GAMEDAY CENTRAL

GAME 10 – PARSLEY FIELD AT KUBIAK STADIUM

Eagle Football 47
St. Pius X 21

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Quarterback Maddox Kopp ‘21 blistered SPX for a career best five touchdown passes as the Eagles shook free from a shaky start to face plant the Panthers with an outcome so devastating it required an autopsy. The commanding verdict cemented a second consecutive undefeated district title and the sixth crown for Eagle Football in eight years.  The Eagles (7-3, 4-0) surge into the TAPPS Division I postseason riding five consecutive wins and seven victories in their previous eight games.

TURNING POINT
The Eagles surrendered back to back touchdown drives to trail 14-7 early in the second quarter. A gang tackle assault in the SPX end zone resulted in a safety and ignited an avalanche of 40 unanswered St. Thomas points.

Kopp soon reduced the SPX defense to an orange cone obstacle course. His trio of lightening bolt touchdowns in the final 2:27 of the first half detonated the latest rendition in a generational series that was decidedly without Game of the Century of the Millennium of the Epoch of the Era anticipation and drama.

 

Kopp’s seek and destroy scoring strikes included a 48-yard deep post route to explosive receiver Cameron Bonner ‘21, a 17-yard dart to receiver Drake Martinez ‘21 in the left corner of the end zone, and a quick screen to running back John Fontenot ‘21 who crashed the goal line from 11 yards five seconds before halftime for an overwhelming 30-14 advantage.

RAPID REACTION

BIG BAM BOOM
The defensive wrecking crew continues to measure favorably in the simplest of terms – get a stop and get off the field. This stop rate metric can offer a more accurate reflection of a defense’s effectiveness in today’s faster-tempo game. Drives that end in punts, turnovers or a turnover on downs provide the most basic barometer of gauging success. And the successful ones win a lot of games.

After previously surrendering 19 straight points in the second half of a 21-19 escape with San Antonio Central Catholic, the Eagles returned to shutdown control and graciously cashed the most giveaways since Neville Chamberlain was seen negotiating about the Sudetenland.

 

Defensive back Aidan O’Hare ‘21 aborted the first SPX series with a swipe in the right flat that he returned 81 yards for an abrupt 7-0 lead less than two minutes into the game.  O’Hare’s rip roaring night included three pass break ups, four tackles, and two takedowns for loss.

The double duty game breaking Bonner immediately followed his scoring grab with an interception to spark the carpet bombing comeback.

Late in the first half All-State safety Daniel Coco ‘20 contributed to the carpet bombing comeback with a perfectly timed primo pass deflection deep in single coverage and then added a fourth period interception as the no doubt result became a romp.

A third period steal by active defensive back Cameron McCurry ‘21 was sandwiched around Kopp’s second touchdown toss to Bonner and a 30-yard boot from kicker Paul Langemeier ‘20 for a 40-14 explosion.

¡UNO! ¡DOS! ¡TRE!
After weeks of directing the offense more than he led it, Kopp proved to be poised and patient in the pocket. In the third scoring drive, he dialed up receiver Josh Crissmon ‘20 for a dashing 32-yard pitch and catch that set up the next play payoff to Martinez that expanded the margin to 23-14.

Kopp then played beat the clock in the final minute of the first half finding receiver Spencer Kryger ‘20 twice for completions worth 26 yards before the dump off to Fontenot for the 16-point bulge at the break.

Early in the fourth stanza, Kopp’s coup de grâce to Crissmon completed the final Eagle salvo and a 47-14 curb stomp that left SPX numb and stunned, and the sizable St. Thomas contingent delighting in their host’s demise.

WEEK 10 || FIRST HALF

WEEK 10 || SECOND HALF

[HERE FOR WEEK 10 GALLERY]

STATE OF PLAY
The Eagles storm into money month passing every test in the final regular season exam, acing the pivotal points demanded from the game plan, emphatically convincing SPX it’s not the night to entertain false dreams of grandeur.

If there’s a formula for St. Thomas to move forward with the potential of lofty ascension to the head of the postseason class, it’s packaging the previous month and repurposing as an off the radar dangerous type.  Kopp is directing a let’s go offense routinely moving in stereo if not high dynamic 4K resolution. Lightning doses of magic are mixed in when the game changing Bonner and Crissmon are jetting away from overmatched or confused secondaries. And Fontenot is a shake it up, ground and pound force operating behind a rugged offensive front regaining its physical edge.

Langemeier and his lust for kicks from thunder foot range could deliver a valuable x-factor as the competition and stakes rise week to week.

The pulse of the Eagles’ heartbeat city races with a drive to reach the deepest postseason stop since consecutive state Final Fours in 2014 and 2015. As the Cars might suggest … “Let The Good Times Roll.”


Let the stories be told
They can say what they want
Let the photos be old
Let them show what they want

Let them leave you up in the air
Let them brush your rock and roll hair
Let the good times roll
Let the good times roll
Won’t you let the good times roll

Good times roll

If the illusion is real
Let them give you a ride
If they got thunder appeal
Let them be on your side

Let them leave you up in the air
Let them brush your rock and roll hair
Let the good times roll
Won’t you let the good times roll-oll
Let the good times roll

UPCOMING
St. Thomas hosts Addison Trinity Christian (0-9, 0-3) Saturday, November 16 at 1:00 p.m. with head coach and Pro Football Hall of Famer Mike Singletary, the former Worthing High School star, and all-time Baylor Bear linebacker. It’s the eighth time in nine years Eagle Football brings a TAPPS playoff encounter to Hotze Field inside Granger Stadium. The 6-1 record is marred only by the 42-23 defeat to eventual 2016 state champion Dallas Bishop Lynch. In 2010, the Eagles fell on the road to ATC 19-7 to open the postseason and finish 6-6.

In 2018, quarterback Peyton Matocha ‘19 (University of Miami) threw for three touchdowns, ran for a fourth, and running back Ian Wheeler ‘19 (Howard University) bolted for two more as the Eagles hammered a 52-32 Surge Knight beatdown on Plano John Paul II. It was the first playoff prize since the 2015 postseason and advanced Eagle Football to the state quarterfinals against Bishop Lynch.

The Eagles twice built three-touchdown margins in the first half. On the first series out of halftime, they churned nearly half the third quarter clock with Matocha finding Jordan Augustine on a quick slant route for a 21-yard score to move comfortably out front 42-25 and were never threatened until the final clock registered triple zeros.

Eagle Fight Never Dies!