Arlington Grace Prep rolls past Pantego Christian in district championship

Arlington Grace Prep rushed for 243 yards and rebounded from a scoreless first quarter to beat Pantego Christian in the TAPPS Division 3 District 2 championship game, 31-13, on Saturday at Grace Prep.

The Lions, No. 2 in Fort Worth-area private school rankings, wrap up the regular season 5-0 in district and 9-0 overall and handed the Panthers, No. 1 in the area, their first loss of the season.

Pantego ends the regular season 4-1 in district and 9-1 overall.

Grace Prep will host Willow Park Trinity next Saturday Nov. 13 at 1:30 p.m.

Pantego will play Colleyville Covenant.

The Lions drove inside the Pantego 35 during their first two drives, but the offense stalled out both times, turning the ball over on downs.

Pantego could’ve changed this game when it took the ensuing drive from its own 28 to the Grace Prep 10. With first-and-goal, quarterback Kaden Paladini got into the end zone, but it was called back on a holding. Two plays later and Pantego fumbled while Grace Prep’s Bradyn Love recovered.

Grace Prep responded with a 17-play scoring drive capped off with a Reid Turner 3-yard touchdown run out of the wildcat formation for a 7-0 lead with 1:34 left in the second quarter. The Lions picked up six first downs on the drive and killed eight minutes off the clock.

After leading 7-0 at intermission, the Lions scored 12 points each in the third and fourth quarters.

Grace Prep opened the third quarter with a Turner 1-yard touchdown run that extended the lead to 13-0 with 6:23 left in the period. Following a Pantego turnover on downs, Grace Prep went up 19-0 on Jaylon Talton’s 5-yard touchdown pass to Kaden Lehew.

The Lions scored on their next two drives to up the lead to 31-0. Talton hit Love on a 7-yard touchdown pass to make it 25-0 and Turner added his third touchdown run, from 5 yards out, for a 31-0 lead with 7:17 left to play.

Pantego scored two touchdowns late on a 4-yard run from Dylan Spain and 5-yard run by Paladini.

Alex St. Julien led the Grace Prep rushing attack with 19 carries and 127 yards. Turner added 51 yards on nine carries and Talton rushed for 28 yards and threw for 155.

Love finished with seven receptions and 77 yards for the Lions.

Paladini led the Panthers with 138 yards through the air and 73 yards on 16 carries. Adin Newhouse was the team’s leading receiver with 123 yards on five catches.