Second Baptist finds themselves in state championship after starting 2025 season 1-6

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- Second Baptist could have easily thrown in the towel when they started the season 1-6, but they didn't; they came together and stacked up the victories.

They stuck together, they stacked wins, and believe it or not, on Friday, they played for a state championship in Waco. To explain the Second Baptist football season this year, not many would believe you.

"It was a roller coaster," senior Allen Davis said. 'Definitely incredible' is how senior Ed Burnett III put the season into words. ABC13 sports reporter Joe Gleason said he has never seen a season like this before.

"It's been the craziest ride in my 23-year head coaching career," Second Baptist Head Coach Beck Brydon said. "Like, I've never experienced anything like this."

It's a real lesson in life: never give up, no matter the circumstances.

"I mean, it definitely helped build a lot of character for all of us, and that's a big part of football," senior Kelvin Baptiste said.

Their season started with six losses and only one win. "People were jeering at us, telling us, sell the team when we were one in six," senior Mac Northrup said.

"It was a lot, a lot of emotions flying high," Davis said. They knew they were better than their record.

"As far as one in six and locker room; I mean, yeah, a lot of young guys don't know how to handle, so as leaders we had to step up," Burnett III said. "So I got the team together for several 'players only' meetings to get the season pointed in the right direction."

"Ultimately, as the student athlete leadership goes, so goes the rest of the program," Coach Brydon said.

The Eagles' belief turned into wins, and those wins are where they are today.

"Everybody just still being motivated and everybody never giving up," Nathan Davis said.

That togetherness allowed Second Baptist to make the playoffs, and before a big postseason game against undefeated Woodlands Christian, Coach Brydon asked the team a simple question: 'Why not us?'

And that became the battle cry for the Eagles' playoff push.

They beat Woodlands Christian 34-27. In the following game, they defeated Lutheran South to earn a berth in the state championship game for the second year in a row.