Published: November 28, 2009 12:42 am      

GCS eyes seventh trip to state championship game

Greenville Christian School will try for its seventh trip to the state six-man football finals as the No. 1 state-ranked Eagles take on the No. 3 Bracken Christian Warriors of Bulverde.

The Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools’ Division I semifinal playoff game is set for noon today at Pacer Field on the Waco Parkview campus in Waco.

KIKT-FM (93.5) will broadcast the game.

GCS won state titles in 2008, 2007 and 2004 and also reached the finals in 1998, 2001 and 2006.

GCS owns a 28-8 record in the football playoffs, including a 64-18 pasting of Cedar Park Summit in the quarterfinal round last week.

Returning all-state senior Tanner Barnes rushed for 300 yards and six touchdowns on 18 carries to lead the Eagles over a Summit team that had been ranked fourth in state by sixmanfootball.com. Barnes now has 1,411 yards for the season on 124 carries.

Quarterback Jake Schumann was 7-of-17 passing last week for 193 yards and two touchdowns. Schumann is 134-of-228 passing this season for 2,716 yards, 52 touchdowns and eight interceptions. Schumann’s also rushed for 267 yards on 22 carries.

Nick Nelson, who caught a 38-yard touchdown pass last week, leads the Eagle receivers with 38 catches for 835 yards and 22 touchdowns.

Barnes has caught 27 passes for 421 yards and nine TDs.

Andrew Wombaker has 26 catches for 460 yards and 10 scores and Kelton Pitts has snagged 15 passes for 373 yards and nine TDs. Pitts caught six passes last week for 150 yards and two touchdowns and also intercepted two passes on defense.

Nelson’s right foot is also a valuable weapon for the Eagles. The senior is 49-of-63 on conversion kicks this season and has booted 21 touchbacks on kickoffs.

The 10-1 Eagles are facing a 10-2 Bracken team that won its playoff games by scores of 46-0 over Amarillo Holy Cross and 46-24 over Tomball Rosehill.

“They’re good,” said GCS coach Larry Uland.

Warriors to watch include running back Grady Achilles, fullback-linebacker David Martinez and end-linebacker Grant Granato.

“He’s got real good hands,” Uland said of the 6-3, 180-pound Granato. “They try to get the ball to him a lot.”

Bracken mixes its formations, using the J and I formations and some spread.

“They’ve very diverse in what they do,” said Uland.

Bracken is averaging 51.2 points for the season, while giving up an average of 25.5 points. The Warriors have shut out three teams this season.

GCS is averaging 60.3 points on offense and 30.1 on defense.

The winner of this game advances to the finals to face either Dallas Covenant or Our Lady of the Hills from Kerrville.