Covenant Classical wins third TAPPS title in four years in rout of Huntsville Alpha Omega

Early in the season, no one could have imagined that the Fort Worth Covenant Classical football team would be able to win its third TAPPS six-man state title in four years. Nine seniors had graduated from a team that was upset in the second round of the playoffs last year and in Week 4 of this season the Cavaliers lost their starting quarterback to a broken collar bone.

Covenant Classical started the season 2-2 after getting shut out in lop-sided loses in back-to-back weeks against UIL Division 1 titans No. 2 Abbott (13-0) and No. 1 Gordon (13-0) who will be playing each other in the UIL D1 state semifinals on Dec. 7.

But all of the adversity was overcome with a freshman quarterback and a lot of pulling together as Covenant Classical ran away with an 80-32 mercy-rule victory against Huntsville Alpha Omega in the Division II championship on Thursday, Dec. 5, at Waco ISD Stadium.

“This is the sweetest one, it means everything,” said senior center/defensive lineman Luke Evans who was on the previous two championship teams in 2021 and 2022. “We came off of an upset in the playoffs last year and there was very little belief, not with the team itself, but with our fans and others. We fought so hard throughout the season and our improvement was just incredible.

“There was every single reason for us not to win this year, but we did. We got it done.”

Evans opened the scoring for Covenant Classical (10-3) on a 22-yard pass from freshman quarterback Noah Keyes and was the anchor on a defense that shut down Alpha Omega (12-2) from the get go. The Cavaliers forced two punts in the game, held the Lions on downs five times and forced two turnovers.

“We’ve been playing really well defensively,” said Covenant Classical coach Jeremy Martin, who has been at CC for all three titles. “With Luke Evans, getting Hudson (Williams) able to play on defense, and little Jack Birbari at corner we tackled really well and got it done.”

Keyes took over at quarterback for Hudson Williams after Williams was injured against Gordon. Martin said that he just threw Keyes in the fire, “wet behind the ears and all” and that it turned the Cavaliers’ season around.

“What I told everyone on the team was that it’s a big pair of shoes to fill so I’m just gonna wear a couple of extra pairs of socks,” quipped Keyes, who competed 22 of 33 passes for 390 yards and seven touchdowns in the championship game. “I’ve been putting on a couple of extra pairs of socks this year, but really it’s just been these guys and the senior leadership, that’s what’s made this team this year.

“It didn’t really require much of me. I just got to come on a ride with these guys. They’ve been supporting me this whole time and it’s been amazing.”

Keyes added that championship teams in the past have had one superstar to carry most of the load, but that this team has a bunch of “mini superstars” and that they all worked together with everyone contributing which made it special to all of them.

“At the end of the day I think that it’s just a God thing, the way this team came together,” said Keyes. “There’s no other explanation for it, it had to have been the Lord.

“At the start of the season we were in a pretty low place, had some bad losses, and then we just came together. The love that is between these guys on this team is unbelievable.”

Eight different players touched the ball on offense for Covenant Classical with three being freshmen, three classified as juniors and only two as seniors. Junior Howard Wade was Keyes’ favorite target with seven catches for 149 yards including TD receptions of 18, 44, and 51 yards, the latter which ended the game with 3:49 left in the fourth quarter.

Howard Wade’s younger brother Jonathan Wade, a freshman, had four receptions for 97 yards and a five-yard touchdown and added 72 rushing yards on six carries with TDs of 11 and 48 yards. Williams, a junior, caught five passes for 108 yards and a 40-yard touchdown and also had a 49-yard interception return for a score at defensive back.

“I think that getting hurt might have been the best thing for me,” said Williams. “We had a freshman quarterback come up and he freakin’ killed it. We’re so proud of him. My injury helped our coaches and myself realize that I had strengths in other areas and used those things to serve my team better.”

Harrison Jewett, a freshman, returned a kickoff 69 yards for a touchdown for the Cavaliers as well.

Senior wide receiver and defensive back Cole Briley was the last player off the field, lingering under the goal posts at the north end of the field.

“I was just soaking it in,” said Briley, who had two catches for four yards including a one-yard scoring pass from Keyes just before halftime. “I’ve been here the last three out of four years with my brothers and I was just reminiscing those times and soaking it in. It’s sad playing my last game of ball here, but I was just trying to embrace it all.

“I have to pay respect to the players that have come before me and have built this program. It’s hard, but the work pays off and I’m just very grateful and thankful to be able to do it with this group of guys.”

This story was originally published December 5, 2024 at 5:39 PM.