Crandall came in Friday night with a chance to earn a playoff spot from their last opponent in district (zone) play. The Pirates were 1-1 in zone play and had a must win game against the Bulldogs. This game would be a battle as the Bulldogs had strong threats in both the run and air game.
The Pirates defense would start first and knew that they needed a stellar performance from the defensive line and secondary in order to have a fighting chance. The Bulldogs’ first play from scrimmage was a handoff to running back Ahmon Dozier. Dozier took it to the house on a sixty-three yard touchdown run. Things wouldn’t get any better for Crandall as the Bulldogs’ quarterback Joe Veracruz caught fire. Veracruz connected with two of his wide receivers for scores of sixteen and fourteen yards. At the end of the first quarter Crandall was down 0-20.
With three quarters still left in the game the Pirates still had a shot if the offense could get moving. Unfortunately, nothing was clicking, but the Pirate defense had stopped the Bulldogs on two straight offensive possessions. Veracruz had had enough and hit one of his favorite targets of the night, senior wide receiver and Arkansas University commit, Ketron Jackson. Jackson hauled in the forty-nine yard reception making the score 0-28 Royse City. The Pirates went three and out on the next series and desperately needed a big play from their defense. Senior safety Mason Daughtery answered the call, intercepting the Veracruz pass on the thirty-five yard line and returning it all the way to the four yard line. That’s all sophomore running back Chris Abron needed to put the Pirates on the board. He ran it in on the second play of the drive for a two-yard touchdown run. Crandall converted on the two-point conversion try, making the score 8-28 Royce City. Veracruz threw his fourth touchdown on the night before halftime making the score 8 – 35 Royse City.
Some big-time adjustments would need to be made in order for the Pirates to come out with a victory, but the Royse City Bulldogs weren’t having any of it. The Bulldog defense shut out the Crandall offense in the third quarter with no scores. Veracruz did connect with the Arkansas commit for his third touchdown on the night of fiftythree yards. This made the score 8 – 42 Royse City at the end of three quarters.
Junior quarterback Jamonte Gordon-West had driven the Pirates down to the eight-yard line when he took a hard hit, fumbling the ball and turning it over. Mason Daughtery collected his second interception of the night on the very next play, but the Bulldogs stopped Crandall from getting anything done. One of the few positives on the night was Crandall’s Chris Abron and his hard-nosed run effort. Half way through the fourth quarter Abron found a hole in the defensive line and took it to the house on a fifty-eight yard touchdown run. Abron finished the night with 204 yards rushing on twenty-seven carries and two touchdowns. Royse City would tack on a field goal to make the score 15-45 Royse City. Before the final horn sophomore running back, Markel Robinson ran one in from eight yards out. This made the final score 22-45 Royse City.
With the loss, the Crandall Pirates were eliminated from playoff contention. They still have at least one more game because of make up games due to COVID earlier in the season. The Crandall Pirates will take on the Sulphur Spring Wildcats at Pirates Stadium Friday night at 7:30 p.m.
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