The Pirates had one more game to compete in before this wild and unprecedented season came to an end. Crandall was lucky enough to be able and play eight out of their ten games on the schedule. Unfortunately, they missed out on the playoffs, losing to Ennis and Royse City in the pool they were in. The team still came out on Friday night with a will to win and send the Pirate seniors out on a high note.
Kicker Brandon Perez started the game off with a touchback, putting the Tigers on the twenty-five-yard line to start. Coach Lewis’ defense came out on fire with a quick three and out forcing the Tigers to punt. Quarterback Jamonte Gordon-West started with great field position and one of his favorite targets of the season on the field. West hit sophomore receiver Samuel Omosigho on back-to-back receptions with gains of seventeen and twenty-six yards. Six plays later sophomore running back Chris Abron took the ball in from two yards out to put the first points on the board. The score was 7-0 Pirates half way through the first quarter. Corsicana took possession on the twenty-five-yard line for a second series ready to answer the Pirates’ dominating first series. Tigers quarterback Solomon James lead a commanding ten play drive down the field. Senior running back Daylon Slade put the finishing touches on the drive with a one-yard run into the endzone. At the end of the first quarter, it was all tied up 7-7.
The Tigers had possession of the ball and were driving down the field at will. On the thirteenth play of the drive the Pirate defense made the stop that counts on a fourth and twelve. The Pirates took possession of the ball on the twenty-one-yard line. Crandall’s offense wasn’t getting anywhere and had a very quick three and out, giving the ball back to the Tigers. Corsicana drove down the field and was set to score, only for senior safety Mason Daughtery to intercept the ball two yards deep into the endzone. Mason ran with all his might one hundred and one yards down the field only to be stopped by a shoe string touchdown saving tackle by the Tigers. The Pirates would not have much luck getting the ball in the endzone. The Tiger defense stopped the Pirates from scoring three straight times from the one-yard line. Coach Hardin sent out the field goal unit for an easy chip shot from seventeen yards out. To Coach Hardin’s dismay the field goal went wide left leaving the Pirates scoreless on a should-have-been scoring possession. Crandall’s defense stepped up big time once again to give the offense another scoring chance. The Tigers were driving down the field when sophomore defensive tackle Tyson Cameron came up with a huge strip fumble on the quarterback. West would lead the Pirate offense on a ten play twominute drill drive down to the twenty-yard-line. Kicker Perez was sent out and redeemed himself nailing the thirty-seven-yard field goal through the uprights as time expired on the clock. The Pirates had the lead 10-7 going into the locker room at halftime.
If the first half of the game was any indication, it was going to be a defensive battle in the second half as well. The Pirates started out with the ball and ended up having to punt. Both offenses traded punts multiple series. On the Tigers’ next offensive possession James threw a deep ball that was picked off a second time by senior Mason Daughtery. The return left Crandall with great field position but was unable to do anything with it. By the end of the third quarter the score was still 10-7 Crandall.
It was clear that whoever scored next would be in control of the game. The Tigers took control of the ball with eleven minutes left in the game. It only took James two plays to score, hitting receiver George Foster for a forty-seven-yard touchdown pass. This put the Tigers ahead for the first time in the game 14-10. Crandall had a little over ten minutes left to make something happen. West led the team down the field on a six-play drive that stalled at the twenty-one-yard line. Kicker Perez came out and hit a thirty-eight-yard field goal to draw the Pirates within one point of the Tigers. Crandall had two more opportunities to put points on the board but failed to do so, losing a heartbreaker 14-13 to Corsicana.
The Pirates finished their first season in Division 5A with a 3-5 record. Crandall has much to look forward to with a young team and coaches chomping at the bit to develop them into a force to be reckoned with next season.
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