Why is North Crowley’s offense special? Talent is a factor, but it’s not the driving force
North Crowley is putting together a special, memorable season with an electric offense that averages 56 points per game.
The Panthers are in their second season with head football coach Ray Gates and offensive coordinator Eli Reinhart. The two helped improve North Crowley from a 7-4 team in 2021 to a 12-1 team in 2022.
Now, North Crowley (14-0) is undefeated and set to compete in a state semifinal on Saturday at Mesquite Memorial Stadium where the Panthers will face Duncanville (12-1), the 2022 Class 6A D1 State Champion.
Reinhart said Gates’ impact is beyond the wins and losses and makes a difference in the players’ lives off the field.
“It’s been unbelievable to be around him,” Reinhart said of Gates. “Seeing how he is with the kids and the relationships. I’ve learned so much from him in our time together, and he’s such a great player’s coach. He takes care of all these kids, but at the same time, he holds them to a standard.”
Gates and North Crowley have a wildly talented offense that has scored 40 or more points in 13 of 14 games and 60 or more in six games. The talent factor, however, isn’t what makes this offense special according to Reinhart.
“We have all the weapons,” Reinhart said. “We have all the skill, but it is our group’s ability to just be cohesive and have so much teamwork. Nobody really cares who gets the credit.”
Reinhart said he was worried about touches and how players were going to feel, considering the amount of talent on the roster. Togetherness and selflessness, however, turned into the Panthers’ greatest strength.
It’s the little things that has made North Crowley’s offense stand out: A wide receiver executing a block, a running back protecting the quarterback or a skill player executing a plan designed to get another player the ball.
“Our kids our bought in because they want to win at the end of the day,” Reinhart said. “ ... The number one thing that coach Gates has instilled in them is that the team comes first. It’s the we above me.”
Breaking down North Crowley’s offense
Junior quarterback Chris Jimerson Jr., a TCU commit, has been the focal point of North Crowley’s offensive onslaught. He has passed for an average of 206 yards per game, 18 yards per completion. Jimerson Jr. is always a threat to escape the pocket to move the chains and averages 76 rushing yards per game and 9.6 yards per carry.
Reinhart said coaching Jimerson Jr. has been a great experience because of his curiosity and desire to learn. He called him a “people magnet” because his teammates and others like to be around him due to his positive energy.
“He always wants to see how we can do something better,” Reinhart said. “He is constantly looking for feedback and is a student of the game. He’s such a good kid.”
North Crowley’s receiving room is well rounded, and there isn’t a specific player who stands out as Jimerson’s primary target. Wide receivers Dekoryian Keys-West, Mason Ferguson and Lamarcus Davis are a trio of seniors who are in prominent roles.
Keys-West averages 56.9 yards per game and has scored 11 receiving touchdowns while Ferguson averages 51.5 yards per game and has scored a team high 13 receiving touchdowns. Davis is always a threat as well, averaging 41.1 yards per game and scoring seven touchdowns.
Reinhart said teams can’t isolate receivers when playing North Crowley, which wasn’t always the case in the past.
“With our wide receiver depth, we’re able to spread the field and feel confident that any one of those three can win their matchup, get loose and attack the field vertically,” Reinhart said, adding that Jimerson Jr. is comfortable going anywhere with the football.
Another player powering North Crowley’s offense is running back Ashton Searl, a transfer from Crowley high school. Searl has taken a more prominent role following junior running back Cornelius Warren III’s injury in October and rushed for 150 or more yards in five of the last seven games.
“It’s great to see these great things happening for him and the way that he has performed because he deserves it,” Reinhart said. “He works so hard.”
Warren III made his return to the field on Saturday in the 49-37 quarterfinal win over Allen and split carries with Searl, who “wasn’t on the field much” after rushing 29 yards for a first down on a fake punt. He waited and let Jimerson Jr. and Warren III take over.
Late in the fourth quarter Searl found the opportunity he was waiting for. He rushed for a breakaway 75 yard touchdown to extend North Crowley’s lead.
Reinhart spoke to Searl after the highlight and told him most people in his position would be pouting and complaining but that he “stayed locked in.” Searl went on to score another touchdown and finished with 176 yards on 13 carries.
With Warren III and Searl both available, the North Crowley ground game will stay fresh with both backs being able to take breaks. Reinhart said Warren III is “lightning in a bottle” and can make unpredictable movements.
Searl and Warren’s III’s elite production is largely due to North Crowley’s offensive line. Reinhart called the unit the “most cerebral” group he’s been around and mentioned John Turntine, Henry Fenuku, John Delgado, Caleb Henderson, RJ Clayborn and the rest of the unit as the “unsung heroes” of the team
“The offensive line is working a college or NFL style, the way we call everything,” Reinhart said. “They make so many adjustments at the line of scrimmage that we talk about during the week. It takes a lot of football intelligence to make those changes. ... They’re always going to fight and give you everything they have.”
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The next step: containing Duncanville
Duncanville, the 2022 Class 6A D1 State Champion, will be North Crowley’s toughest matchup yet. It provides Gates and company with an opportunity to further establish the program as one of the best in Texas.
Duncanville is led by LSU commit Caden Durham, who averages 124.2 rushing yards per game. The defense is highlighted by defensive end Colin Simmons, a five star prospect committed to Texas.
Dallas’ Panthers, Duncanville, and Fort Worth’s Panthers, North Crowley, will play for the right to face either Houston Northshore (14-0) or Austin Westlake (14-0) in the Class 6A D1 State Championship at AT&T Stadium on Saturday, Dec. 16 at 3 p.m. CT.
Reinhart said North Crowley must limit negative plays such pick sixes, fumbles, or anything that can give Duncanville’s offense momentum or good field position. He said the people will see on Saturday that North Crowley is up for the challenge.
“We have to limit the opportunities for the game to snowball on us,” Reinhart said. “ ... Making sure we’re playing sound football.”
Junior quarterback Chris Jimerson Jr. has been efficient all season, throwing 39 touchdowns to two interceptions.
“We’ve done a great job this year at taking care of the football,” Reinhart said. “We’ve been good at limiting our turnovers. That’s going to be the key to the game.”
This story was originally published December 6, 2023 at 4:54 PM.
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