North Crowley stays hot, dominates Weatherford to remain undefeated on the season
The North Crowley Panthers were led by quarterback Chris Jimerson Jr. and receiver Quentin Gibson as the team improved to 7-0 with a 62-6 win over the Weatherford Roos on Oct. 18 at Crowley ISD Stadium.
“We harp on the little things,” said head coach Ray Gates. “When we get the chance, we’re making adjustments and coaching the game like it’s 0-0.”
That mentality allowed the Panthers to thrive offensively and defensively. They held the Roos to one touchdown at the end of the first quarter and didn’t allow them to reach the end zone again.
On the other side, the offense ended with over 600 yards of total offense. Six different Panthers scored and two different quarterbacks recorded touchdown passes.
“Our focus is making sure that we’re sharpening our sword every week,” said Gates. “We want to go out every week and find a way to be better this week than we were last.”
Even after a blowout win over a winless district opponent, Gates was focused on the bigger picture.
“Our team is geared, and we’re playing at a high level to make a playoff push,” he said. “It’s going to take all phases—you win two out of three of those phases, and you got a good opportunity to win that game.”
North Crowley’s most impressive phase was its offense.
After the Panther defense forced Weatherford to punt after three plays, the offense first found the scoreboard via the legs of running back Daniel Bray, who ran three times for 50 yards, ending the drive with a 9-yard rushing touchdown.
Quarterback Jimerson ended the game just shy of 250 yards passing with five passing touchdowns.
“He’s been doing a fantastic job,” said Gates of his quarterback. “It’s hard to be critical of his play. In the first half he wasn’t as settled as he has been because he had to scramble in the pocket more than normal, but he did a good job in the second half making those adjustments.”
His first passing touchdown was North Crowley’s second score. He started the drive with a pass to Gibson for 24 yards and, two plays later, ended the drive with a 15-yard pass to the end zone.
Weatherford made the game interesting for a second with a 23-yard rushing touchdown from running back Brennen Boehl, but it would be the only time the Roos reached the end zone. A missed extra point kept them at six points.
In the second quarter, Bray found the end zone again on a 3-yard rushing play. He got the ball right back, running two yards to convert for two points. Jimerson found Gibson again on the next drive for a 44-yard passing touchdown, making it a 28-6 game.
Jimerson mixed it up and found a new receiver for his next passing touchdown—Kevin Moore on fourth-down for 12 yards with under two minutes left in the first half.
Another phase of the Panthers Gates praised was the special teams. That was put on display with 40 seconds left in the half when Gibson returned Weatherford’s punt 67 yards for a touchdown to put the Panthers up 42-6 going into halftime.
Jimerson found another receiver for his fourth passing touchdown in Cam Hunter, who brought in the pass for a 13-yard score. His final passing touchdown was to tight end Jeramie Cooper, who reeled in a 37-yard pass with three minutes left in the third quarter, making it 55-6.
After that drive, Jimerson was relieved by junior quarterback Chris Alexander Jr., who got right to work, leading the Panthers to a 7-play, 74-yard drive ending with a 34-yard passing touchdown to receiver Malachi Releford.
The Panther defense forced the Roos to turnover on downs, getting the ball back and running out the clock, finalizing their 7th consecutive win of the season.
Boswell will host North Crowley on Oct. 25; kickoff is slated for 7 p.m.
