Rockets will work to regroup from Mayfield loss

QB Quinn Summers gets off a pass in the first half.

MAYFIELD, Ky. – Under the Friday night lights at War Memorial Stadium, one of west Kentucky’s most storied football venues, Crittenden County ran headlong into a buzzsaw. The Rockets were overwhelmed 49-7 by No. 3 Mayfield in the Class 2A First District opener.

Trae Taylor just misses a first-half pass.

The Cardinals, perennial state powers and preseason favorites in the district, scored on every first-half possession plus a 70-yard punt return. By the time the Rockets got on the board when Jay Stevenson hauled in a 17-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Quinn Summers late in the third quarter, the game had long been decided. A running clock – football's version the mercy rule – was implemented in the second period.

Mayfield built a 35-0 lead in the opening quarter behind explosive plays, including a 50-yard touchdown run from Malik Taylor and a 30-yard scoring strike from Gray Robbins. Special teams added to the onslaught when Mak Hoover outran Rocket coverage for a punt-return touchdown.

Crittenden’s offense found little room to breathe, managing just 39 rushing yards on 16 carries. Summers finished 13-for-23 passing for 107 yards before sophomore backup Conner Poindexter came on in relief late in the game. Stevenson led receivers with four grabs for 46 yards, while senior standout Caden Howard caught four passes for 32 yards.

Noah Byford on a kickoff return.

Defensively, the Rockets struggled to contain Mayfield’s speed, yielding 171 yards on just 14 carries. The Cardinals rotated to junior varsity players after their opening possession of the second half, but still closed with 330 total yards.

Crittenden, now 2-3, shifts its focus to next week’s district matchup at Trigg County. With Mayfield heavily favored to win another district crown, the Rockets will look to regroup quickly in what appears to be a more balanced race for second place.

SCORE BY QUARTER

Crittenden 0 0 7 0

Mayfield      35 7 7 0

SCORING PLAYS

M-Ashton Flint 31 pass from Gray Robbins (pass failed) 8:47, 1st

M-Malik Taylor 50 run (kick failed) 6:20, 1st

M-Elijah Morris 30 pass from Robbins (Angel Torres kick) 4:38, 1st

M-Mak Hoover 70 punt return (Torres kick) 1:23, 1st

M-Hoover 35 run (Torres kick) 1:04, 1st

M-Ja’Aubry Sherrill 21 run (Torres kick) 4:50, 2nd

M-Anderson Smith 30 pass from Sawyer Stinson (Owen Byrd kick) 8:00, 3rd

C-Jay Stevenson 17 pass from Quinn Summers (Mitchell Brown kick) 1:30, 3rd

TEAM TOTALS

First Downs: CCHS 8, MHS 11

Penalties: CCHS 5-25, MHS 1-5

Rushing: CCHS 16-39, MHS 14-171

Passing: CCHS 14-25-0, 114; MHS 9-15-1, 159 

Total Yards: CCHS 153, MHS 330

Fumbles/Lost: CCHS 1-1, MHS 0-0

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

Rushing

CCHS: Logan Nolan 8-36, Trae Taylor 3-(-3), Joel Bumpus 1-1, Conner Poindexter 3-9, Summers 1-(-4). MHS: Taylor 4-82, Sherrill 4-38.

Passing

CCHS: Summers 13-23-0, 107; C.Poindexter 1-2-0, 7. MHS: Robbins 5-8-0, 96; Stinson 9-15-1, 63.

Receiving

CCHS: Caden Howard 4-32, Taylor 2-10, Stevenson 4-46, Dokota Sosh 1-0, Brayden Poindexter 1-15, Hayden Hughes 1-7, Joel Bumpus 1-4, Nolan 1-0. MHS: Hoover 2-30, Flint 1-31, Kirby 1-22, Morris 1-30, Smith 1-30.

Defense

Check back later

Records: CCHS 2-3, MHS 4-1