Lake Country Christian opens TAPPS playoffs with shutout over Dallas Covenant
On a cold and wet Saturday night, Fort Worth Lake Country Christian got little resistance from Dallas Covenant to shut out the Knights, 46-0, in a TAPPS Division 3 area round home game.
The Eagles (8-1) advance to the regional round to take on district foe Lubbock Trinity.
Lake Country won 21-14 on Nov. 6. Trinity beat Pantego Christian, 14-13, on Friday.
The Eagles only ran two plays, both runs, in their own territory. After Covenant (5-3) drove inside the red zone on the game’s opening possession, the Knights stalled when they missed a 30-yard field goal.
“Football is meant to be played outside regardless of weather. It’s just part of the game and we knew the weather would be bad going into it,” Lake Country coach Wade Whites said. “We prepared our kids and we didn’t allow it to be a problem for us. Our district play prepared us to compete at a high level.”
On the ensuing play, the first from scrimmage for Lake Country, Adam Lindsey rumbled for a 68-yard run to the Covenant 12. Cade Hollingsworth hit Connor Donathan on a 1-yard touchdown pass with 4:50 left in the first quarter.
The Knights didn’t see Donathan, who lined up all alone on the outside.
On the next Covenant drive, Lake Country tipped the punt attempt and started at the Knights’ 11. Kevin Dodard ran in a 6-yard TD run on fourth down to make it 13-0 on the first play of the second quarter.
The Eagles’ next drive started at the Covenant 34 when the Knights were stopped on a fourth-and 4. On the next play, Hayden Whites took a toss inside the 10 and capped the drive with a TD run that made it 19-0 with 8:46 to play in the period. Another short field resulted in Lake Country’s fourth TD, a 13-yard strike from Hollingsworth to Dodard with 5 1/2 minutes left before intermission.
“Every team is coached well and prepared to play. Dallas Covenant is a very well coached team and the players are very disciplined. We were fired up and we were ready to play our game and do what we do,” Whites said.
Hollingsworth connected with Lindsey on a 19-yard TD for a 33-0 halftime lead.
Lake Country’s second snap inside its own territory came on the first play of the third quarter when it started at the 23. Whites took a hand-off up the middle and scampered toward a 77-yard TD that increased the lead to 40-0.
It was Whites 99th career touchdown.
With a running clock in the second half, Lindsey capped off the scoring with a 35-yard TD run off a misdirection play. Lindsey rushed for 115 yards on just four carries.
Whites led all rushers with 19 carries for 172 yards and two TDs. The Eagles out-gained the Knights 309-143 in total yards.
Garrett Graham led Covenant with 92 yards rushing.
This story was originally published November 28, 2020 at 10:47 PM.
