The No. 1 ranked Argyle Liberty Christian Warriors, featuring five-star linebacker and Oklahoma commit Cooper Witten, are officially barred from the Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools (TAPPS) Division 1 playoffs. The governing body dropped the hammer Tuesday, ruling the team used an ineligible player this season, completely torpedoing their entire postseason hopes.
The Controversial “Follow the Coach” Rule Strikes
The TAPPS executive board’s decision comes down to a violation of their infamous “follow the coach” rule. This bylaw is wild: if a transfer student lands at a new TAPPS school, they’re out of varsity competition for a full year in that sport if any coach from the new school coached or trained them in the previous 12 months. This isn’t just about high school coaches, either, it covers everything from AAU to 7-on-7 teams, and even individual training. It’s a brutal reality check for a team that was absolutely dominating.
According to the Dallas Morning News, the player in question is Jace Johnson, a 2026 transfer wide receiver from Abilene Cooper. Johnson, a 6-foot-5 senior with offers from programs like Southeast Oklahoma State and Texas A&M-Texarkana, allegedly participated on a 7-on-7 team coached by Liberty Christian assistant football coach Antonio Griffin in the year before he transferred. TAPPS was blunt about it, stating that the athletic department leadership and football staff “knew or should have known” these facts before the 2026 season even kicked off. Griffin, a Liberty Christian alum himself, serves as the defensive backs coach but also runs a 7-on-7 program called Lionhearted Elite.
“Unfair Ruling Ignores Clear Facts”: The Fight Continues
This isn’t just a quiet concession, though. Liberty Christian is NOT going down without a fight. In a letter to the football team’s families on Tuesday, the school made it clear: “We strongly disagree with the TAPPS ruling and we provided clear and unambiguous evidence to TAPPS which demonstrated our innocence against the false assertions that were made against our football program.” They’re calling it an “unfair ruling” that “ignores the clear and obvious facts,” and get this, they’re even “considering various legal options moving forward.”
Cooper Witten, son of former Cowboys star and current Oklahoma offensive coordinator Jason Witten, is caught right in the middle. The No. 3-ranked player in the state for the Class of 2027, committed to Oklahoma, now won’t get to play in the postseason. His mom, clearly fed up, took to social media to call out the ban. While the student in question hasn’t been officially identified by the board, and Witten himself doesn’t appear to be involved other than being on the same team, the forfeiting of games where the ineligible student participated means Liberty Christian’s playoff dreams are dead. It’s a gut punch for a top-ranked squad and for a talent like Witten.
So what happens now? Liberty Christian is clearly gearing up for a battle beyond the field. With legal options on the table, this story is far from over. Will TAPPS stand firm, or will Liberty Christian find a way to reverse this devastating decision? This could set a wild precedent.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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