North Crowley completes perfect regular season, takes down Crowley in heated rivalry game
Both the away and the home side of Crowley ISD was filled with fans on Thursday night.
North Crowley (10-0, 7-0) and Crowley (7-3, 4-3) of Crowley ISD faced off in a heated rivalry game, and North Crowley showcased why it’s ranked No. 2 in the Fort Worth-area Class 6A rankings in a physical, dominant 56-21 win. The Panthers are heading to the playoffs with a perfect regular season record.
North Crowley head coach Ray Gates said he “wasn’t satisfied” with the performance.
“Way too many turnovers on the offensive end,” Gates said. “Way too many penalties. ... We probably had four touchdowns called back tonight. So we got to clean that up going into the playoffs. You want to be playing your best ball this time of the year. I know we’ll be fine, but we’ve got to tighten that up.”
Both schools are a part of two separate stories that have captivated the hearts of Fort Worth-area football fans. North Crowley has continued it’s dominance from 2022 and is preparing to make a deep playoff run.
Crowley, on the other hand, has lost three straight. Even with the three game skid, Crowley has showed significant improvement following a 4-7 season in 2022; the Eagles will play in the playoffs in head coach Carlos Lynn’s first season at the helm.
Crowley was outmatched, but that’s the status quo in District 3-6A. North Crowley has bested every opponent by 40 or more with the exception of Euless Trinity, a team that lost 53-31 to the Panthers.
Throughout the contest, the Eagles were able to force four turnovers against a North Crowley offense that put up 77 points against Chisholm Trail in week 10.
The energy and intensity was evident from the opening kick. Both teams were flagged for multiple fouls, and a few players scuffles were separated by officials. Gates said to limit personal fouls, players should realize they “aren’t playing each other” and focus on themselves.
“When you play rivalry games, these kids know each other,” Gates said. “There’s a lot of pride on both sides. This is what you’re going to get. We try our best to talk to our kids about being locked in and being focused. [Personal fouls] are going to happen in a chippy game like this.”
Besides a few lapses of discipline, North Crowley dominated in all facets gaining 574 yards to Crowley’s 259. The Panthers held Crowley to 36 rushing yards and Gates said the defensive line “dominated.”
“They couldn’t run the ball,” Gates said, adding that Crowley does well in the passing game. “We knew that coming in. They did a good job. ... Hats off to them and their offense for being able to get some plays down the field.”
Panthers overwhelm Eagles
In the first quarter, Crowley struggled to hold on to the football. First, wide receiver Antayvious Ellis fumbled near the red zone, halting a promising Eagle drive. After a 38-yard touchdown run from North Crowley QB Chris Jimerson Jr., a TCU commit, Crowley fumbled on the kickoff.
The Panthers, due to a flurry of penalties, failed to take advantage and eventually turned the ball over on downs. North Crowley got the ball back after a three and out and running back Ashton Searl capitalized with a 55 yard touchdown run up the middle.
Crowley’s offense started to click, and the Eagles created a scoring drive highlighted by runs from Jordan Green and quarterback Caleb Williams. Williams received a pitch in the backfield from Derrick Tasby and capped the drive with a 1 yard score.
Crowley linebacker Kameron Walker then forced a fumble and Tamondre Bowie recovered. The play gave the Eagles some momentum but it was quickly fizzled; following a three and out, the punt was blocked and North Crowley started at the 1 yard line and LaMarcus Davis scored on the first play.
Crowley found a way to lessen the damage. Williams connected with Ellis, who was double covered, for a 38 yard gain, putting the pass in the perfect spot. Williams finished the series with an 8 yard touchdown pass to Johnson.
Searl ensured the Panther lead stayed strong with a 20-yard touchdown, gaining all 36 yards himself in a quick, four-play scoring drive. After, both teams traded turnovers; Williams threw an interception and Searl fumbled 1-yard shy of the end zone.
Prior to the half, North Crowley gave itself some breathing room with a 45-yard touchdown from Jimerson Jr. to Dekoryian West-Davis. The Jimerson to West-Davis connection stayed strong after the break; the opening second half score was a West-Davis 12 yard reception.
Crowley secured another takeaway, causing tight end Jayden Shaw to fumble. The Eagles capitalized in a long, 11 play drive that was ended with an excellent pass from Williams to Tasby; the Eagle QB threaded the needle through three Panther defenders while fading away.
The score, however, was the last time the Eagles found the end zone in the contest. North Crowley continued its offensive onslaught, scoring with a 28 yard reception from Mason Ferguson and a 7 yard rush from Searl.
Notable performances
Jimerson Jr. threw for 152 yards and three touchdowns, turning the ball over once. He was a dual threat, rushing for 139 yards and a score on nine attempts.
“He’s a baller,” Gates said. “When he lines up, we’re a better football team. ... We’re more than pleased with the way he has played this year. And now we have to take it to another level going into the playoffs.”
West-Davis led the receivers with 62 yards and he also scored two touchdowns.
Searl was a workhorse, gaining 217 yards on the ground and three scores in 20 carries. Gates called him a “physical, hard runner.”
“Blue collar. Goes to work every single day,” Gates said of Searl. “You can give him the ball 50 times. You can give him the ball 10 times. He’s not going to complain.”
Now, the Panthers are heading to the playoffs. Gates said they’ll have a “faceless opponent.”
“It doesn’t matter who we play,” Gates said. “We’re going to go out and do what we do. We’ve just got to keep getting better every week.”
This story was originally published November 2, 2023 at 10:55 PM.
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