The fullness of freedom that God gives us — a truth that will serve these young men well in their collegiate and professional lives .
Furthermore , senior Cooper Waller , fell into a new role after an injury , aiding the coaches with signals . Martin shared , “ Waller was consistently leading team devotionals and guiding our team in ways that aren ’ t seen on Friday nights . Cooper Waller , Preston Finucane , and many others chose the team over themselves , living out a mission bigger than football .” Thompson said , “ We were a group of guys who poured everything into practice . Even if some players weren ’ t playing one down of football , we all understood we all had a role to play .”
When the 13-1 Lions stepped onto the field for the TSSAA Division II-AA Championship , players felt confident and prepared , knowing where their true identity was found . Indeed , Thompson said that after the team ’ s hardfought loss to Pearl-Cohn , who went on to win the TSSAA State Football Championship in Class 4A , taught them that sometimes loss is the biggest impetus for growth .
When asked about preparing for the championship , Martin reflected on many prior pregame messages that surrounded “ players doing their best — whatever that was .” Before playing Boyd-Buchanan , he encouraged players to “ Slow down and appreciate the opportunity to be a part of something bigger than yourself . Enjoy playing your last game — life will go on , no matter what happens .”
In the opening drive , Law found the endzone with a 73-yard rushing touchdown from the Wildcat formation , led by his teammate and Ole Miss commit , John Wayne Oliver . But this was just the beginning of a dynamic game . Reflecting on the win , senior Josh Jennings said , “ I knew after our first defensive drive . Even though we made some mistakes , we still felt in control .” Brayden Streeter , a University of Delaware commit , secured a lead with a touchdown pass to sophomore Owen Cabell and later to University of Tennessee commit Jackson Mathews .
Heading into halftime , the Lions had accumulated over 250 yards compared
to Boyd ’ s 54 yards of offense . In the locker room , Ingle shared with players the importance of playing wholeheartedly for their final two quarters . He said , “ This game was another opportunity for them to become full-hearted men in whatever God has them invested in , not being afraid of outcomes or not being successful , but doing everything wholeheartedly .”
The fullness of freedom that God gives us — a truth that will serve these young men well in their collegiate and professional lives .
Sophomore Rawls Patterson scored twice over the third and fourth quarters , finishing with 108 yards . On defense , junior Steele Chance fought hard with 11.5 tackles . Evans , who faced an injury and recovered during much of the postseason , led the defense to hold Boyd to less than 200 yards . In the end , Hayden McKee , who suffered an injury in the game against Franklin Road Academy , and Streeter took a knee to secure the program ’ s sixth State Championship with a 35-13 win . Law with 121 yards , a touchdown on 9 carries , and 5.5 tackles on defense was named the game ’ s MVP .
Currently , seven players have committed to play at the next level . But , when reflecting on the season and their success , Evans shared , “ I believe our vulnerability with one another made us successful . The possibility was forged through the connections we shared among ourselves and with our coaches . We learned : play for the person next to you , not the one in front of you .”
Martin , who has now won four State titles in his 11 years leading the program , noted , “ Just like arts , academics , and other aspects of our school , we ’ re just trying to live out the eternal – the unseen – mission . Football is just a vehicle .”
When asked about their pregame routine , players mention that they recite the Lord ’ s Prayer together , found in Matthew 6:9-13 . Like these players , may we all fix our eyes upon Jesus in the game of life , and until that day , let His kingdom come , His will be done ; on earth as it is in heaven .
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