North Crowley stands tall in the fourth quarter, defeats Boswell in battle of unbeatens
Despite four weeks left in the regular season, Friday night’s Boswell vs. North Crowley football game had the feeling of a district championship showdown.
There’s still plenty of season left, but the winner is one step closer to being king of District 3-6A.
Cornelius Warren bursts through the middle untouched for the go-ahead 24-yard touchdown run and North Crowley got an interception from Kaleb Hickmon midway through the fourth to beat Boswell, 21-17, in a battle of undefeated teams at Crowley ISD Stadium.
The Panthers, No. 3 in the Class 6A area rankings and No. 24 in the state, continue their best start in more than two decades at 6-0 overall and 3-0 in district.
Meanwhile, the Pioneers, No. 6 in the area, drop their first game to fall to 5-1 and 2-1.
Both teams traded touchdowns on three straight possessions in the second half.
Trailing 9-8, North Crowley took a 14-9 lead when Chris Jimerson hit 3-star Vanderbilt commit Ka’Morreun Pimpton for a 27-yard touchdown. Then Boswell answered when Ezra Carter scored from the 2 and after the conversion, Boswell led 17-14 early in the fourth quarter.
But Jimerson and Pimpton hooked up for 33 yards on the next drive before the Panthers got the go-ahead touchdown from Warren, who rushed for more than 100 yards on the night.
The Pioneers would drive inside the North Crowley 10, but Hickmon picked off a Boswell pass in the end zone with just under six minutes left in the game. Boswell drove down again inside the 5, but a third and goal run was stuffed up the middle and a fourth down pass was deflected in the end zone.
The Panthers will play Weatherford in Week 8 while Boswell faces LD Bell.
Both games are also pivotal for the district standings.
North Crowley was able to get across midfield on the opening drive, but Matthew Becker got a couple of tackles behind the line for Boswell that forced the Panthers to punt.
After a punt and turnover on downs, Boswell started at its own 28 and ran 16 plays. The Pioneers ate up nearly seven minutes of clock and converted two third downs and one fourth down before settling for a 40-yard field goal by Eric Trejo for a 3-0 lead late in the first quarter.
Boswell scored again less than a minute later when on the ensuing North Crowley drive, a pass attempt was intercepted by Jack Fuller and returned 24 yards for six. Boswell went for two, but didn’t make it as the score was 9-0 eight seconds into the second quarter.
North Crowley fumbled and Boswell turned it over on downs before the Panthers got on the board.
The Panthers ran five plays to the Boswell 37 and then Warren ran off right end and down the North Crowley sideline for the 37-yard touchdown. Jimerson ran in the two-pointer and Boswell led 9-8 with 7:11 to play in the half, which the Pioneers took into intermission.
