SBS Takes Runner-up Title in TAPPS Division II State Championship Game

On Saturday, December 4, 2021, at Waco ISD Stadium, the Second Baptist School varsity football team marked the school’s 75th anniversary with a return to the State Championship game - a feat twenty-two years in the making. The 1999 SBS football team was the last one to take a state championship. This year’s team, under the leadership of head coach Terry Pirtle, successfully fought through district play with a 9-2 record that paved the way for this monumental game. 

November 11, SBS defeated St. Joseph Academy to clinch the TAPPS Division II Area Championship and proceeded to defeat defending state champs Regents School of Austin in the Regional Round. November 27, the Eagles faced off against Fort Bend Christian Academy at Rice Stadium to secure their trip to the State Championship versus Dallas Christian High School. 

The entire Second Baptist School community rallied behind the team with a pre-game pep rally, encouraging notes from lower school students, a parent breakfast, a traditional send-off complete with loyal cheer and dance teams encouraging the athletes. Many families made the trip to Waco to support the team and be a part of their extraordinary legacy. 

While the Eagles returned home as TAPPS Division II State Runner-Ups, they finished strong with a 13-3 overall record. No doubt they will look back on this trip to the state championship for years to come and remember the people who were by their side - the ones who fought alongside them, cheered for them and looked up to them from the sidelines. The memories and the legacy will be forever forged in the minds and hearts of this team, their families and the SBS community.

The loss was felt by all but none more so than the senior football players. They have advanced to the state semi-finals the past three years and worked hard to make it to the championship game. For many, it was the last football game they would play. But for Everett Skillern ‘22 and Eli Smith ‘22 this game marked a new beginning. The next game they will play will be at the collegiate level - Everett has committed to Brown University and Eli has committed to Villanova University.

The Second Baptist School athletics department partners with VYPE each year for coverage of their sports teams. VYPE hosts media days each season to capture video, pictures and interviews with student athletes. The VYPE coverage of the 2021 Eagle football season can be found below.