Faith Academy advances to play in Austin

November 16, 2012, 10:45 pm by Jim Goodson

Sophomore running back Royale Brown gains yardage late in the Flames win over Houston Cypress Christian Friday night.

Faith Academy’s innovative Flames jumped on the Houston Cypress Christian Warriors early Friday night, staking a 20-0 first quarter lead and cruising to a convincing 46-21 first round TAPPS playoff win at Pony Stadium.

Moving to 11-0 on the season, Faith Academy will play Hallettsville Sacred Heart at 7 p.m. Friday in Austin ISD’s House Park in round two of the TAPPS Division III state tournament.

Junior defensive end Matt Manley made an alert interception midway through the opening stanza, rambling 33 yards to score after pilfering an attempted screen pass by beleaguered Cypress Christian quarterback Andrew Wilson.

The Flames picked off four Cypress Christian passes – one by Manley and three by freshman standout Jacob Metcalf.

Two plays later, after Metcalf recovered a Warrior fumble on the ensuing kickoff, Faith Academy senior Brian Freeman turned the corner around left end for a 30-yard score that put the Flames up 14-0 after he also kicked the extra point.

With 57 seconds left in the first quarter Flames senior Jason Byrd ripped off a 15-yard scoring run that gave the home team a 20-0 lead – and the rout was on,

Faith Academy rushed for 276 yards on 58 carries, scoring four touchdowns out of its elusive Single Wing attack. Freeman rushed for 69 yards on 13 carries while fellow senior Jason Byrd added 156 yards on 18 carries, scoring two touchdowns.

The Faith Academy defense held Cypress Christian to minus-nine yards rushing. Warrior quarterback Andrew Wilson, under heavy pressure, completed only 13 of 39 passes for 272 yards.

Faith Academy outgained Cypress Christian 325 to 263 yards in a battle between the old-fashioned single wing and a spread offense.

Cypress Christian finished 5-6.  

For more, see Tuesday' Highlander.