Rockets blow out Tennessee foe

Architect and Administrator of the Rocket offense, respectively,

are offensive coordinator Sean Thompson and quarterback Hunter Boone.

DOVER, Tenn. – If anything is going to slow down this Rocket offense, it’s going to have be something from outside the Volunteer state and a bit more creative than Stewart County’s effort Friday night.

In its season-opener on the road, Crittenden County dispatched the Rebels 62-27 in their first ever meeting. And it really wasn’t that close.

Junior quarterback Hunter Boone continued his assault on the Rocket record book with a single-game-tying five touchdown passes and he piled up 290 yards passing. He completed 14 of 20 passes and even his receivers would admit that a few of the misses should have been caught. 

Crittenden fans were excited when their Rockets piled up 42 points in a pre-season scrimmage against 4A Calloway County. They are surely amazed with what the offense did against a Tennessee 3A team – scoring on every offensive series and ripping the Rebel secondary with wide open receptions and tackle-breaking moves after catches. 

Rocket OL keeps its quarterback protected in Game One.
No sacks and just one flush... and it went for Six.

Junior Ethan Dossett, who missed part of last season after a broken collarbone, is making up for lost time. He caught two touchdown passes and finished with 128 yards on five receptions. The athleticism in Crittenden’s receiving corps is better and deeper than at any time in recent memory and their prowess flips over to the defensive side, too. Stewart County is a traditional ground-oriented team and had hoped to be a bit more versatile this season. However, the Rocket defense made sure that didn’t happen in week one. The Rebels got just 21 yards through the air.

Boone never has to look far for a set of capable hands with junior Gavin Dickerson catching balls out of the backfield and punishing would-be tacklers. He scored twice, once on a run and once after a reception. Junior Branen Lamey caught two touchdown passes and senior Cody Belt grabbed two receptions and nearly had a diving catch in the end zone for a score, but it rattled loose.

Another junior, Devon Nesbitt – the returning player of the year in the district – scored on the ground, and when his young backups came in to clean up the fourth quarter, freshman Lathen Easley broke a 41-yard carry then punched it across the goal line on the next play. Classmate Xander Tabor looked equally impressive running the ball late in the game.

Crittenden will get a week off to further explore its offensive genius and get ready for Trigg County to kickoff Labor Day weekend on Sept. 1 in Marion.

Be sure to read the Aug. 24 printed issue of The Crittenden Press for more on this game, including defensive details, coaching staff reactions and other insights.

SCORE BY QUARTERS

Crittenden Co.    7   28   13   14

Stewart County   7    0    7    13

SCORING PLAYS

S-Willie Reynolds 1 run (Cameron Jiminez kick) 3:48, 1st

C-Branen Lamey 37 pass from Hunter Boone (Cody Belt kick) 3:48, 1st

C-Devon Nesbitt 34 run (Belt kick) 11:12, 2nd

C-Gavin Dickerson 11 pass from Boone (Belt kick) 7:18, 2nd

C-Ethan Dossett 46 pass from Boone (Belt kick) 4:43, 2nd

C-Boone 38 run (Belt kick) 1:25, 2nd

C-Dickerson 16 run (Belt kick) 10:36, 3rd

S-Reynolds 4 run (Jiminez kick) 4:17, 3rd

C-Dossett 28 pass from Boone (Belt kick) 3:18, 3rd

C-Lamey 26 pass from Boone (Belt kick) 9:54, 4th

S-Dalton Stamper 16 run (kick failed) 6:39, 4th

C-Lathen Easley 2 run (Noah Perkins kick) 1:14, 4th

S-Landon Clark 76 kickoff return (Jiminez kick) :59, 4th

TEAM TOTALS

First Downs: Crittenden 11, Stewart 13

Penalties: Crittenden 7-50, Stewart 4-20

Rushing: Crittenden 14-190, Stewart 50-232

Passing: Crittenden 14-20-0, 329 yds., Stewart 2-5-0, 21 yds.

Total Yards: Crittenden 507, Stewart 253

Fumbles/Lost: Crittenden 0-0, Stewart 2-2

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

Rushing

Crittenden: Nesbitt 4-38, Caden McCalister 1-(-1), Dickerson 2-28, Xander Tabor 4-32, Lathan Easley 2-43, Boone 1-38. Stewart: Stamper 18-122, Shaheem Davis 16-87, Reynolds 10-43, Jacob Wallace 1-2, Joshua McDonald 5-(-22).

Passing

Crittenden: Boone 12-18-0, 290 yds.; Nesbitt 1-1-0, 39 yds. Stewart: McDonald 2-5-0, 21 yds.

Receiving

Crittenden: Dossett 5-128, Cody Belt 2-51, Lamey 2-63, Dickerson 4-43, Mason Hunt 1-44. Stewart: Elijah Smith 1-6, C.J. Gale 1-15.
Defense: Beavers 9 solos, 4 assists, TFL, caused fumbled, fumble recovery; Belt 4 solos; Birk 13 solos, assist, 2 sacks, TFL, caused fumble; Castiller solo, assist; Estes 5 solos, 4 assists, TFL, fumble recovery; Dickerson 7 solos, 7 assists; Dossett 2 solos, assist; Joyce 2 solos, 10 assists, TFL; O’Leary solo, 5 assists; Lamey assist; Nesbitt solo, 2 assists; Gobin 3 solos, 3 assists; Jones 6 solos, 2 assists, sack, McCaslister solo; Winders solo, assist.
Players of the Game: Defense Brady Birk, Offense Ethan Dossett and Hunter Boone, Lineman Adam Beavers and Special Teams Cody Belt.
Records: Crittenden 1-0, Stewart 0-1