Against all odds, the Logos Prep Lions flexed their resiliency against the favored Hill Country Christian, earning their first TAPPS Six-Man 1A State Championship.
With only four minutes left in the game and facing a deficit of 18 points, it appeared that Logos Prep’s chances of a title were over. However, the Lions went on a tear to pull off a miraculous comeback, defeating the Knights 54-52.
“When you combine toughness and focus, you end up with execution,” said coach Kevin Edelbrock. “For us, we have a special group of kids. That's what it usually takes to pull off a victory like this, as a 25-point underdog."
In order to pull off this type of upset, Edelbrock said the team’s “secret ingredient” was his seniors -- namely RB Barrett Zgarba, LB Nathan Rabb, and WR/FS Cole Hogan.
“They [the seniors on the team] exemplified what it means to never give up,” Edelbrock said. “We talk a lot about not worrying about the score or result, but just ‘Do the next right thing.’ Those young men are led by six different captains who stayed focused and never gave up. They have no quit in them.”
Kicker Carson Goldy managed to deliver three successful onside kicks to flip the momentum of the game.
“He [Goldy} has all the talent to kick at any DI school in the nation and any program would be lucky to have him,” said Edelbrock. “In six-man football, the onside kick is of the utmost importance. Throughout the year, I watched Carson really perfect a variety of kicks. To recover three in a championship game changes everything and the entire kickoff team deserves credit.”
Logos Prep opened in 2006 and started playing football in 2010. This is the school's first State Title and this could be the first of many.
“More and more athletes are seeing our University Model school as a place to better prepare to be successful in college and in life. It is also a place to have a competitive athletic experience with coaches who truly care about them,” Edelbrock said. “To win in this sort of fashion is something that you simply have to soak up.”
Given that Logos Prep is a 1A school, and there isn't a superfluous amount of student-athletes primed to play in the 6-Man league, it goes without saying that the seniors on this team will be missed as the Lions prepare for next season. Especially, one particular senior, WR/CB Lawson Taylor, who was a top performer in the Championship game.
"You don't ever replace your seniors, like Taylor," said Edelbrock. "Special kids come along and you miss them when they go. I'll miss our seniors. We will have a good amount of talent returning and several opportunities for others to step up. This program is about so much more than football. It's about the development of these boys as they become young men. It's about life, faith, and living the way we were designed to live. It's an honor to get to walk alongside them."
This monumental victory must have been incredible to witness. However, the postgame experience will be something the players and coaches never forget.
“It [the postgame] was pure joy and exhilaration,” Edelbrock said. “We were so happy for those boys and their families, as well as for everyone attached to Logos Prep. It was a celebration like none other. The guys were going crazy in the locker room and we just reveled in all the incredible plays and all the moments that the boys made happen.”