Rocket miscues pile up in 29-20 loss

Sean O'Leary (57) and Adam Beavers corral Trigg
QB Cameron Jordan in the first half.

MARION, Ky. - Through preseason and its opening blowout over a Tennessee foe, the Rocket offense appeared in sync and unstoppable. 

Friday night in its home-opener, Crittenden County (1-1) discontinued the much-heralded advance by misfiring on multiple occasions and allowing 3A Trigg County (2-1) to slip out of Rocket Stadium with a 29-20 win.

Four turnovers and missed chances in the red zone cost Crittenden mightily. 

“We have got to minimize our mistakes. You cannot shoot yourself in the foot against a good team,” Rocket coach Al Starnes said after the disheartening loss. 

The Rockets led 14-0 out of the chute, needing just 13 plays to score twice. And their defense stopped Trigg cold. The Wildcat offense was thrown for loss after loss in the early going as Crittenden held Trigg to minus-21 yards on its first six plays. Then Wildcat quarterback Cameron Jordan rolled up his sleeves and went to work. He was the difference in the game, running for 162 yards – including three touchdown carries – and passing for 108 yards. 

Jordan’s 82-yard touchdown run with less than a minute to play sealed an outcome that was very much up for grabs in the fourth quarter. Neither team scored in the second half until he skipped through the middle on a third-and-13 run from his own 12, and went the distance.

The Rockets had a variety of opportunities to take the lead in the last half. Crittenden’s defense gave its offense great field position to start the third period after a punt snap went over the Wildcat kicker’s head. Despite getting the ball at Trigg’s 22-yard line, CCHS’s offense stalled at the 13 and the Rockets missed a field goal attempt. Crittenden was tripped up again early in the fourth quarter by a fumble at the Trigg 20. Then, with just over two minutes to go in the contest, the Rockets were driving. Running back Gavin Dickerson carried three straight times for 35 yards down to the Trigg eight-yard line before Rocket QB Hunter Boone was intercepted in the end zone.

Ethan Dossett (10) had big game on
offense, catching 10 passes for 148 yards.

Junior receiver Ethan Dossett had a tremendous game, catching 10 passes for 148 yards. Boone finished with 17 completions on 34 attempts. Two of his three interceptions came in the first half, one of those was in Trigg territory. 

“We have to learn from what we did not do right. It’s us,” Coach Starnes said. “Tonight it was all about us, not them. We were not focused and just shot ourselves in the foot.”

The road will not get any easier next week as Crittenden hosts Caldwell County in a non-district game.

SCORE BY QUARTERS

Trigg County 8 15 0 6

Crittenden Co. 14 6 0 0

SCORING PLAYS

C-Gavin Dickerson 5 run (Cody Belt kick) 9:58, 1st

C-Devon Nesbitt 1 run (Belt kick) 4:50, 1st

T-Cameron Jordan 30 run (Kyron Grubbs pass from Jordan) 1:43, 1st

T-Jordan 16 run (Gabriel Hardy pass from Jordan) 8:44, 2nd

T-Tyson Bush 1 run (JaKobe Bridges kick) 5:32, 2nd

C-Ethan Dossett 17 pass from Hunter Boone (pass failed) 3:56, 2nd

T-Jordan 82 run (kick failed) :57, 4th

TEAM TOTALS

First Downs: Crittenden 14, Trigg 11

Penalties: Crittenden 2-30, Trigg 7-60

Rushing: Crittenden 35-147, Trigg 43-180

Passing: Crittenden 17-34-3, 187 yds., Trigg 12-21-0 108 yds.

Total Yards: Crittenden 334, Trigg 288

Fumbles/Lost: Crittenden 1-1, Trig 1-0

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

Rushing

Crittenden-Nesbitt 17-68, Dickerson 12-81, Boone 3-(-2). Trigg-Tashaun Barker 7-(-5), Grubbs 1-5, Bush 12-18, Jordan 23-162.

Passing

Crittenden-Boone 17-34-3, 187 yds. Trigg-Jordan 12-21-0, 108 yds.

Receiving

Crittenden-Dossett 10-148, Belt 2-4, Dickerson 1-3, Branen Lamey 3-25, Nesbitt 1-7.
Defense
Adam Beavers 10 solos, 8 assists, sack, 3 TFLs, batted pass; Cody Belt solo; Brady Birk 5 solos, sack, caused fumble; Kyle Castiller 4 solos; Joe Estes 4 solos, 3 assists; Jacob Russelberg 2 solos, assist; Gavin Dickerson 10 solos, 4 assists, TFL; Mitchell Joyce 3 solos, 4 assists, 2 TFLs; Branen Lamey 6 solos, 2 assists, 2 TFLs; Sean O'Leary 3 solos, 2 assists, 2 TFLs; Hunter Jones 4 solos, 3 assists, TFL; Caden McCalister solo.
Players of the Game: Defense and Lineman Adam Beavers, Offense Ethan Dossett.

Records: Crittenden 1-1, Trigg 2-1