North Crowley cruises past Coppell to set up quarterfinal clash against Allen — PHOTOS

The North Crowley Panthers reminded the Class 6A Division I bracket on Saturday that they’re the defending state champions.

No. 9 North Crowley got out to a fast start, and its run game dominated to defeat No. 25 Coppell 46-21 in a regional playoff contest at Midlothian ISD Stadium. In the quarterfinals, the Panthers (12-1) will face No. 2 Allen (13-0) at a time and place to be determined.

“We wanted to dominate the game from the beginning,” North Crowley head coach Ray Gates said. “ ... We keep receipts. We remember what people say about us moving forward. ... We wanted to make sure nobody could say that they were the better team. I think this is another step in the right direction as we continue to evolve.”

The Panthers have advanced past the regional round in three consecutive seasons and will aim for a third straight quarterfinal win over Allen. North Crowley beat the Eagles 30-8 in 2024 and 49-37 in 2023.

Allen will be viewed as the favorite by many. Even with a few doubters, Gates said he feels the team is right where it wants to be.

“When people aren’t talking about us, that’s what we need,” Gates said. “This group is learning. And they have learned to become who we wanted them to be. ... We have been becoming the North Crowley Panthers.”

The Panthers jumped out to a hot start in the first quarter, holding Coppell to -12 yards of offense. North Crowley turned a bad situation into a great one after a fumble by receiver Pryce Demerson. The defense forced a punt near the goal line, and Julius Washington blocked it for a safety to take a 2-0 lead.

The Panthers then went on a spree, taking a 23-0 lead with 15- and 11-yard scores from running back G’Yrell Smith and a 33-yard touchdown reception by Lorenso Cruz.

Coppell (10-2) was able to retaliate with a 1-yard rushing TD from sophomore quarterback Carter Zingelmann.

It seemed that the Panthers continued a string of key takeaways with a fumble recovery from Jurwone Irvin, but Cloutier threw an interception to Coppell’s Tyree Roberson, who returned it 31 yards for a TD.

With eight seconds left, North Crowley capped a drive that had excellent clock management with a 1-yard scoring scamper by running back Kiante Ingram. At the half, North Crowley led 30-14 after allowing only three Coppell first downs and outrushing the Cowboys 243 yards to -1.

The Panthers’ mistakes were more efficient for the Cowboys than their offense, as North Crowley had 12 penalties for 74 yards and the Coppell offense tallied 23 yards. Gates said that aspect of the performance was uncharacteristic.

“Tonight, we come out, and we have false starts left and right,” Gates said. “And you can’t do that against really good teams, because it puts you behind.”

North Crowley was easily able to maintain its lead in the second half with the defense keeping Coppell out of the end zone until the 4:32 mark in the fourth quarter; the lead was already insurmountable.

The play of the second half for North Crowley followed a missed opportunity. Jayden Shaw was ruled short of a touchdown on fourth down, and Coppell took over at the 1-yard line; the Panthers notched their second safety of the game and capitalized on the ensuing offensive possession with a 2-yard rushing TD from Smith, his third of the game.

“In those situations, when we get you backed up like that, those guys smell blood,” Gates said. “They get out of their stance. And [the defense] is able to make plays. We’re in the right situation, and we’re able to steal points there.”

The run game paved the way with ease. Ingram rushed for 143 yards on 25 carries, while Smith ran for 119 yards on 18 carries. Cloutier added 92 yards on nine carries, and he also threw for 152 yards on 14-of-22 passing.

“We showed everybody why we’re the defending 6A state champs,” Gates said. “We’ll enjoy this for 24 hours. We have a hell of a ballclub in Allen coming next week. They’re going to be ready, and we have to be ready.”

This story was originally published November 29, 2025 at 4:02 PM.

Charles Baggarly

Fort Worth Star-Telegram

(909)758-6249

Charles Baggarly is a high school sports editor and reporter for the Fort Worth Star Telegram. He graduated from TCU in 2023 with a bachelor’s degree in journalism and served as TCU 360’s sports editor. Connect with Charles on Twitter or via email.