The Pirates were sitting at 2-3 in district play coming into Friday night’s game against Corsicana. This meant Crandall would have to win out in order to punch their ticket to the playoffs. Coach Hardin and his staff understood the importance of this game. Hardin said, “The coaching staff has been locked in all week, as well as the athletes. We will come out and compete at the highest level possible!”
Crandall took the field on defense to start the game. The Tigers mixed the run and pass game well on a six-play drive that resulted in a thirty-two-yard rushing touchdown by the running back. The woes continued for the Pirates on special teams. Returner Kendrick Jones ran up on a short kick as the ball bounced off his shoulder pads right into Corsicana’s hands. This gave the Tigers great starting field position on the Pirates’ own thirty-nine-yard line.
Coach Lewis and his defensive squad marched on the field determined to make big plays. They did just that, stopping the Tigers on fourth down! Crandall would be backed up on their own thirteenyard line to start the next possession. The Pirate offense struggled to get anything going, resulting in a punt, after running only four plays in the drive. Corsicana would not squander great field position again. It took the heavy run game offense nine plays to score on a one-yard rushing touchdown. The score was 14-0 Corsicana with a little over two minutes left in the quarter.
Kendrick Jones would redeem himself on the next kickoff with a fifty-three-yard return deep into Tigers territory. Running back Chris Abron took care of the rest. Abron had four rushes in the drive, ending with an eleven-yard touchdown. The score was 14-7 Corsicana at the end of the first quarter.
The second quarter would be a high scoring affair for both teams. Corsicana led the way with a one-yard-rushing touchdown just two minutes into the second quarter. Crandall received the ball and scored quickly on a twenty-nine-yard rushing touchdown by Abron.
The Pirate defense wanted to get in on the scoring action. On the fourth play of the Tigers’ drive, the running back fumbled the ball on the twenty-five-yard line. Outside linebacker Samuel Omosigho scooped the ball up and ran it back seventy-five-yards for the touchdown. Crandall’s defense came back on the field and stopped Corsicana going for it on fourth down. The Pirates would make quick work of the gift given them. Star receiver Luke Moffitt took the pitch from Abron and threw a strike to quarterback Jamonte Gordon-West for the touchdown. The score was 29-21 Crandall with three and a half minutes left in the half.
Corsicana would score twice in the next three minutes off a sixty-one-yard touchdown reception and interception that led to a score. The Tigers led 33-29 with seventeen seconds left until halftime. The Pirates special teams came up big with a huge return by Moffitt for seventy-three-yards to the one-yard line. Luke Moffitt would roll out and throw his second touchdown of the night to sophomore receiver Joshua Smith. The score was 36-33 Crandall at halftime.
Joshua Smith would score first in the third with an eighty-four-yard touchdown reception! The Pirate defense was dominant the second half, only allowing one score at the end of the third quarter. It was 43-40 Crandall at the end of three quarters.
The dynamic duo of Abron and Anderson would dominate the fourth quarter. Abron tacked on two more scores to end the night with four touchdowns on 162 yards. Andrew Anderson scored the last points of the night on a twenty-four-yard rush. Anderson ended the night with eighty-five yards and one touchdown. The final score was Crandall 64, Corsicana 40.
Crandall takes on Greenville Friday night, November 5, at Pirate Stadium. Gametime is 7:30pm. This is a mustwin game for the Pirates to clinch a playoff birth.
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