North Crowley football aims for third straight quarterfinal win over No. 2 Allen
The past two seasons, North Crowley has clashed with Allen in the Class 6A Division I quarterfinals, and this season is no exception.
The Panthers (12-1) will face Allen (13-0) at 7 p.m. Friday at North Texas’ DATCU Stadium in Denton.
North Crowley has dominated the matchup in recent years, defeating Allen 49-37 in 2023 and 35-7 in 2024, the latter victory taking place en route to a Class 6A Division I state championship.
Now, the stakes are higher than ever, with Allen holding a No. 2 state ranking, according to Dave Campbell’s Texas Football — the highest-ranked team in the 6A Division I bracket. North Crowley is ranked No. 9.
North Crowley has momentum
North Crowley is playing some of its best football at the right time, and a dominant 46-21 win over a solid Coppell squad is evidence of that.
Even with that strong performance, the Panthers have room to grow, which is a scary sign for the rest of the field.
Allen enters the game with an undefeated record and a huge chip on its shoulder, considering the past two seasons have ended at the hands of North Crowley.
The Eagles’ strongest win came against No. 7 Prosper in October. Prosper fell to No. 1 Southlake Carroll 49-31 in the 6A Division II regional round. Allen played Lewisville close in the bi-district round, winning 22-15.
Players to watch, keys to victory
The Panther ground game has been a force to be reckoned with, as running backs G’Yrell Smith and Kiante Ingram have combined for more than 2,400 yards this season.
The offensive line has set the tone for that production, featuring four-star offensive tackle John Turntine III, who recently signed with Texas.
Orchestrating the offense is quarterback Hayes Cloutier, who rushed for 92 yards and passed for 152 yards against Coppell. The senior has proven effective across multiple facets of the game.
He did throw a pick-six against Coppell when a defender jumped a screen pass. Still, the Panthers’ quick game of firing to the sideline and letting their receivers work has been a reliable part of the offense.
They’ve been reluctant to consistently throw downfield, but didn’t have to against Coppell with a sizable lead most of the game. Moving forward, protecting the football will be important, but a few explosive plays could be a difference-maker.
For Allen, leading the offense is led by senior quarterback Jeremiah Daoud, a Florida Atlantic signee. He has thrown for 2,532 yards and 25 touchdowns with four interceptions.
The Eagles’ lead running back is junior Lyndon Spriggs. He has rushed for 64.2 yards per game and has a team-high 14 total touchdowns.
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