Arlington Grace Prep quarterback Jeremiah Tucker passed for 332 yards and three touchdowns, and on defense recorded two crucial pass breakups from his safety position, but Shiner St. Paul running back Conor Kresta countered with 295 rushing yards and five TDs to lead his Cardinals past the Lions 49-34 in the TAPPS Division IV championship Friday at Panther Stadium in Waco.
Key players: Tucker completed 21 of 26 passes with two touchdown passes to Michael Tucker and the other to Brendan Walters. Jeremiah Tucker, a sophomore, also led the Lions in rushing, with 102 yards on 13 carries. Michael Tucker’s second TD catch, from 14 yards, gave Grace Prep its last lead at 34-28 with 7:29 left in the third quarter.
Key stat: Two fourth-quarter fumbles by the Lions were too much to overcome. St. Paul was 0-for-4 passing but gained 444 yards on 62 rushing plays. The Lions led 27-21 at halftime, scoring four TDs on drives that lasted 67, 67, 56 and 15 seconds. Their lone second-half scoring drive took 2:05.
Records: Grace Prep 9-5; St. Paul 11-3