Saturday, October 17, 2020

Rockets roll 47-6 over Fulton County

QB Luke Crider completed
10-of-13 passes to beat Fulton.

MARION, Ky. – When a team packages 47 points in the first half, one might deduct simply from the scoreline that its offense is riding high in the saddle.

And indeed, the Rockets are clicking offensively. Junior quarterback Luke Crider completed 10-of-13 passes with six different players making catches. And, senior Xander Tabor posted another 100-plus game on the ground with three touchdowns as Crittenden scored on eight of its nine first-half possessions.

But the devil is in the details. And the horns belong to the Rocket defense.

Crittenden continues to pummel the opposition’s running game. No one through six games has shown the ability to run the football – consistently at least – against the Rockets. Fulton’s ground game was no match for the CCHS defensive unit which gave its offense a short field the entire first half as the Rockets dialed up a running clock for the third straight week on Saturday en route to a 47-6 district win over visiting Fulton County.

Crittenden’s defense intercepted three passes and recovered three Pilot fumbles to put its offense in vacation mode, so to speak. Crittenden certainly took care of businesses when it had the ball, but its field position in the first half was courtesy of multiple take-aways and poor Fulton punting. Crittenden started five series inside the Pilots’ 40-yard line. 

Ben Dobyns, Logan Bailey and Preston Morgeson each had interceptions. Morgeson, Dobyns and Lathen Easley recovered Fulton fumbles.

Caden McCalister caught Crider's first
pass of the game for a 14-yard gain.
“The guys came out tonight and started the game with an attitude,” Rocket coach Sean Thompson said. “We started our big package and went right at them.”

The coach characterized Fulton County as a physical team. Getting the upper hand early was key, he explained.

Mission accomplished. 

The Rockets led by 47 at the half and the reservers took care of the last two periods.

The hill will be taller next week when the Rockets play at Russellville for the district championship. The win against Fulton County provides CCHS a first-round home-field game for the playoffs. A win next week at Russellville will be the Rockets' fourth straight district championship and will guarantee home-field advantage for two playoff games.

SCORE BY QUARTERS
Fulton County      0 0 0 6
Crittenden Co. 26 21 0 0

SCORING PLAYS
CC-Kaleb Nesbitt 14 pass from Luke Crider (run failed) 7:28, 1st
CC-Preston Turley 18 run (run failed) 5:38,1 st
CC-Xander Tabor 8 run (pass failed) 3:26, 1st
CC-Preston Morgeson 6 pass from Crider (Braxton Winders run) 1:32, 1st
CC-Morgeson 21 pass from Crider (Noah Perkins kick) 9:52, 2nd
CC-Tabor 3 run (Perkins kick) 7:01, 2nd
CC-Tabor 10 run (Perkins kick) :32, 2nd
FC-Deivyn Tuner 24 interception return (run failed) 9:09, 4th

TEAM TOTALS
First Downs: CCHS 10, FCHS 5
Penalties: CCHS 10-105, FCHS 2-10
Rushing: CCHS 27-161, FCHS 18-(-1)
Passing: CCHS 11-16-1, 95 yds., FCHS 7-15-3, 59 yds
Total Yards: CCHS 256, FCHS 58
Fumbles/Lost: CCHS 2-0, FCHS 3-3

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
Rushing

Crittenden: Tabor 18-119, Keifer Marshall 2-0, Turley 1-18, Caden McCalister 1-14, Braxton Winders 1-3, Gattin Travis 3-1, Crider 1-8. Fulton: Jordan Pirtle 11-(-3), Chrisshawn Gordan 3-7, Jequan Warren 1-4, Bentelee Johnson 1-(-12), Max Gibbs 2-3. 
Passing
Crittenden: Crider 10-13-0, 104 yds., Micah Newcom 1-2-1, (-9) yds., McCalister 0-1-0. Fulton: Johnson 2-5-1, 26 yds., Gibbs 5-9-2, 33 yds., Dylan Hammon 0-1-0. 
Receiving
Crittenden: McCalister 1-14, Turley 2-20, Nesbitt 3-9, Morgeson 3-29, Brysen Baker 1-14, Tabor 1-9.
Defense
Noah McGowan 3 solos, 2 TFL; Noah Perkins solo, assist, TFL; Ben Dobyns solo, 2 assists, interception, TFL; Braxton Winders 4 assists; Tyler Boone 4 solos, 2 assists, 2 TFL: Caden McCalister 2 solos; Lathen Easley solo, 3 assists, fumble recovery; Coleman Stone assist; Luke Mundy 4 assists; Dalton Wood 4 solos, assist; Trace Derrington assist, solo; Dylan Yates 4 solos, assist, caused fumble, sack, 2 TFL; Logan Bailey solo, fumble recovery, interception; Maddox Carlson assist; Sam Impastato 2 solos, 2 assists, caused fumble, sack, TFL; Deacon Holliman solo, TFL; Rowen Perkins 2 solos; Briley Berry 3 solos, 2 assists, TFL; Preston Morgeson 2 solos, interception, fumble recovery, TFL; Seth Guess solo; Tyler Belt solo, assist.
Records: Crittenden 5-1 (2-0), Fulton 0-3 (0-1).