Argyle Liberty Christian downs Dallas Parish Episcopal in battle of state champions

The defending TAPPS Division II state champion -- Argyle Liberty Christian Warriors -- moved up to DI this year, which meant they would play a five-time reigning Division I titleholder: The Dallas Parish Episcopal Panthers.

An epic battle of two heavyweights in a high school football district showdown lived up to the hype. Argyle Liberty Christian’s defense came up with key defensive stops to preserve a 35-27 triumph over Parish Episcopal, snapping the Panthers’ 18-game district win streak.

Junior Linebacker Cade Violi swatted away a swing pass on fourth-and-two at the Warriors six-yard line with 2:44 remaining as Argyle Liberty Christian -- No. 2 in the Texas Football state private school rankings -- then ran out the clock, picking up three first downs to seal a huge win, in a game in which it never trailed.

“We practiced facing that situation so many times,” said Violi. “We read the play. I saw the back go out for a swing pass and was able to bat the ball away. I thought I should have had an interception, but it was fourth down, and we got the ball back.”

Liberty Christian head coach Jason Witten said Violi made “such a big play.”

“Our defense made the stops when we had to,” Witten said. “Gave up some big plays, but so proud of our guys hanging in there against a great football team.”

The Warriors offense jumped out to a quick 14-0 first-quarter lead on a pair of Quinn Murphy touchdown tosses to Jaylon Hawkins, covering 14 and 34 yards, the latter set up by a Jett Haire interception at the Parish 45.

“I think those two scores gave the offense a lot of confidence,” said Murphy, a junior and Baylor pledge. “We were able to make some plays offensively tonight, and our defense came up with a number of big stops.”

Midway through the second period, South Florida commit Chase Garnett raced 36 yards for a TD run that pushed the Warriors lead to 21-0.

Parish quarterback Sawyer Anderson, a Purdue pledge, scored on a one-yard sneak for the Panthers first score.

But Liberty Christian responded on a seven-yard Murphy TD keeper to cap a 50-yard five-play drive, with 1:09 till halftime.

Anderson, on the ensuing Parish possession, rifled a 54-yard scoring strike to Carson Darby with 31 ticks before intermission. Liberty Christian blocked the PAT and went into the break with a 27-13 advantage.

The Warriors took the second-half kickoff and marched 63 yards in five plays, as Murphy found Brady Janusek on a 42-yard scoring aerial.

But Parish did not quit. Anderson tossed a pair of third-period TDs to Jaylen Pile -- 40 and 19 yards -- that sliced the Liberty Christian lead to 35-27.

The final stanza was scoreless but had plenty of intrigue. Senior CJ Witten, a Rice commit, blocked a 21-yard Parish field goal attempt less than a minute into the fourth quarter.

Liberty Christian used over three minutes of possession time before punting back to Parish. With 7:45 left in the contest, and starting at its own 12, Parish reached the Liberty Christian six-yard line, chewing up 5:01 in possession time. Then Violi came up with the game-saving defensive play.

Blake Brisker, on three consecutive runs, picked up a trio of first downs to kill the remaining 2:44 off the clock, and the Warriors celebrated a huge win.

Murphy had perhaps his best game this season, finishing 21 of 26 for 298 yards with no interceptions and three TD passes, and also added a game-high 68 rushing yards on 11 carries and another TD.

“The opportunities were there for me to do a little more running tonight,” said Murphy. “We too advantage of what the defense gave us.”

Coach Witten said that Murphy “did a great job leading the offense.”

Janusek, an Oklahoma pledge as a baseball outfielder, hauled in nine passes for 131 yards and the one TD, and had the blocked field goal and also came up with a fumble recovery in the third quarter when Parish was rallying.

Hawkins, a San Diego state commit, recorded six catches for 95 yards and the two early TDs.

Garnett had 62 rushing yards on eight attempts, all in the first half, and set out the second half due to a finger injury that required being taken to the hospital.

“We will wait and see what the evaluation is on the finger,” said Witten. “Chase is a really, really tough guy.”

Argyle Liberty Christian (6-1, 3-0) visits district opponent Fort Worth Nolan with a slated 7 p.m. kickoff on Oct. 25. The Warriors then finish off the regular season schedule with district home games versus Bishop Lynch and Frisco Legacy Christian.

Dallas Parish Episcopal (5-3, 3-1) has a key district matchup at Prestonwood Christian Academy next Friday night at 7 pm, and concludes its regular season, after a bye week, hosting district opponent Bishop Lynch.