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HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — The No. 1-ranked private school in Texas, St. Thomas, is back playing for a state championship.
It’s been a while since the Eagles played for a state title. It’s even longer since they’ve won state in football.
All the past can be updated if the Eagles beat four-time defending state champs Parish Episcopal from Dallas on Friday at noon at Waco ISD Stadium.
The Eagles have a long history of playing for state championships in football, but it was a long time ago. Current players weren’t even born when St. Thomas made its last appearance in the title game 22 years ago, and even longer since they won 27 years ago.
This year’s squad knew this season would be special before school started.
“I’m not surprised. We knew this would happen back in the summertime when we were doing seven-on-seven (workouts),” senior quarterback Donte Lewis said. “So, we were, like, ‘All we need to do is execute and take it one game at a time.'”
That mindset carried the Eagles to a perfect 12-0 record. The Eagles hadn’t finished a regular season undefeated in 10 years. Before that, it wasn’t since 1939.
This year’s squad has all the parts to finish this dream season on top.
Lewis is a Kansas State baseball signee who has thrown for more than 2,300 yards and 29 touchdown passes. He added more than 900 yards rushing and 12 scores on the ground.
The big-threat running running back, senior Johann Cardenas, is a Vanderbilt-commit coming off the state semifinal game last Friday, when he carried the ball 38 times for a jaw-dropping 459 yards and seven touchdowns. Yes, that was seven touchdowns!
It’s remarkable since Cardenas tore his ACL just last October. For the season, he’s run for 2,208 yards and 30 touchdowns.
When teams bring in a game plan to try to stop Cardenas and the run, Lewis airs it out to a corps of talented, experienced receivers. St. Thomas boasts seniors Luke Edgecomb (1,245 yards, 15 TDs), Larry Benton III (665 yards and 10 TDs), and Blaize Covington.