John Paul II High School head football coach George Teague prays along with the team and coaching staff following the Cardinals’ 42-14 loss to Parish Episcopal School in the TAPPS Division I state championship game.
By David Sedeño
The Texas Catholic
HEWITT—John Paul II High School’s Cinderella season ended Dec. 6 with a 42-14 loss to Parish Episcopal School in the title game at Midway Panther Stadium in Waco.
That the Cardinals even made it to the championship was a cause for celebration.
The Cardinals, at one point, had a 33-game losing streak. Over the past three years, the program, under Head Coach George Teague, has improved. At a pep rally on Dec. 5, Teague and school President Jake Schroepfer talked about the hard work that the players had put in this season, beginning over the hot summer.
Before the game, the players huddled and prayed.
Katie Kinser, Olivia King and Siarra Edsall cheer as the JPII defense makes a key stop in the TAPPS Division I state championship game.
As the final horn sounded, the cheerleaders on the sidelines and the drill team, band, students, parents and other fans began cheering, especially when Teague hoisted up a TAPPS plaque. The Cardinals finished the year at 10-4.
After receiving and handing out medals for players, Teague gathered the team in a final huddle on the sidelines. Through tears and music blaring over the stadium’s speakers, he told the players how proud he was of them, saying they were an inspiration to him and that they had given the school something it never could have imagined.
“No one believed this could happen,” he said. “There were times we didn’t believe this could happen. I love you guys. You all do not know the magnitude of what you have done for our community. We’re going places. Not just the program–the entire school. This is a stepping stone. We’re laying bricks for bigger and better things. You guys stay strong.
“We’re going to be back here. Next year. Right here or wherever they put this game. We’re going to win.”
JPII sophomore defensive back Terrance Brooks goes up high to break up a pass.
