Under The Microscope: Week 1

Cover Photo Courtesy of The Houston Chronicle

The Greater Houston Area dominated SPC in 2020 with a third-straight state title game featuring Houston area schools. As for TAPPS, the DFW area dominated once again as St. Thomas fell one game short of a state championship appearance. To kick off our district break downs for the 2020-21 season, we’ll start with the private schools.

SPC Preview

For the third-straight season, Kincaid faced off against Episcopal for the SPC title. The Falcons came out on top in 2017 and 2018, but last season the Knights got the monkey off their back by winning convincingly, 42-21.

Kincaid struggled through the regular season before hitting their stride in the playoffs. The state championship loss put the final 2019 season record at 6-5 for the Falcons. Meanwhile, Episcopal finished with a 9-1 record. The only loss came to St. Pius X of the TAPPS ranks, and the Knights picked up wins against public schools Navasota and Pasadena Rayburn.

Quon Marion led the way for Episcopal at running back with 270 yards and three scores in the title game, while his backup Adrian Cormier totaled 119 yards and two scores of his own. Both players are back in 2020 which makes Episcopal the favorite to repeat as state champs.

The Knights won’t be the only school returning a solid stable of backs. Kincaid brings back Dillon Bell, who ran for 12 touchdowns and more than 500 yards as a sophomore in 2019. Both Kincaid and Episcopal have replaced talent at an elite level over the last few seasons, and I’ll look for each to return to the state title game until someone proves they can stop them. While Episcopal vs. Kincaid round four isn’t guaranteed, it is definitely a possibility.

TAPPS Preview

While we’ve seen Houston dominate the SPC scene for several years now, the opposite is true for TAPPS. In Division I, Parish Episcopal finished the season 12-1. In fact, St. Thomas gave them the closest game they saw in the playoffs in a 41-21 loss. Meanwhile in Division II, Trinity Christian Cedar Hill has been an institution for years, dominating en route to another state title in 2019 before having its TAPPS membership revoked in mid-December amid multiple allegations.

Fortunately for the Houston area TAPPS schools, TC-Cedar Hill is gone in 2020 which creates a better pathway to a state title in Division II. Second Baptist lost to Austin Regents in the state semifinals last season, and could look to make a push at the state title game with TC-Cedar Hill out of the picture. As for Division I, St. Thomas brings back wide receiver Cameron Bonner, who hauled in nearly 1,300 yards-worth of catches as a junior and will look to make another run at a state championship after falling a game short in 2019.