District titles, reaching the state podium highlights Faith Academy’s sports year
CAPTION: The Faith Academy of Marble Falls boys basketball won a share of the district title to add No. 4 to the trophy case. File photo
The excellence that is the Faith Academy of Marble Falls athletic department continued during the 2022-23 season.
The Flames captured district championships in boys basketball and girls track and field and each sport with the exception of volleyball advanced to the playoffs.
In addition the Lady Flames track team finished third at the Class 3A state track and field meet of the Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools.
Athletic director Zakk Revelle summed up the sports year in one sentence.
“Everybody talks about culture; it’s a buzzword in sports,” he said. “Tradition is another word. A tradition of excellence at Faith Academy has continued.”
That’s what made the basketball season so special. Led by Brock Davis, the district’s Most Valuable Player, the Flames added their fourth consecutive district championship. Davis signed to play college basketball at the University of Texas at Dallas.
“In four years of district play, we’ve only had one loss,” said Revelle, who also is the head basketball coach. “You play for the guys who came before you. We’re lucky and blessed we have players like that. The highlight to me was the tradition was upheld.”
Meanwhile, the Lady Flames track team won its 13th consecutive district crown by Faith Murphy who captured gold in the 400, 800 and 1,600 meters at every meet she ran.
The golf team finished seventh at the state tournament. At the district tournament Nash Renfro shot an 84 and Diego Chavira scored an 89, which were new personal bests for both. Gabe Lopez, Cross Sanchez and Kolton Steele each added a 95 apiece.
“Diego said, ‘I’ve never played golf this well,'” Revelle recalled hearing. “There was a combined district and regional tournament with 18 teams. We went uphill and won the battle. (At the state tournament), they knew it was going to be an uphill battle to win. Diego graduated, but everybody else is back. They love it. They competed and competed well.”
The tennis team had two players at the state tournament. Conner Evans was third in boys singles and Kendall Mason qualified for the tournament as a girls singles player.
“They competed well while they were there,” Revelle said.
He credits another big reason for the department’s success.
“The word is consistency within our coaching staff and having everybody back and looking into next year, knowing everyone is back,” Revelle said. “We continue to see it in football. Volleyball picked it up. Consistency of the staff definitely helps. It tells our athletes that we love you. We care about you and you’re worthy.”
Though the volleyball program will have a new head coach in Erin Sawyer, she isn’t new. Sawyer served as an assistant coach for at least two years.
“There will be consistency in keeping the program playing at a high level,” Revelle said. “We want to compete at the highest level we can. It tells them and for everybody here we’re in it for the long haul. We have guys and ladies who want to coach you.”
And he said he is in the process of hiring a baseball coach for the 2024 season after serving as the head coach in 2023.
“I knew it was going to be an uphill battle in year two,” Revelle said. “We won a district title (in 2022). I knew the district (in 2023) was tougher. I’ll be at Faith Academy as long as Faith will have me, I’m pumped to watch football. Volleyball, I think, is going to be competitive.”
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