Massarella, Cougars capture TAPPS title
WACO — Northland Christian dealt with mistakes, weather and not having one of its top playmakers available for Saturday’s TAPPS Division III championship against Colleyville Covenant.
It wasn’t the way Cougars coach David Nelson would have mapped it out. But he will take the ending as Northland Christian gave up 17 consecutive points at the end of the first half, scored twice to regain the lead in the second half and held on to win 21-17 at Waco Midway’s Panther Stadium.
The win gave Houston its first TAPPS 11-man state title since St. Pius X won the second of consecutive Division I titles in 2007. The area was 0-4 in finals since until Saturday, with Northland Christian atoning for the title it didn’t get in 2012.
“Everybody cares about the program and especially guys who played before,” said Nelson, who is 63-25 in seven years. “They made videos for us and all those kinds of things. So these guys are playing for the absolution of guys that came before them. To get a state championship for the Northland Christian Cougars is great for them, but great for all of us.” It wasn’t easy. After a mishandled punt return led to a fumble and Covenant recovery inside the Cougars’ 20 midway through the fourth quarter, the Northland Christian defense held. Covenant reached the 1-yard line, but the Cougars’ defense held four times inside its 5 to preserve the lead.
The 14-0 Cougars turned to 6-3, 220-pound quarter- back Michael Massarella to hold it.
Northland Christian was able to run off the final 7:31 with Massarella calling his own number and converting third-and-4, fourthand-1 and third-and-4 to keep the clock moving.
The senior ran 37 times for 220 yards and two touchdowns. And the Cougars needed every yard with top receiver Hunter Pace (1,481 yards receiving, 15 TDs) out after breaking his hand in a walkthrough practice Friday.
“We talk about adversity … and Michael said he wanted it,” Nelson said.
Added Massarella: “(The offensive line) cleared the way — those are my ‘Dancing Bears.’ I didn’t care who had the ball just as long as everyone did their job. I just wanted to perform.”
Massarella’s first touchdown gave Northland Christian a quick 7-0 lead, but mistakes opened the door for Covenant (12-2).
A pass-interference penalty and lost fumble on a kickoff late in the first half led to 17 consecutive points. Joshua Stith threw a 37-yard TD pass to Jack Reed after the interference call and ran for another score to make it 14-7. Covenant turned the fumbled kickoff into a field goal.
But Northland Christian’s defense forced four punts and constantly harassed Stith in the backfield. The Cougars forced a punt after Massarella made it 2117 and then came up with the goal-line stand.
“I’m actually glad we had to have adversity and overcome it,” Nelson said. “It makes it all the more sweeter.”