VYPE Mississippi Football Player of the Week Poll

HOUSTON - The Pioneers have something special going on the south side of town.

On Thursday, Lutheran South Academy defeated Southwest Christian School Fort Worth in dominating fashion with a 16-0 victory to claim the TAPPS Division II State Championship.

For the Pioneers this is the fourth in program history and the fourth in the last six seasons. LSA has now won titles in 2015, 2018, 2019 and 2021. If COVID-19 hadn't of knocked out the 2020 season there is a chance this could be a three-peat for the Pioneers.

LSA jumped out early with an RBI single and double from Tyler Ehlinger and Easton Brenner, respectively, making it 2-0 after the second inning. After Tyler Helpenstill drove in a run with a single in the third, the Pioneers blew the doors open in the fourth.

The Pioneers pushed across three runs on a double play groundout, wild pitch and RBI single from Christian Melillo, making it 6-0.

In the fifth, Brenner added two more RBIs to his day with a double and finished the game 4 of 4 with three RBIs. Melillo had another RBI single, which made it 9-0. In the seventh, LSA tacked on one seven runs to push the lead out to 16-0, which would be the final score.

Nelson Klein, who set down the first nine batters he faced, was lights out on the mound pitching a complete game shutout in the TAPPS Division II State Championship game.