Veritas Pushes JH to Overtime

LAWRENCE, KS - The Patriot Junior High squad brought plenty of confidence into tonight's contest against Veritas after dominating the Eagles in a scrimmage two weeks ago, however, things turned out much differently this time.  Christ Prep won 28-26 on a Grant Stamatis keeper for the two point conversion in overtime to preserve a season opening victory for the second consecutive season.

Coach Tom Hurley's team opened the game and looked as though they might dominate by forcing a three and out and blocking the ensuing punt to take possession at the Eagles 29 yard line.  Seven plays later Stamatis hit a streaking Noah Blair for an 11 yard touchdown.  Christ Prep scored again to take a 14-0 lead just before the half when Stamatis bootlegged away from the defense and then Graham Sutherland converted the extra point.

But with 17 seconds to play in the half Veritas broke loose for a 34 touchdown run to make the score 14-6. Then the Eagles scored again on their first possession of the second half to tighten the score to 14-12.

The Patriots again hit pay dirt but this time it was Jacob Hansen who got behind the defense and pulled in the Stamatis pass for a 33 yard strike and make the score 20-12.  The game was almost out of reach as Grant Gilkison caught a pass along the CPA sideline but the Eagles dragged him down from behind a force the ball loose at the five yard line to regain possession.

Back to back scoring drives from Veritas tied the game at the end of regulation and the the Eagles scored in overtime but failed the point after attempt.  Grant Gilkison redeemed himself by catching a pass and powering into the endzone to tie the game in overtime and setup Stamatis for the game winning extra point.

NOTES:

• Trey Mastalaz, Noah Blair and Sullivan all led the team with 5 tackles each.
• Veritas was the rushing battle 111-71 mostly on quarterback keepers.
• Stamatis went 4-10 0 Int 2 TDs plus 33 rushing yards.
• Riley Gilkison led the Patriots in rushing with 39 yards.

Patriots Cramp Greyhounds Style

WINDSOR, MO - The Christ Prep football team looked like they were going to win going away after dominating the first half against Windsor last night but several players suffered from cramps which slowed the Patriot offense down and they barely escaped with a 26-18 victory.  The coaching staff especially Offensive Coordinator Tim Hammock reached deep into the lineup and found enough bodies to seal the victory.  Will Cook filling in at quarterback threw for more yards, 232, than anyone we can find in the annals of CPA football.

Christ Prep stopped Windsor on their first offensive possession but couldn't manage a first down themselves on their first opportunity.  Then the Patriots scored touchdowns on three of the next four chances including a highlight 57 yard bomb from Cook to senior wide receiver Chase Stamatis to make the score 20-6.

But the tide turned in the second half when Stamatis and fellow receivers Gabe Jones and Ethan Moran all suffered cramps which limited their play. Hammock was force to turn to the running game and Will Cook showed he's still a running back at heart piling up 119 yards on the ground.

However, turnovers and a blocked punt set things up to be interesting in the end.  The Greyhounds scored on a deep pass play with 4:01 to play to get within one score and with so many key players unavailable the final score remained in doubt until Stamatis intercepted a 3rd and long pass with 17 seconds remaining.

NOTES:

• Stats on MaxPreps
• Surprise of the game was Seth Neild with 3 solo tackles and an interception.
• Cook also led the team in tackles with 11.
• Stamatis notched his 8th career interception & Jones picked off the 4th of his career.
• Newcomers Joshua Baker and Judah Brown notched their first receptions.
• Stamatis 127 receiving yard was a career high.
• Patriots accumulated 5 turnovers plus a blocked punt to keep the Greyhounds in the game.

Patriots Dominate Despite Rust

GRANDVIEW, MO - Christ Prep continued to show progress this pre-season in a scrimmage against the Veritas Eagles of Lawrence, KS.  No score was kept as the teams alternately ran 10 offensive plays followed by 10 defensive plays.  CPA scored on their first possession and did not allow a score by the Eagles all day.

The Patriots are returning six offensive starters from last season:  QB Tanner Metzdorf (2013 NHFA All-Star), RB Will Cook, WR Chase Stamatis, WR Ethan Moran, Slot/K Gabe Jones, G Charlie Davis and Slot Isaac Smith.  However, because of lingering back trouble Davis will likely be used on defense only where Metzdorf, Stamatis, Cook, Jones, along with defensive lineman Cameron Blair and Cale Thomas are back.

Several players stepped up their efforts and are headed for starting roles including nominal twins Luke Ross and Luke Thomas and genetic twins Steve Dorsett and Sam Dorsett.  The Dorsetts are first year football players but are not new to Christ Prep as they played basketball last season.  All showed flashes on both sides of the ball against Veritas.

Joe Dawdy showed he's ready to continue where he left off last year by making big plays including a 50 yard breakaway catch which could have gone for a score were it not for the ball popping loose from him on the 2 yard line.

With only two practices remaining until the season opener at Windsor, MO Coach Cook has plenty of options at his disposal.

The Patriot Junior High program is booming!  Last year the team struggled to have enough players but Coach Cook's recruiting efforts have paid off and this season thirty-three boys are suited up.  With the addition of the new players the JH guys dominated the line of scrimmage and made big plays to overwhelm the Eagles during most of the scrimmage.

Coach Tom Hurley mixed in newcomers and get a look a different players in different positions.

Looking forward to seeing what the 2014 holds for CPA on the gridiron!

Awards Banquet Wraps Up Successful Season

GRANDVIEW, MO - The Christ Prep football team concluded their 2013 season with the awards banquet Saturday night at Red Bridge Baptist Church.  The night featured good food and great fun for a team that finished with a winning record for the first time in three years.  Regan Hurley took home two awards in his final season - Best Defensive Player and the Patriot Award.  Hurley led the team in tackles by racking up 115 and 9.5 tackles for loss for a defense that shut out two teams.  Hurley also played center on offense and special teams and he even scored a touchdown against Sunrise Christian.

Gabe Jones also took home two awards - Newcomer and Best Special Teams.  Jones made three field goals and scored 28 points on kicks and 34 total points in his first season with the Patriots after playing for Maranatha Christian last season.  Other award winners were:  David Schilling, Noah Stegner, Levi Mann, and Tanner Metzdorf.

Jeremy Kucera won the Patriot Junior High MVP award for the second straight season.  And the Junior High Patriot Award went to Julian Vandergrift who broke his arm early in the season and yet contributed in any way he could.

This Patriots said goodbye to eight seniors:  Stephen Maloy, Clark Bee, Davis White, Stegner, Schilling, Mann, Co-Captain Cameron Rucker and fellow Co-Captain Hurley.  This group is largely responsible for turning the program around and setting the stage for next year and beyond.  They will be missed.

Award Presentation Video

AWARD SUMMARY:

Varsity
Newcomer - Gabe Jones
Anchor (Offensive Line) - Noah Stegner
Iron Man - David Schilling
Most Improved - Levi Mann
Best Special Teams - Gabe Jones
Best Offensive - Tanner Metzdorf
Best Defensive - Regan Hurley
Patriot - Regan Hurley 

Junior High
MVP - Jeremy Kucera
Patriot - Julian Vandergrift

Patriots Lose One and Win One in Florida

PANAMA CITY, FL - The Christ Prep football team came up short on their overall goal of winning the National Homeschool Football Tournament but was able to justify their overall 3rd seeding.  The Patriots faced a rushing juggernaut in the Central Virginia Disciples (Richmond, VA) in their first game and the defending champions proved to be too big and too strong for the Patriots.  They controlled the line of scrimmage throughout the game and ran away with a 42-14 victory.

The Disciples came out confident.  They opened the game with an on-side kick but were unable to recover it, however, they did stop the Christ Prep offense and in three plays forced a punt.  The CVHAA offense marched down the field in chunks to score and take 6-0 lead.  They attempted another onside kick and this time it worked.  Again, the Disciples marched down the field for a second touchdown and the two point conversion made the score 14-0. 

With less than 9 minutes remaining in the second quarter the Patriots recovered a third onside kick and had only run three offensive plays.  The outlook was grim but Tanner Metzdorf led the Patriots on a drive and penetrated to the Disciples 15 yard line when he hit Chase Stamatis on a fade pattern for a score to make it 14-7.

That's when the wheels fell off for the Patriots.  The Disciples scored two touchdowns in the remaining 5 minutes before the half including a 95 yard pass from Chris Henderson to Tavon Hewlett on 3rd down and 15 just before the break.  Halftime score:  Disciples 30 Patriots 7.

The Patriots defense held on the first two possessions of the second half and the offense managed another score mostly on Metzdorf runs to cut the lead to 30-14 but that was as close as it would get.  The rest of the half was dominated by the Disciple linemen and their wedge blocking scheme.

Metzdorf led Christ Prep with 81 yards rushing to go with 24 yards passing.  Will Cook picked up 36 yards on the ground and Gabe Jones added 27 yards.

Regan Hurley led the defense with 13 tackles. Charlie Davis and Trenton Davis both recovered fumbles for the Patriots as well as three tackles a piece.

Box Score

The second game brought on a more evenly matched opponent in the Tomball Christian Warriors, where incidentally receiver Davis White played before coming to Christ Prep.



The game started like the Patriots would cruise to a blowout victory despite being without the services of starting wide receivers, Stamatis and Ethan Moran.  The Patriots were able to create big plays on defense and take advantage of those plays on offense.

Cook stripped Warrior running back, Issac Thomas, of the ball and the Patriots drove 27 yards to set up a 2 yard touchdown run by Metzdorf.  Davis White picked off a Warrior pass but Metzdorf returned the favor and Tomball was back in business at midfield.  A balanced attack had the Warriors deep in CPA territory when Jones jarred the ball loose and Charlie Davis recovered to end the threat.

Metzdorf went to work again and gained 17 yards on a keeper and then hit Joe Dawdy for a 45 yard bomb to set up a 24 yard Jones field goal. 

Then injuries began to mount - Metzdorf went out with a knee injury and with back-up Stamatis unavailable with a sprained knee Coach Cook turned the offense over to Will Cook.  Jones moved to running back despite nursing a hamstring.  More injuries accumulated when Clark Bee was rushed to the hospital to have his hand stitched up, Cook battled with bruised ribs and Cameron Rucker was playing with several ailments.

With a 10-0 lead at the half, the coaches strategized where to move players to fill the holes in the lineup.  Just when things didn't look like they could get worse the Warriors successfully executed an onside kick and were marching to score when they fumbled and Trenton Davis recovered.

But without several key offensive players, the offense struggled and after two punts the Warriors were again deep in Christ Prep territory. This time Hurley ended the scare by picking off a pass at the nine yard line.  Metzdorf returned as quarterback to lead the offense on a 12 play 75 yard scoring drive capped by a 20 yard Cook touchdown run.  Jones point after attempt was blocked leaving the score CPA 16 Tomball Christian 0 with 3:23 to go in the third quarter.

More injuries limited time for lineman David Schilling but Trenton Davis played one of the best games of his career filling in where needed along the defensive front.  A resilient Warriors team never gave up and scored a 4th quarter touchdown to cut the lead to 16-8. They were one possession away from tying the score.

CPA failed to muster a first down and the Warriors got the ball back with 2:36 remaining in the game.  They quickly marched down the field and with 38 seconds remaining Gourley Holden scrambled around the right side of the Patriot defense to set up a potential game tying 2-point conversion.  The Warriors tried a halfback pass and as Matthew Riling's pass hung in the air, Jones leaped to bat down the ball and preserve the win.

Final Score:  Christ Prep Patriots 16 Tomball Christian Warriors 14.

Regan Hurley said afterward, "When Gabe knocked down that pass, it was the greatest feeling." 

Florida Forecast

Here's a look at the teams participating in the Homeschool Football Tournament and how the are ranked and rated by MaxPreps.  

	Tourney	NHFCS	National	Adjusted
	Seeding	Ranking	Ranking	Rating	Team
Div I
	1	1	6,190	38.7	Lighthouse (Springfield, MO)
	2	3	8,177	29.5	Cent Virginia (Richmond, VA)
	3	6	10,544	18.9	Christ Prep (Kansas City)
	4	16	12,436	7.6	CHEF (Baton Rouge, LA)
Div II
	5	11	11,584	13.3	Dallas HSAA
	6	12	11,716	12.5	Tomball (Houston)
	7	13	11,803	12.1	Maryland Christian (Bel Air, MD)
	8	14	11,898	11.4	N. Georgia (Atlanta)
	9	25	13,343	0.0	Acadiana (Lafayette, LA)

Last season CPA participated in Div II but this year the Patriots come in as the #3 seed in Div I.  The computers say Coach Cook's team will be an 11 point underdog verses defending champion Central Virginia Disciples but the proof will be in the pudding.

Here's why the Patriots will win:

1) The Front Four - no team this season has been able to run effectively against the Patriot front four.  Rock Creek put up big rushing numbers but came on three big plays on the edge.  Cameron Blair, Cale Thomas, David Schilling, Charlie Davis & Clark Bee stopped every opponent this season from running the ball inside.

2) Special Teams - in every game the Patriots have lost there were special teams breakdowns.  A clean special teams game will be key and CPA has the skills to do it.  Gabe Jones puts opponents on their heels with his kick offs and he has the potential to make 30 yard field goals, something few teams have.  Chase Stamatis has big play potential in the return game but has been kept in check most of this season.  Last year on Pete Edwards Field he returned a kickoff 89 yards.  Will Cook has several punts over 50 yards!

3) Turnovers - the Patriots are +13 in turnover margin this season.  This team has a knack for making plays.  Regan Hurley has forced five fumbles this season and Stamatis has forced four to go along with four interceptions.  This is a team of ball hawkers.

A solid run defense, good field position and turnovers will set the stage for an upset in Panama City, FL on Thursday.

How good are these Patriots?

CPA played a tough schedule and went 2-3 against teams that made their state playoffs.  Midway won two games in the Missouri Class 1 playoffs before losing to Osceola, a team the Vikings defeated in the first week of the season.  Throughout this season, MaxPreps has ranked McLouth ahead of Rock Creek and Douglass but now that the playoff data is in the Mustangs have risen.  They were the third best team on the Christ Prep schedule.

In Florida, next week the Patriots will face stiff competition with Lighthouse, Central Virginia Disciples, Dallas HSAA and others.

Here's a look at how the teams that have been/are/will be on the Christ Prep schedule fared this season based on the National Ranking according to MaxPreps.    

Rank		Team	National
1		Hogan Prep	3,794
2		Midway	5,338
3		Lighthouse	5,886
4		St. Marys	6,611
5		Pembroke Hill	6,846
6		Tulsa NOAH	6,849
7		Central Va Disciples	8,177
8		Rock Creek	9,294
9		Anderson Cavaliers	9,530
10		University Academy	9,552
11		Douglass	9,685
12		McLouth	9,720
13		Christ Prep	10,544
14		Wabaunsee	10,653
15		Dallas HSAA	10,870
16		Tomball Christain Home	11,716
17		Maryland Christian Saints	11,803
18		N. Ga Falcons	11,898
19		Christ. Home Ed. (LA)	12,436
20		Lone Jack	12,824
21		Oskaloosa	12,913
22		Butler	13,017
23		Onaga	13,116
24		Southwest Early College	13,880
25		Jayhawk Linn	14,026
26		Jeff Co. North	14,234
27		Immaculata	14,561

Tanner Metzdorf giving it all in the loss against Lighthouse.