The St. Stephen’s Episcopal School six-man football team defeated Bastrop Tribe Consolidated, 31-22, on Saturday, Nov. 27, to win the Texas Association of Independent Athletic Organizations (TAIAO) State Football Championship. The championship game, which took place at Allen Academy in Bryan, Texas, capped off the Spartans’ undefeated 11-0 season in the school’s first year of six-man football.
Twelfth grader Ben Jones, who netted six receptions for 99 yards and three touchdowns, was named the Offensive Player of the Game. His classmate, Wilson McCann, completed nine passes on 14 attempts for three touchdowns and a total of 153 yards, earning a quarterback rating of 140.8. Tenth grader Christopher Tapia and 12th graders Carson McCann and Zach Mendelson rushed for a total of 188 yards on the ground, with Tapia and McCann notching touchdowns. On the defensive side of the ball, 12th graders Solomon Starkes, Zach Mendelson and Cooper Nichols tallied 15, 12 and 10 tackles, respectively, with Mendelson also intercepting a pass.
The Spartans earned the right to compete for the state championship by defeating the Lubbock Titans 75-28 on Saturday, Nov. 20. Congratulations to Head Coach Jay Patterson, Assistant Coaches Chris Breckwoldt ’86 and Ben Hines ’91, and the entire Spartan roster for an amazing season!
