Faith Academy football begins district play at San Marcos Academy
CAPTION: Faith Academy junior Wade Dillard has earned himself a big role on the offensive side thanks to his running and blocking. Photo by Stennis Shotts
The Faith Academy of Marble Falls football team will go on only its second road trip of the season when the Flames visit San Marcos Academy at 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 24.
It’s the Division II, District 4 opener of the Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools for both teams.
“I think the boys are excited,” head coach Jay Silvers said. “It’s been awhile since the first game of the year that we have been away (a 52-41 win against Sugar Land Logos Prep Aug. 28), and so I think they’re excited. They have an awesome field there at San Marcos, and so a lot of these younger guys on the team have played there in junior high and they liked going there. I think they’re excited about going somewhere else to play a game.”
The Flames (6-1) took a bye last week, while the Bears (1-6) lost to Waco Valor Prep 54-8 for its fifth setback in a row. San Marcos Academy’s only win was a 61-32 victory against Bruni Sept. 5. Bruni is a member of University Interscholastic League’s District 16-2A Division I, which is an 11-man football classification. But Bruni cancelled its 11-man season, opting to play six-man football this year as an independent.
Meanwhile, the Flames have won four consecutive games where they have mercy-ruled two opponents.
Silvers said the Bears are a talented team starting with junior David Followell, a two-year letterman. He has completed 20 of 31 passes for 222 yards and two touchdowns and has 43 rushes for 358 yards and six scores this season.
“He’s their dude,” Silvers said. “He’s been their guy. They’ve rotated quarterbacks. They’re just trying to move him around. He’s an all-around athlete. He just finds the gap and goes. He’s not going to outrun you, but he hits the hole and goes. He hits the hole hard.”
Junior Cooper Dailey, a three-year letterman who spent most of his time on the defensive side, has 31 carries for 229 yards and five touchdowns and has 17 receptions for 241 yards and two scores.
“He releases out,” the coach said. “He’s their third down and fourth down option, and so they scan to him. I think he’s their center. He’ll leak out underneath somewhere, and they try to get him the ball.”
The Flames will counter with junior Price Rosamond and sophomores Egan Barnes, Ronin Burns, Landon Silvers, Quinton Merlick and Madden Kinnee.
Offensively, the Flames will count on senior Andrew Houy, junior Wade Dillard and Landon Silvers to get the offense going with a crushing rushing attack and proficient passing scheme.
Doing the simple tasks that lead to big results are at the top of his to do list, the coach said.
“Just us being efficient, taking care of the ball and just running well and making good passes and seeing the guys that are open – that’s what we’ve worked a lot on last week,” he said. “Just looking for the guys that are going to be open and throwing into the open spot, making our receivers go there. If we can just play efficient football offensively, don’t give up the ball, and try to limit them to four and outs or turnovers on downs and just keep everything in front of us defensively, we should be fine.”
CAPTION: A steady offensive force, senior Andrew Houy’s speed, arm strength and vision make him difficult to tackle. Photo by Stennis Shotts
