Shiner St. Paul remain undefeated, shut out rival Hallettsville Sacred Heart to claim district title

HALLETTSVILLE — Shiner St. Paul just needed one more win to get to the playoffs as not only district champions but undefeated as well. What better way to do it than against their rival?

The Cardinals traveled to Hallettsville Friday night and got yet another shut out as they blew out Sacred Heart 41-0 to complete their perfect regular season.

T.J. Bell led the team in rushing with 16 carries for 190 yards and three scores including a 75-yard run in the second quarter.

Junior quarterback Austin Barton had eight rushes go for 92 yards and a score. Jed Janecek also had a four-yard touchdown run in the first quarter as he carried the ball six times for 29 yards.

Over the air, Barton completed three of his seven passes for 42 yards and a touchdown. His touchdown pass was a 12-yard strike to Marco Ynclan.

Defensively, the Cardinals held Sacred Heart to under 100 yards of offense, with the Indians rushing the ball 30 times for just 75 yards and quarterback Braden Popp held three completions on 11 attempts and 22 yards.

The Cardinals (10-0, 6-0) clinch the district title and are on bye this week. They will take on the fourth-place team out of TAPPS Div. III District 4. Depending on Friday’s matchups, that could be either Magnolia Legacy Prep Christian Academy (3-3) who takes on the Woodlands Christian Academy (5-1) or Tomball Rosehill Christian School (3-3) who faces Houston Lutheran High North (1-5).