Tucked away in a small pocket of Mesquite stands the campus of Dallas Christian School-- home of the Chargers. During the football season you can find athletes working from dawn to dusk to get ahead of the competition day in and day out. For the last three seasons, their hard work has paid off as the Chargers have been able to close out their year crowned TAPPS State Champions. This season, Dallas Christian defeated San Antonio's Holy Cross 28-13 to finish victorious.
Quarterback Luke Carney and tailback Jaden Davis helped secure the victory with two touchdowns apiece during the TAPPS Division III State Championship showdown against Holy Cross. Setting the tone from the start of the game, the Chargers proved they showed up for a battle as Davis scored a 50-yard rushing touchdown on the team's first offensive play. Holding strong through the first quarter, Holy Cross did not allow the Chargers to score again until the second quarter when Carney found SMU commit William "Speedy" Nettles for a 63-yard touchdown pass. Holy Cross' Taylor Flores scored late in the half and the Chargers went into halftime ahead 14-7. "Our offense capitalized on opportunities to make big plays," said Dallas Christian head coach Mike Wheeler, "It paid off in the long run."
With more big offensive plays through the second half-- like Carney's 35-yard touchdown pass to Decorias Taylor-- the Chargers were able to slowly pull away in the game. Not going down without a fight, though, Holy Cross continued to battle and would score one more time with a 1-yard run from AJ Williams followed by a missed extra point. With big defensive moments powering the Chargers to force turnovers, the defense contributed in timely moments: "Our defense stepped up and made plays when it was important," Wheeler said.
Devontay High helped seal the deal when forcing a turnover on downs near the end of the game while Holy Cross had the ball on their own 25. Giving Carney and the offense the opportunity to end their season in victory formation and kneel to end the game. "It's a great feeling," Carney said following the game. "Winning three straight titles has been a huge accomplishment."
Carney finished the game with 261 passing yards, an 80% pass-completion rating, and two passing touchdowns while Davis finished with 116 rushing tards on 18 carries for two touchdowns. Nettles finished with 153 receiving yards on 6 catches for one score and Taylor recorded 46 yards on five catches for one score.
This team isn't done getting settled, either. With plenty of star athletes building up stamina for the seasons ahead, Chargers fans can expect to see Dallas Christian continue to shine. As they gear up to head into the offseason, be sure to keep your eyes on the Chargers athletes. With more work to be done, the team can be expected to continue building their legacy on the field.