UNFINISHED BUSINESS

THE HILL COUNTRY OF BELL COUNTY SERVED AS THE DEEP AUTUMN BACKDROP FOR THE ECSTASY AND AGONY OF EAGLE FOOTBALL.

First, a wild quiet riot playoff rally in Belton to earn a second TAPPS state semifinal in four seasons and fourth since 2014. Only to be dispatched and nullified by the reigning kingpin in the return visit the following Thanksgiving weekend.

St. Thomas didn’t have to play a perfect game to overcome this version of three-time defending champion Parish Episcopal, but the Eagles had to be much better than their exit offering of 2022. The offense failed to get in gear early, the defense was vulnerable to gash and dash scoring spurts, and it created a mountain that the current roster was not capable of summiting.

The outcome proved inevitable and imminent. A succession of incremental mishaps built into an overarching 42-7 outcome that suddenly silenced the sixth season with head coach Rich McGuire. The most emphatic sabotage since the Beastie Boys unleashed Ill Communication A treasure trove of jagged emotions. Not the dystopia depicted in Mad Max but close. The sport can be cruel that way.

For much of the rip rollicking hard knocks campaign, the title dreams for St. Thomas were fueled by a cheat code at quarterback for which opponents had no counter.

Dual-threat dynamo Donte Lewis ’24 was dazzling in his first season as a varsity starter, rocking a thrill-a-second ride reminiscent of the syncopated single-note riffs, pyrotechnic finger-tapping, elastic dive-bombs, and whammy bar squeals of Eddie Van Halen. The mad-scramble magician was seemingly responsible for a series of darts every game that dilated your pupils. He took part in 37 touchdowns and the Eagles dominated through nine straight decisive romps and stomps. Great playoff expectations hinged on a sensational Senior Night send-off into the money month of November.

Eagle Football was undefeated, unchallenged, and yet largely unproven before an ominous last-minute 38-35 setback to San Antonio Antonian denied a fourth undefeated district title since 2018 after sharing the crown in 2021. The disappointment also prevented the Eagles from cementing their first unbeaten regular season since 2013 (second since 1939) and snapped a 10-game winning streak at Hotze Field inside Granger Stadium.

The good vibes and unfiltered optimism rising for 10 weeks were temporarily stifled. Eagle Football had already absorbed the heavy loss of Humvee running back Johann Cardenas ’24, unable to expand his 1,317 yards from scrimmage and 18 touchdowns in only seven games thanks to a knee injury. St. Thomas still entered the Division I postseason no. 2 in the Houston Chronicle private school rankings after seven consecutive weeks as the unanimous no. 1 and closed no. 5 in the final Dave Campbell’s Texas Football state poll.

McGuire reset the squad during a bye week and Eagle Football fixed its collective focus on the regional final against Addison Trinity Christian Academy.

The irrepressible Lewis lived up to the advance billing, flashing four touchdowns, including a go-ahead score in the final minute of the fourth quarter and the game-winning throw in overtime to scintillating Shaffer Henderson ’23. Donte’s inferno of clutch secured a 27-21 revival that advanced St. Thomas to the biggest big beat strong since the three-chord mayhem of The Woggles. Figuring out exactly how QB1 rescued victory from the jaws of jeopardy should be one of those legendary physics equations that take 100 years to solve.

A lethargic Eagle offense was scoreless since early in the second quarter and faced a perilous 18-14 deficit with less than 5:30 remaining in regulation. Lewis orchestrated a marathon 15-play, 65-yard drive that demanded three thirddown conversions. He recapture the lead after rolling out of pressure and sprinting to the left pylon for his second rushing touchdown of the night and a slim 21-18 cushion with only 57 ticks left in the fourth period.

TCA recovered to force overtime with a 38-yard field goal in the closing seconds. In the words and spirit of Shirley Manson, it was necessary for St. Thomas to “Push It.”

Ray Davis’s demolition defensive crew had racked a body count to rival the merger aftermath of Warner Bros. Discovery. The swat and swarm unit responded rather impressively to tasting its own blood in its mouth. Five times they answered in the game’s elevated atmosphere to force red zone field goals. Then in the extra session, bonecrushing linebackers Tyler Day ’24 and Jack Ward ’23 led a relentless charge that stoned the Trojans three times from inside the four-yard line.

Lewis took over and proceeded to tap into his inner Sam & Dave.

When the day comes and you’re down In a river of trouble and about to drown Just hold on, I’m comin’ Hold on, I’m comin’

On third-and-five from the 20-yard line, Lewis was coming with the shotgun snap and dialing Henderson with a pluperfect pass to the right corner of the end zone. The isolation coverage had zero chance negating “NASA Z Aggie.” Henderson glue-gripped and toe-tapped his second score with the most important grab of his career - and ninth touchdown of the season - to complete the improbable comeback. St. Thomas staked its first 10-win season since 2015.

As Funkadelic might ask - can you get to that?

On the game’s opening set, Lewis tag-teamed with receiver Larry Benton ’24 for a 45-yard explosive and then delivered on a designed draw to the left sideline for 17 yards and a 7-0 jump less than two minutes into the playoffs.

The Eagles’ third possession was their most methodical march of the season - 19 snaps worth 99 yards, overcoming four third downs, a fourth-and-12, plus a holding penalty that required first-and-20. Lewis provided the payoff punch to Henderson with a sign of theatrics to come. The tantalizing twosome exploited a man-to-man matchup on the right boundary for a 33-yard score and 14-3.

The Eagles eventually braved a calamitous evening by mastering the moxie of a properly shaken Cantarito traditionally served in jarritos. A survive and advance escape with the season on life support.

In the encore eight days later, St. Thomas didn’t command the best out of itself, its less-than-grand finale a far cry from those weekly pitch-perfect pyrotechnic performances. The Eagles had stacked jaw-dropping marauding results but not looked the part of a title contender during the bitter regular-season climax. The team didn’t enter the bracket at its apex and couldn’t recapture that level for the final sprint.

Yet it was possible to both appreciate the joys of the previous three months and still feel the pain inflicted by a juggernaut program. A step back, another bump in the road returning Eagle Football to state championship glory. Not seized and savored since 1996. Patience exercised once again.