Aptos native, Super Bowl winning QB Trent Dilfer coaches Tennessee’s Lipscomb Academy to state football title

Aptos High alum Trent Dilfer, a 14-year NFL veteran who quarterbacked the Baltimore Ravens to a Super Bowl victory in 2000, earned his first state title as head coach of Lipscomb Academy in Tennessee on Thursday.

The Mustangs blanked Christ Presbyterian Academy 27-0 in the Division II-AA BlueCross Bowl at Finley Stadium in Chattanooga, earning the school’s first TSSAA football state championship since 2007.

The third-year head coach and his team avenged a 35-28 loss to CPA in the 2020 D-II Class AA state title game.

“To see what they’ve done, the sacrifices they’ve made, to change a community and to see them get rewarded for it — because you don’t always get rewarded for it — I think they learned a valuable lesson,” Dilfer told luminationnetwork.com. “If you do the right things, good things are eventually going to happen.”

Dilfer, 49, stunned everyone but himself when he accepted the coaching position with Lipscomb Academy. News of his hiring appeared in every major publication, from Sports Illustrated to The Washington Post.

“I did not do this for a career move,” he told The Tennessean, in an article published Jan. 18, 2019. “This is a calling. I believe the God that I serve has so much in store for me, too.”

The Mustangs (13-1) lost to Oakland of Murfreesboro on Sept. 23 and closed their season with eight straight wins. They outscored opponents 646-122 on the season and allowed one touchdown in three playoff games.

“We’re, by far, the best defense in Tennessee and they proved it again today,” Dilfer said in a postgame interview.

After receiving a first-round bye, the Mustangs knocked off Silverdale Academy 56-7 in the quarterfinals Nov. 12 and Davidson Academy 35-0 in the semifinals Nov. 19.

Cincinnati committed Luther Richesson, a three-year starter at quarterback for the Mustangs, was 17-of-19 passing for 147 yards with a touchdown and an interception Thursday.

Boston College committed Alex Broome ran for 137 yards and two touchdowns on 20 carries. He also had five catches for 23 yards. He was named was the DII-AA MVP.

Lipscomb Academy sophomore cornerback Kaleb Beasley, who has offers from Florida, Kentucky, Michigan, Tennessee and North Carolina State, picked off quarterback Cade Law’s pass with 8:08 left in the first half. It was his fourth interception of the season.

WWE superstar Brock Lesnar, who trains with Lipscomb Academy strength coach Luke Richesson, supported the Mustangs from the sideline.