North Carolina Football meets Texas on Fayssoux Field
Home opener for Christ School comes against Houston area team
Texas high school football is a whole other world.
Countless books and news articles have been written on the subject over the years. Even TV shows and movies have been inspired by a fervor for the game that is the lifeblood of many Lone Star State communities.
Christ School will get a rare insider's look at that passion Saturday afternoon in what figures to be one of the more intriguing home openers to ever be played on Fayssoux Field. Episcopal High School, out of the Houston area, is making the 1,970-mile round trip to Asheville.
Kickoff between the Greenies (1-0) and Knights (0-0) is set for 5 p.m. There is no admission charge for spectators.
"All you ever hear about growing up is Texas high school football," Christ School coach Tommy Langford said. "I'm very excited about this opportunity. I think our players are very excited, too, about trying to shock the world. I like the feeling in the room. We've been stressing to them to set the standard. We're going to have to play to (Episcopal's) standard on Saturday."
So the burning question is how did a game between the Greenies and Episcopal come about? It's not as complicated as you might think. The Knights travel out-of-state for a game about once every four years. And their Athletic Director, Jason Grove, knew of Christ School from his previous time as a coach and administrator at Rabun Gap (Ga.).
Back then, Grove worked alongside future Greenie Director of Academics & Curriculum Brooke Depelteau, as well as her husband, Associate Director of College Guidance, Jeff Depelteau. Grove also formed relationships at that time with Headmaster Paul Krieger and Athletic Director Eric Thorp.
The deal between Christ School and Episcopal is only for one year, meaning the Greenies will not be obligated to travel to Texas for a future game.
"When we decided it was time for another trip, an important thing was trying to find a school with a similar mission," Grove said. "We're both episcopal schools, and this game certainly appealed to us in terms of location. With my personal relationships and friends over there, it helped to know we would be staying in the right places and visiting the right places when we came to Asheville. We wanted to come to a place where the kids and parents would be excited. Second to maybe only Aspen (Colorado) for them is a visit to Asheville. It's a chance to get out in the mountains and explore."
The Greenies gave Langford an easy win in his head-coaching debut.
Navy Shuler '20 completed 12 of his 18 passes for four touchdowns in a 44-7 victory at Christian Academy of Knoxville (Tenn.). Kaedin Robinson '19 made five receptions for 150 yards and three touchdowns in his first-ever game for the Greenies. Fellow senior Sidney Gibbs '19 ran the ball 14 times for 241 yards and two touchdowns, picking up where he left off with a 2,000-yard season in 2017.
Leading the way for the defense against CAK were Jasper Thomas '20 (14 tackles), Ian Adams '21 (three sacks), Ross Oakley '19 (two sacks), and Army West Point recruit Keyvaun Cobb '19 (two interceptions, including a pick-six for a touchdown).
Saturday is the season opener for Episcopal, which went 6-3 last year, and is coached by Steve Leisz. The school for ninth through 12th graders has an enrollment of 730. The Knights have carried as many as 109 varsity players on their roster in the past, but will travel about 50-something for Saturday. The Texas program is also bringing 22 cheerleaders. A fanbase including boosters and parents is expected to total 100 or more and stated arriving on Tuesday.
"My understanding is that they are a pretty talent-rich school," Langford said. "They've got a guy (in college) at Alabama right now and a guy at Stanford. Their players have high motors and they go whistle to whistle. They're an up-tempo offense and their defensive line will probably be the best we play all year."
For fans who cannot be here in person, Saturday's game will be streamed live by the Christ School Broadcast Network at this link.
