FAITH comes from behind for sixth straight state title

Loper's 3 fourth quarter TDs leads Knights past Bastrop Tribe, 70-49

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The Stephenville FAITH Knights, in black, celebrate their sixth consecutive state football championship after knocking off Bastrop Tribe Consolidated, 70-49, in a hard fought TAIAO Division II championship game that came down to a fourth quarter dominated by the Knights at The Allen Academy in Bryan. || TheFlashToday.com photo by JESSIE HORTON

By JESSIE HORTON
TheFlashToday.com

BRYAN (November 26, 2016) — Travis Loper rushed for three fourth quarter touchdowns and the Stephenville FAITH defense made three four-down stops in the final period as the Knights came from behind for a 70-49 victory over Bastrop Tribe Consolidated in the TAIAO Division II Six-Man Championship at The Allen Academy Saturday.

The Knights trailed in the fourth quarter for the second straight year in the championship, but Loper scrambled for one touchdown down and a 48-41 lead before the defense made it’s first big four-down stand. Loper then broke free again, sprinting to pay dirt for a 56-41 margin with 7:50 to play.

Bastrop Tribe tried to make it a one score game, but the Knight defense came up big with a fourth-down stop at the FAITH 10, with 4:36 remaining and the offense went to work putting the game away.


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Nate Braun scored for the second time on the afternoon to open up a 3-possession lead with 3:13 left and the celebration was under way.  The Knights made one last four-down stand before Loper put the final exclamation point on it, giving himself a TD hat trick in the final 10 minutes.

Tribe found the end zone once more with seconds left in the game, but it was too little, too late.

FAITH trailed 29-12 in the second quarter but rallied with three consecutive touchdowns for a 34-29 lead. Bastrop tribe led twice more – 35-34 and 41-40 – before the first of Loper’s fourth quarter scores.

It’s the second straight TAIAO title for FAITH, which won its first four championships in Division II of the Texas Christian Athletic League. The Knight program has won six state titles in just seven years of existence.


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TheFlashToday.com photos by JESSIE HORTON

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