A year after Cypress Christian gave up 40 points to Colleyville Covenant Christian in a 10-point defeat in the 11-Man Division III Championship, the Warrior defense got their revenge.
The Warriors were stingy all afternoon as they held Lubbock Trinity Christian to just 175 yards of offense in a 16-7 victory in the TAPPS 11-Man Division III State Title Game.
On the other side of the ball, the Warriors were carried by a dominating rushing attack that tallied 300 yards on the day. Cody Andrus led the way with 189 yards and a touchdown, while quarterback Maxwell Landrum added 107 yards on the ground and another score.
Firat Half
After forcing a turnover on downs late in the first quarter, Cypress Christian turned to Andrus and he delivered, punching the ball in from one yard out to get the first points on the board three minutes into the second quarter.
As the half progressed, both defenses continued to make plays as Jackson Owen made a diving interception for the Warriors, while Eli Reeves came up with a pick with his back up against his own goal line for Trinity Christian to keep the score at 6-0 at halftime.
Second Half
The defenses continued to dominate early in the second half, but a muffed punt by the Warriors allowed the Lions to take a 7-6 lead on a one-yard Marcus Ramon-Edwards touchdown run.
Cypress Christian needed just five minutes to answer as it drove 89 yards and Landrum scored on a 7-yard run, giving the Warriors a 14-7 lead heading to the fourth quarter following a successful two-point conversion by Andrus.
Yet again, the Warrior defense rose to the occasion as it stopped Trinity Christian twice on fourth down, including once at the Cypress Christian 29 yard line, before a late safety on a bad snap by the Lions sealed the 16-7 final scoreline.
Final Thoughts
The defense was a strength all year for the Warriors as they held opponents to just 13.1 points per game on the season.
After suffering two defeats early in the season to John Cooper (20-14) and Second Baptist (49-14), Cypress Christian rallied with ten straight wins for its second TAPPS title in school history following its 2017 title.
The Warriors gave up just 87 points during that 10-game winning streak proving that in the end, defense does win championships.
Stats
Passing Yards: 1,531 passing yards
Rushing Yards: 3,046 yards
Offensive Points Per Game: 37.3 points
Points Allowed Per Game: 13.1 points
Leading Passer: Maxwell Landrum: 1,417 passing yards and 18 touchdowns
Leading Receiver: Jackson Owen: 378 yards and six touchdowns
2021 Championship Magazine –
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