Argyle Liberty Christian stuns Prestonwood Christian with game-winning blocked field goal

Argyle Liberty Christian senior Brady Janusek blocked a potential game-tying 25-yard field goal attempt as time expired to preserve a 30-27 victory over Prestonwood Christian Academy in a TAPPS D1 matchup on Oct. 11 at Lions Stadium.

Janusek said he and teammate Jaylon Hawkins “switched at the last moment before the snap” and the timing was perfect.

“Just before the snap, Jaylon said to switch, and so he went outside and I went inside,” said Janusek. “I was able to get my hands on the ball enough to block it.”

There was a wild sequence surrounding the final field goal attempt. Liberty Christian head coach Jason Witten explained.

“On their last offensive play, our guy was whistled for a delay of game penalty for not getting off the tackle quick enough,” said Witten. “Prestonwood had no timeouts. They lined up to kick the field goal.”

The first attempt was good to tie the game. However, Witten had called timeout just before the snap, forcing a second attempt, which was blocked by Janusek.

“Just a great play by Brady,” added Coach Witten.

Janusek, who also recorded a team-high 112 receiving yards on six catches, said the game “was closer than we would like.”

“A great game to be a part of,” added Janusek, who had some key third-down receptions that kept drives alive.

Liberty Christian running back Chase Garnett scored on a one-yard TD plunge with 1:03 left in the third period, capping an 11-play 78-yard drive that took 4:38 off the clock. That forged a 24-20 Liberty Christian advantage.

With just over six minutes remaining in the game, Prestonwood Christian got a 24-yard TD pass from junior Luke Glass to Matthew McClain that left the Warriors with a 27-24 deficit.

Liberty Christian answered with its game-winning drive on the next series, marching 70 yards in eight plays and using 3:06 off the clock. Garnett burst through for a 17-yard scoring run.

However, Prestonwood blocked the PAT, and the Warriors held a 30-27, one field goal lead. Quarterback Quinn Murphy had kept the drive alive with an eight-yard run on third-and-seven early in the series.

That set the stage for the final drive by Prestonwood, and the game-saving field goal attempt block by Janusek.

“This was really a hard-fought game on both sides,” said Witten. “Prestonwood has a lot of weapons. They are strong and physical. Proud of our guys the way they hung tough.”

The contest began with each team’s defense forcing punts on their first two possessions before the offenses got untracked.

Argyle Liberty Christian dented the scoreboard on a seven-yard Quinton Brown TD pass from Murphy with 4:28 left in the opening quarter. A 30-yard flea-flicker pass from Janusek to Jaylon Hawkins on the preceding play set up the score.

Prestonwood Christian deadlocked the score at seven apiece on a 76-yard TD aerial from Glass to McClain, who broke several tackles after catching the short pass and tight-roped down the sideline to reach the end zone.

The Warriors were quick to respond on its ensuing series. A five-yard penalty against Prestonwood on the kickoff placed the ball at the 30.

A 15-yard pass interference call on the first snap advanced the ball to the 45, where Garnett then sprinted 55 yards on a scoring run to give Liberty Christian a 14-7 advantage.

The Lions’ LJ Taylor returned the following kickoff 93 yards to the Warriors’ three-yard line, where Taskashi Shaw rambled in for a TD. The Warriors blocked the PAT that left them with a 14-13 lead.

Prestonwood regained possession as its defense held. Wide Receiver Enzo Bingham made a leaping catch on a 35-yard reception from Glass at the Warriors 15, and on the next play, Shaw raced in for a 15-yard TD score to leave the Warriors with a 20-14 deficit.

Brown came down with a 42-yard reception with less than a minute remaining left before the break that moved the ball to the Prestonwood 12. The drive stalled and Jonah Sullivan came on to boot a 25-yard field goal with 37 ticks before halftime to pull Liberty Christian to within 20-17 at intermission.

Garnett was a workhorse for Liberty Christian, with 203 rushing yards on 30 carries and three touchdowns. “I was able to get it going tonight,” said Garnett, a South Florida pledge. “The offensive line did a great job blocking and opened some good holes.”

Witten said that Prestonwood was using a lot of blitzes, which opened up some opportunities for the running game.

“With the way their pass rush was bringing extra people, we thought we could take advantage, and utilize our running game,” said Coach Witten. “And Chase did some a great job in finding the openings.”

Murphy, a junior and Baylor commit, finished with 211 passing yards (18 of 35 with one interception) and the one TD to Brown.

For Prestonwood Christian, running back Shaw finished with 115 rushing yards on 15 attempts and two TDs. Glass had 235 passing yards (15-24-0) and a pair of scores -- both to McClain, who recorded a game-high 140 receiving yards on five catches.

No. 2 in the Texas Football current private schools state rankings, Argyle Liberty Christian (5-1, 2-0) next week hosts five-time TAPPS Division I champion Parish Episcopal (5-2, 3-0) in one of the most anticipated showdowns of the season.

Parish Episcopal was 56-7 during its half-decade reign entering this year. Kickoff is slated for 7 p.m. at Warriors Stadium.

“Parish is such a great team ,” said Coach Witten looking ahead to next week’s opponent. “We will have our hands full. We will enjoy this win tonight, then get to work tomorrow planning for Parish. But our guys are confident and looking forward to the challenge.”

Prestonwood Christian Academy (5-2, 2-1) has a district matchup at Frisco Legacy Christian (6-1, 2-1) next Friday night with a scheduled 7 pm kickoff.