Parish Episcopal had been waiting more than 10 months for a shot at revenge against Argyle Liberty Christian, and the Panthers did not squander the opportunity.
Behind an early big-play barrage, Parish rolled past the Warriors 56-28 on Friday at Snyder Stadium in a rematch of last year’s TAPPS Division I state championship game.
Defending champion Liberty won both meetings last season, but the Panthers — which claimed the previous five titles in the largest TAPPS classification — regained the upper hand in the rivalry with a dominating performance.
“You never want to make any game bigger than another,” said Parish head coach Daniel Novakov. “But you’d be a fool to not realize how big this game was, with the buildup and the hype.”
Parish has won seven consecutive games since a season-opening loss to Fort Worth All Saints. The Panthers have averaged 48.2 points in those victories, and set a new season high against Liberty.
Freshman quarterback Logan Lucero threw for 332 yards and five touchdowns for the Panthers (7-1, 4-0), who scored three times on plays of 50 or more yards in the first 15 minutes, and led 35-7 at halftime.
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Johnathon Phillips ran for two touchdowns and caught two scoring passes, including an 82-yarder from Lucero midway through the third quarter. Michigan commit Jaylen Pile added a game-high six catches for 148 yards and two touchdowns. Marcus Hanish ran for 110 yards.
“Logan is wise beyond his years,” Novakov said. “He’s playing really well. I’m super proud of him. He did a great job.”
Quinn Murphy passed for 201 yards and ran for another 176 to keep the Warriors (4-3, 2-1) — coached by former Dallas Cowboys tight end Jason Witten — within striking distance in the second half.
Murphy, a Baylor pledge, accounted for two touchdowns through the air and two on the ground, highlighted by a 96-yard scamper in the third quarter.
Phillips reached the end zone on back-to-back drives in the first quarter. He scored on a 55-yard reception from Lucero and later on a short run. The second touchdown was set up by a fumble recovery by Israel Johnson on a Liberty kickoff return.
Murphy found Cash McCoart on the first of their two scoring connections on the final play of the first quarter to cut the deficit to 14-7. However, Hanish raced 57 yards for a touchdown three snaps later, and the Warriors never got any closer.
Parish ended the first half with a 10-play, 78-yard march that culminated in a 21-yard scoring toss from Lucero to Siler Cooke.
It seemed every time Liberty swung the momentum after halftime, the Panthers had an answer. Perhaps the biggest defensive play came on a strip sack of Murphy late in the third quarter in Parish territory, with Brett Dopona falling on the fumble.
“It felt like we were in a battle for our lives the whole time,” Novakov said of his team’s aggressive mentality. “You never want to assume anything or take your foot off the gas, because they’re a heck of a team. We had our work cut out for us.”
The Panthers accumulated 501 yards of total offense, although they were flagged for 153 penalty yards. They will continue district play next week at home against Plano Prestonwood.
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