Coach Hardin and the Pirates administration watched the weather closely throughout the week. Friday’s matchup with Denison would have big stakes in the district standings, but safety was of utmost importance for all involved. After an extra ninety minutes of lightning delays, the Pirates and Yellow Jackets took the field to warmup. Crandall sat at third place in district standings with a 3-2 record, and Denison was right behind them at 2-3. The Pirates were in a must-win situation in order to create some separation between the rest of the district. Senior kicker Brandon Perez would kickoff to start the game in the pouring cold rain.
The Pirates would have problems stopping the Yellow Jackets’ rushing attack early on, allowing them to drive down within scoring range on the 14-yard line. Denison elected to go for it on fourth and seven, regretting that option immediately. Junior cornerback Jaylon Washington came up with the big defensive stop to give Crandall possession of the ball.
Senior running back Chris Abron gained a solid eight yards on his first rush of the night. The very next play, Abron took it all the way, seventy-eight yards, for the score! Crandall’s next defensive series faired much better as they stopped the run and forced a punt. The Pirates took over in great field position after a bad punt. Quarterback Luke Moffitt used his legs a lot in this series, splitting runs with Abron. On the final play of the drive, Moffitt ran it in from nine yards out for the score. Crandall led 12-0 at the end of one quarter.
The next offensive series for Denison was more successful through the air. Denison coaches mixed in a couple of runs with two big yardage completions on the drive. The final one being a 29-yard completion for the touchdown. Crandall led 12-7 early in the second quarter.
Coach Hardin’s offense is known for striking fast, and there was no exception in this game. After scoring twice in a three-minute span with the ball, it took them a little over two minutes on this drive to score. Moffitt
connected with receiver Joshua Smith on a fifty-oneyard touchdown reception. The Pirates’ lead was now 19-7 with a little over nine minutes left until halftime.
After a long drive down the field, the Pirate defense was able to stop Denison on the twenty-yard line forcing a field goal. It was good from 37 yards out narrowing the lead to 19-10 Crandall. The Pirate offense stalled on the next drive with a failed fourth down conversion attempt. This gave Denison great field position, and they took full advantage. The Yellow Jackets offense put together a ten-play scoring drive off of a 20-yard rushing touchdown. Crandall’s lead had dwindled to 19-16 with one minute remaining until halftime.
This was more than enough time for Crandall to put another scoring drive together. On the fifth play of the drive, Moffitt hit Samuel Omosigho in the endzone for a 15-yard touchdown reception. The Pirates only needed 37 seconds to add to their lead. At halftime, Crandall was on top 26-16.
The Pirates took possession of the ball in the second half and started where they left off. On the backs of a strong offensive line, Abron and Moffitt’s legs were able to get big gains. The drive ended with a oneyard rushing touchdown from Moffitt. Crandall led 33-16 at this point.
Coach Lewis and his Pirate defense made quick work of the Yellow Jackets. Omosigho came off the edge, sacking the quarterback and causing a fumble which was recovered by Crandall. Moffitt rewarded Omosigho with a 19-yard touchdown reception three plays later, making the score Crandall 40, Denison 16.
Both teams’ defenses would battle it out for the next eight and a half minutes, taking it into the fourth quarter. Luke Moffitt connected with Omosigho on a comeback route for the 31-yard touchdown reception. Samuel Omosigho had a stellar night with five receptions for 92 yards and three touchdowns. The score was now Crandall 47, Denison 16.
Three more scores would be exchanged before the final horn sounded. Crandall won in convincing fashion, 54-30. The Pirates’ mix of a strong rushing attack and deep threats in the air make them hard to beat. Abron had another 150 plus yard night on the ground with two touchdowns. Moffitt was right behind him with 108 yards rushing and two touchdowns as well.
Crandall closes out the regular season on the road in Princeton. They play at Jackie Hendricks Stadium on Thursday night (11/3) at 7 pm.
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