The junior high football team at Faith Lutheran School in Plano is having a great season, a season that has been full of many "firsts".

This year is the first time there have been more eighth graders than sixth and sevenths graders on the team with seven of the 11 membersbeing in eighth grade.  As a result, it is also the first time the team has had size, strength, and speed to match the competition.

"Team Captain Austin Palisch of Richardson is one of our strongest players at 5' 10" and 168 pounds, while fellow captains Christian Klein of Plano and Philip Ingram of Allen are amoung the fastest players in the league," said Faith Lutheran School Headmaster and team coach Timothy Merritt of Plano.

This year also marks the first time the team has shut out another team.
"This is rare and difficult in the high scoring world of six-man football, yet the Lions have managed it three times in district play and allowed only 30 total points through 6 district games, Merritt added

Related to this statistic is another first: the Lions defense has scored more points this season than the opposing teams' offenses have scored. 

The team achieved two more firsts each of the last two Fridays.  On October 23, Faith won its first District title and secured homefield advantage in the playoffs with a victory over Lucas Christian Academy.  On the 30th, the Lions hosted their first playoff game against Trinity Christian Academy of Willow Park, Texas.  On a day marked by mud and a half inch of standing water on parts of the field, Faith defeated Trinity by a score of 26-6.  Faith also unveiled their brand new scoreboard for the game.

The Lions will face Hill School of Fort Worth in the semifinal round this week.  This game will be played at a neutral location in Glenview, Texas.  Coaches Merritt and Mike Sparks are confident the boys have the ability to win, if they continue to play as a team and stay focused.

The Faith Lutheran Lions football team is in the Christian Schools Athletic Fellowship league (http://www.csafi.com/) and competes against other small private schools in north Texas.
About Faith Lutheran School In 1971, the congregation of Faith Lutheran Church in Plano, Texas established a four-year-old preschool for children of the congregation. Since then, the school has grown and opened enrollment to others in the community on a tuition basis. Faith Lutheran School is fully accredited and currently provides classes from pre-school three-year-olds through the tenth grade.   School curriculum is based on the classical model of education. The school's educational program also includes both sports and the fine arts. To learn more about Faith Lutheran School, please visit the school's web site at www.flsplano.org <http://www.flsplano.org/> or call 972.423.7448.

Faith Lutheran Lions Football Roster 2009

Noah Beam, grade 8, hometown: Parker  Collin Brower, grade 7, hometown: Wylie   Preston Brower, grade 7. hometown:  Murphy            Michael Hardy, grade 7, hometown: Plano    Holden Hartung, grade 8, hometown: Allen    Philip Ingram, grade 8, hometown: Allen -- team captain
Christian Klein, grade 8, hometown: Plano -- team captain
Mark Krejci, grade 8, hometown: Allen    Timothy Merritt, grade 8, hometown: Plano    Kala Mshana, grade 9, hometown: Garland            Austin Palisch, grade 8, hometown: Richardson -- team captain     Joshua Sookdeo, grade 7, hometown: Richardson