MORTON'S GAP - Going into the opening matchup, Crittenden County wasn't sure how it would replace an offense that scored more than 30 points a game en route to 20 wins over the past two years.Brian Berry gave the Rockets an answer Friday night.
The senior quarterback, who had been star J.D. Gray's backup the past two seasons, made a name for himself, throwing two touchdown passes and completing 10-of-16 for 170 yards to lift the Rockets to a 20-15 win over 4A Hopkins County Central.
Crittenden scored first and last, but trailed for a good portion of the contest as Hopkins Central got a yeoman's performance from quarterback Lucas Crawley, who scored two Storm touchdowns and rushed 27 times for 154 yards.
Berry got the Rockets on the board in the second period with a 35-yard touchdown pass to Dustin Hernandez, capping a 56-yard drive. However, Berry missed trying to kick the extra point, leaving the door open for Hopkins Central to take a 7-6 lead its next series. Crawley did most of the work on that drive just as he did the entire game, carrying the ball on every rushing play except for a dozen handoffs to four other running backs. A 15-yard unsportsmanlike penalty against the Rockets helped the Storm move the ball into the red zone.
A second scoring pass to Hernandez with three seconds left in the half put the Rockets ahead at the break, but again it failed on the conversion after a penalty backed them up five yards.
Hopkins Central took the lead in the third period after a Rocket offensive penalty and short punt gave the Storm a short field at the Crittenden 44.
Tanner Nix, who touched the ball just two times in the first half for a net one yard, got his chance to show why he's the team's most explosive weapon, rushing for 76 yards in the second half and catching a big 47-yard pass to set up the winning touchdown. Two plays after his catch, Nix lined up at split end, went in motion and took the handoff in the backfield before racing 18 yards down the opposite sideline for the score.
Crittenden broke the conversion woes with a play-action pass to Bryce Willis to cap the final touchdown with two points.
Pictured above is Hopkins Central QB Lucas Crawley leaping for yardage against defenders Robert Cudnik (20) and Brian Berry (3).
SCORE BY QUARTERS
Crittenden County 0 12 0 8
Hopkins Central 0 6 8 0
SCORING PLAYS
CC-Dustin Hernandez 35 pass from Brian Berry (kick failed) 6:30, 2nd
HC-Lucas Crawley 13 run (Travis Franklin kick) 1:19, 2nd
CC-Hernadez 18 pass from Berry (pass failed) :03, 2nd
HC-Crawley 2 run (Bryan Mason pass from Crawley) 4:08, 3rd
CC-Tanner Nix 28 run (Bryce Willis pass from Berry) 5:38, 4th
TEAM TOTALS
First Downs: Crittenden 12, Hopkins Central 14
Rushing: Crittenden 31-134, Hopkins Central 39-187
Passing: Crittenden 10-16-0, 170 yds., Hopkins Central 8-12-0, 26 yds.
Total Yards: Crittenden 304, Hopkins Central 213
Penalties: Crittenden 10-65, Hopkins Central 5-45
Fumbles/Lost: Crittenden 2-1, Hopkins Central 2-1
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
Rushing
Crittenden: Nix 6-79, Andrew Freeman 17-18, Grant Gardner 2-17, Berry 3-13, Hernadez 1-4; Bowe Wallace 1-3. Hopkins Central-Crawley 27-154, Terrance Ray 7-19, Stephen Gordon 1-3, Jessie Almon 3-10, Dai Carter 1-1.
Passing
Crittenden-Berry 10-16-0, 170 yds. Hopkins Central-Crawley 8-12-0, 26 yds.
Receiving
Crittenden-Hernandez 3-67, Nix 2-45, Ethan Hill 2-23, Bobby Knox 1-27, Freeman 2-8. Hopkins Central-Orlando Lovan 1-(-2), Gordon 2-10, Mason 1-4, Micah Rorer 4-14.
Defense
Bebout 2 solos, assist; Berry 6 solos, 6 assists, TFL; Cozart 3 solos, 2 assists; Cudnik solo, 2 assists; Freeman 7 solos, 2 assists; Gardner 4 solos, 2 assists; Hernandez 3 solos; Hill 2 solos, assist, TFL, caused fumble; Knox assist; Long 7 solos, 5 assists; Nix 5 solos, fumble recovery; Price 2 assists; B.Wallace assist; D.Wallace 2 solos, 10 assists; Werne 4 solos, 5 assists, sack, TFL.
Crittenden County 0 12 0 8
Hopkins Central 0 6 8 0
SCORING PLAYS
CC-Dustin Hernandez 35 pass from Brian Berry (kick failed) 6:30, 2nd
HC-Lucas Crawley 13 run (Travis Franklin kick) 1:19, 2nd
CC-Hernadez 18 pass from Berry (pass failed) :03, 2nd
HC-Crawley 2 run (Bryan Mason pass from Crawley) 4:08, 3rd
CC-Tanner Nix 28 run (Bryce Willis pass from Berry) 5:38, 4th
TEAM TOTALS
First Downs: Crittenden 12, Hopkins Central 14
Rushing: Crittenden 31-134, Hopkins Central 39-187
Passing: Crittenden 10-16-0, 170 yds., Hopkins Central 8-12-0, 26 yds.
Total Yards: Crittenden 304, Hopkins Central 213
Penalties: Crittenden 10-65, Hopkins Central 5-45
Fumbles/Lost: Crittenden 2-1, Hopkins Central 2-1
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
Rushing
Crittenden: Nix 6-79, Andrew Freeman 17-18, Grant Gardner 2-17, Berry 3-13, Hernadez 1-4; Bowe Wallace 1-3. Hopkins Central-Crawley 27-154, Terrance Ray 7-19, Stephen Gordon 1-3, Jessie Almon 3-10, Dai Carter 1-1.
Passing
Crittenden-Berry 10-16-0, 170 yds. Hopkins Central-Crawley 8-12-0, 26 yds.
Receiving
Crittenden-Hernandez 3-67, Nix 2-45, Ethan Hill 2-23, Bobby Knox 1-27, Freeman 2-8. Hopkins Central-Orlando Lovan 1-(-2), Gordon 2-10, Mason 1-4, Micah Rorer 4-14.
Defense
Bebout 2 solos, assist; Berry 6 solos, 6 assists, TFL; Cozart 3 solos, 2 assists; Cudnik solo, 2 assists; Freeman 7 solos, 2 assists; Gardner 4 solos, 2 assists; Hernandez 3 solos; Hill 2 solos, assist, TFL, caused fumble; Knox assist; Long 7 solos, 5 assists; Nix 5 solos, fumble recovery; Price 2 assists; B.Wallace assist; D.Wallace 2 solos, 10 assists; Werne 4 solos, 5 assists, sack, TFL.
Players of the Game: Offense Brian Berry, Dustin Hernandez and Tanner Nix; Defense Jacob Long and Brian Berry; Lineman Devin Wallace.
Records: Crittenden 1-0, Hopkins Central 0-1
Records: Crittenden 1-0, Hopkins Central 0-1
Pictured above is Tanner Nix looking for a seam on a kickoff return. Photo by Reese Baker.
