Last Thursday night’s matchup with the Princeton Wildcats would be a game in which Coach Hardin could see his Pirates play at the level he expects. The Wildcats season had not been great with a 1-8 record coming into this game. Crandall just needed to execute their gameplan and come out with a victory. The Pirates would not know who they would get in the first round of the playoffs until the Friday night games had concluded.
The Pirate defense was ready to stop anybody in their path this game! After two quick incomplete passes and a minimal rushing gain, the Panthers were forced to punt for the first time. The quick striking Crandall offense wasted no time in getting on the scoreboard. Quarterback Luke Moffitt connected with Samuel Omosigho on the first play of the game for a gain of 33 yards. Three plays later, Moffitt connected with tight end A.J. Mayfield over the middle of the field for a 28-yard touchdown reception. Crandall jumped out to a quick 8-0 lead after a successful two-point conversion.
The next Panther possession would take them deep into Pirate territory on a thirteen-play drive. Princeton coaches decided to keep the offense on the field in a crucial fourth and six yards to gain. Junior cornerback Jaylon Washington answered the call with great coverage, forcing the incompletion and turnover on downs.
After exchanging punts, the Pirates were back in business on their 47-yard line. On the sixth play of the drive, Moffitt hit junior Joshua Smith in stride for the thirty-yard touchdown reception. The Pirate defense would come out amped up and force another quick three and out for the Panthers.
Crandall would take over in great field position again on their 48-yard line. Moffitt would need to complete just three passes before finding the endzone again. Senior Deondre Bowman flashed across the middle of the field for a 19-yard touchdown reception. The Pirates led 22-0 with eight minutes left in the half.
The Coach Lewis-led
Pirate defense would come up with another big stop, giving the offense one more opportunity to score before halftime. Moffitt wouldn’t waste this opportunity, hitting Bowman over the middle of the field from 12 yards out for the score. This was Bowman’s second touchdown reception on the night and boosted Crandall’s lead to 29-0 at halftime.
The Pirates took possession of the ball to start the second half and scored within 67 seconds of having the ball. Senior Chris Abron had three rushes on this drive totaling 49 yards and a touchdown. The Panthers’ next offensive series would be their first time to score in the game. Crandall’s secondary was beat deep for an 81-yard touchdown reception. Crandall led 36-7 at this point.
At this point in the game Coach Hardin started putting in backups on offense and defense to get them some extra reps before the playoffs. Sophomore quarterback Gauge Wickersham would lead the way for the Pirates for the rest of the game. Junior running back Andrew Anderson would make the most of his time as well. Anderson had three rushing touchdowns in the final quarter and a half of play with a 193 rushing yards!
The Pirate defense would give up one more score to Princeton in the fourth quarter making the final score, Crandall 57 Princeton 14. The Pirates would finish the regular season with an overall record of 8-2 and a 5-2 record in district play. This gave Crandall a third place finish in a tough district behind Melissa and Lovejoy.
Crandall will take on the Marshall Mavericks in the first round of the playoffs this Friday at 7:00pm. The game will be played at Maverick Stadium in Marshall, Texas.
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