Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
Jason and Michelle Witten pose for a photo at an NFL event.
The drama surrounding Liberty Christian’s ban from the Texas high school football playoffs continues to unfold. On Friday, Jason Witten’s wife accused a rival parent of strategically withholding key intel in a scheme to force the disqualification.
Michelle Witten posted an email received earlier this week showing communication between the parent and the Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools. The timing of the message was suspicious.
The Warriors were removed from the postseason after earning a No. 1 seed. They were the frontrunners to win the TAPPS D1 championship. Now, their season is over.
Liberty Christian is banned from the Texas high school football playoffs.
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A map showing Liberty Christian School in Argyle, Texas.
Liberty Christian is located in Argyle, Texas just outside of Fort Worth. It serves grades PreK-12 with an enrollment of 1,000+ students. It opened its doors in 1983, originally in nearby Denton, before moving to its current location in 2005.
The football team competes at the D1 level in the Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools. It won back-to-back titles in 2023 and 2024 under the guidance of head coach and former Dallas Cowboys tight end Jason Witten.
Witten left to take a role on the Oklahoma Sooners’ coaching staff after the 2025 campaign. Josh Martin was named his replacement in January of this year.
Martin led the team to an 8-2 regular season record in 2026, which was good enough to earn a No. 1 seed in the TAPPS D1 bracket. The Warriors were considered the favorite to win a third title in four years. It won’t happen.
Senior wide receiver Jace Johnson’s eligibility status was called into question prior to the team’s first playoff game. He was ruled ineligible.
As a result, the Warriors were forced to forfeit games in which he played, and their postseason bid was taken away. The discovery of a prior relationship between Johnson and a coach on staff was the cause.
Jace Johnson played for a 7-on-7 team.
That team is owned by Liberty Christian assistant coach Antonio Griffin.
Per TAPPS bylaws, students who transfer to another member school are not eligible for varsity competition in a sport for a year if a coach for that certain sport at their new school either coached or trained that athlete in the previous year. That includes coaching at the AAU, select, club, 6-on-6, 7-on-7 levels, as well as individual or group instruction, skills training, fitness training, or personal training.
Johnson transferred to Liberty Christian in the offseason. He is believed to have violated the “Follow the coach” rule. TAPPS says he should’ve been ineligible for one year given his affiliation with Griffin’s 7-on-7 team.
There were questions as to whether Griffin provided any hands-on training. He owns the team but is not the head coach.
Jason Witten’s wife previously ripped the decision to ban Liberty Christian from the Texas high school football playoffs. She says that Griffin did not provide hand-on training or coaching. No rules were broken.
Liberty Christian fought the ruling, but a temporary restraining order was denied. The disqualification was upheld. The postseason will continue without the No. 1 seed.
Jason Witten’s wife accused a parent of scheming.
Hey @TAPPSbiz
Help me make sense of this alleged email that made its way to me three days ago.
Why would a @grapevinefaith parent send allegations about Liberty Christian to a @LCAFriscoFB football coach on November 2, with TAPPS copied on the forwarded email?
If this parent claims to have witnessed these events back in March, why wait until November 2, just before playoffs, to report them?
And what steps did TAPPS take to independently verify these allegations before making a decision that ended our boys’ season?
The timing, the chain of communication, and the lack of transparency deserve answers.
@Bdrumm_OUI
@undrabigbabydra
@QuannJones
@Matt_Stepp817
@MikeRoach247
@TXPSMedia
@TAPPSbiz
@TappsFootball
@TeamLSCSN
@startelegram
@DMNGregRiddle
@draftjm13
@swaggarly
@TexasElite7v7— Michelle Witten (@Witten82) November 13, 2026
Michelle Witten posted an email showing an alleged conversation between a parent, TAPPS, and the head coach of a rival school. It detailed the supposed violation involving Johnson.
The message states that Griffin often provides hands-on training to his 7-on-7 players despite not being the head coach. He does this for all teams in his league, according to the email.
The alleged wrongdoing was discovered in March of 2026. The email was not sent until November 2nd, days before the start of the playoffs. Witten has questions.
She has direct ties to the current team. Not only was her husband the head coach through 2025, but her son is a player on the 2026 roster. His senior season is now over.
Witten asked why a parent would send the accusations in November, months after discovery. She also questioned TAPPS’ due diligence. There are Liberty Christian parents claiming that Johnson did not compete on the day the email alleges.
In the message, the parent notes that a transfer player was taking playing time away from the team’s previous starting quarterback.
The accusation adds yet another wrinkle to the saga, but for Liberty Christian, it may be too little, too late. They remain banned from the Texas high school football playoffs, and TAPPS reserves the right to extend that ban given the recent lawsuit.