SAN ANTONIO, Texas – For just the second time in school history, the Wagner Thunderbirds will play in the Class 5A Division I Region IV Championship game. The 12-1 Thunderbirds will square off against 12-1 Mission Veterans Memorial this Saturday in the Alamodome with a berth to the state semifinals on the line.
“It’s exciting and also nerve racking,” Wagner head football coach Charles Bruce said. “It’s week four of the Texas high school playoffs. You are playing in December. Yes sir, it is very exciting.”
In what was a microcosm of their performance this season, Wagner rolled past Corpus Christi Flour Bluff 49-14 last weekend to earn their 11th straight win and advance to the quarterfinals. The Thunderbirds’ offense has been dominant thus far, averaging 55 points a game, while their defense has been just as impressive in the playoffs, only allowing an average of 13 points per game.
“It’s humbling,” Wagner senior free safety Kavon Barnes said. “Not a lot of teams have this opportunity, and to say we are one of eight teams playing in December right now is just humbling. We’re blessed.”
The T-Birds are led by dual-threat quarterback Tobias Weaver, who has accounted for 30 total touchdowns this season, 15 passing and 15 rushing. Weaver tallied three of those touchdowns in last weekend’s rout of Flour Bluff.
“Always remember that it can be taken away from us at any moment,” senior Wagner receiver Trent Thibodeaux said. “Any team can beat us, so we have to make sure to stay focused and get the job done, so that doesn’t happen.”
Kickoff between the Thunderbirds and Patriots is set for 10:00 a.m. this Saturday.