 7-0 lead on a 50-yard catch by Brady Janusek (eight catches, game-high 120 yards, three touchdowns) on the opening drive, but the Panthers (9-5) needed just 29 seconds and two plays to tie the game at 7-7.

Nicholas Wheeler scored on a 23-yard run for Parish, with that play being set up by a 57-yard strike from Sawyer Anderson to Bryson Fields. Anderson, a signee with Purdue and one of the state’s most decorated passers, finished the game with 301 yards passing and two touchdowns.

But Liberty flexed its own big-play muscles with a 70-yard touchdown run from Chase Garnett to reclaim the lead at 14-7 just eight seconds later. Parish closed the quarter with a 23-yard field goal from Gael Garza.

“We knew this was going to be a fight and our guys just kept pushing back to stay close,” Novakov said.

Liberty scored the next 10 points to increase its lead to 24-10, but Parish had the final counter with a late scoring drive to close the first half. That late drive, starting at the Liberty 49 with 1:22 remaining, was topped by a slick 23-yard pass from Anderson to Carson Darby.

“All we could do was just go all-out and keep taking our shots at them,” Anderson said. “Getting that last score before the half was big and we were having fun out there.”

The Panthers seemed primed for a big second half, but the offense managed just a punt and a rare Anderson interception for its two third quarter drives, while Liberty rolled up 194 yards in the quarter and twice had scoring plays over 20 yards.

In the fourth quarter, Parish showed some resilience, starting with a near goal-line stand by the defense, which turned the Warriors away on fourth-and-goal from the Parish 7. Four plays later, Beckham Smith hauled in a 86-yard catch-and-run from Anderson to cut the deficit to 45-24 with 8:16 remaining.

But the Panthers never got closer as the book closed on a remarkable string of postseason triumphs over the last six years.

“This has been such an unbelievable run of success and these kids have overcome so many obstacles to do what we did,” Novakov said. “To be a part of something like this was truly special and nothing will ever take away the accomplishments these young men have done these last six years.”