Allen, TX — Garland Christian Academy opened district play Friday night against Lucas Christian, falling 54-14 in a tough road matchup. Despite a slow start, the Swords found some offensive rhythm in the second half, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the early deficit. Junior Noah Doddy provided a spark for Garland Christian, scoring on a thrilling kickoff return. Halstad Smith added the second touchdown on a determined rushing effort, giving the Swords a glimpse of momentum after halftime. The offensive line — anchored by Texas Mitchell, Charlie Luttrell, and Jacob Edwards — began to assert itself in the second half, creating opportunities for the backfield and helping the Swords move the ball more effectively. Head Coach Jonathan Elardo reflected on the game, saying, “I felt like tonight we were in the right spot, but we were just a couple steps behind in the secondary. I felt like our front four versus their front four was pretty even, but ultimately you’ve got to make plays — and Lucas made more plays tonight than we did.” With the loss, Garland Christian drops to 0-1 in district play. The Swords will look to bounce back next week as they travel to face Heritage Christian Academy in Rockwall.