Rockets unload on Falcons 43-14 in opener

Junior Tyler Boone (12) was big on offense and defense.

FORT CAMPBELL, Ky. – For a team that some thought might be out of bullets, Crittenden County riddled Fort Campbell with 43 points and a running clock in less than three quarters en route to a dominating 43-14 victory on the road to open the 2019 campaign.

A state quarterfinalist a year ago with 11 wins to their credit, the Rockets lost an arsenal of weaponry to graduation, including a record-setting running back, quarterback and receiver. It was unclear just how the offense would respond with newcomer Hunter Jones at the controls, but the senior quarterback guided his team to five touchdowns, and the defense kicked in another.

Junior Caden McCalister celebrated his 17th birthday in style, rushing for 48 yards and recovering two fumbles on defense. He took one of them away from the Falcons' quarterback and went 57 yards for a touchdown. Another junior linebacker, Tyler Boone, had an interception, tackle for loss and near double-digit tackles. Cornerback Xander Tabor also picked off a Falcon pass.

Junior Caden McCalister breaks up a Falcon pass.

Tabor, a junior, led the team in rushing with 97 yards as the Rockets stayed on the ground for 224 of its nearly 300 yards of offense.

Get more details and highlights in next week’s printed edition of The Crittenden Press.

SCORE BY QUARTERS

Crittenden 8 21 14 0

Ft. Campbell 0 6 0 8

SCORING PLAYS

C-Xander Tabor 2 run (Braxton Winders run) 3:50, 1st

C-Tyler Boone 57 pass from Hunter Jones (pass failed) 11:14, 1st

C-Caden McCalister 57 fumble return (Boone pass from Jones) 9:22, 2nd

C-Tabor 55 run (Noah Perkins kick) 7:54, 2nd

F-Jordan Edwards 12 pass from Matthew Middleton (pass failed) 5:54, 2nd

C-Preston Morgeson 1 run (Perkins kick) 8:06, 3rd

C-Jones 1 run (Perkins kick) 7:38, 3rd

F-Nathanial Massey 46 run (Middleton run) :31, 4th

TEAM TOTALS

First Downs: Crittenden 9, Ft. Campbell 9

Penalties: Crittenden 6-60, Ft. Campbell 6-33

Rushing: Crittenden 29-224, Ft. Campbell 26-50,

Passing: Crittenden 5-10-0, 73 yds., Ft. Campbell 12-24-2, 154 yds.

Total Yards: Crittenden 297, Ft. Campbell 204

Fumbles/Lost: Crittenden 0-0, Ft. Campbell 2-2

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

Rushing

Crittenden - Tabor 12-97, Morgeson 3-27, McCalister 4-48, Boone 1-22, Winders 3-9, Jones 3-(-5), Keifer Marshall 3-26. Ft. Campbell - Massey 15-67, Ethan Tomerlin 4-(-5), Middleton 7-(-12). 

Passing

Crittenden - Jones 3-6-0, 59 yds., Winders 1-1-0, 9 yds., Luke Crider 1-3-0, 5 yds. Ft. Campbell - Middleton 12-24-2, 154 yds.

Receiving

Crittenden - Boone 3-68, Tabor 1-0, Kaleb Nesbitt 1-5. Ft. Campbell - Edwards 7-73, Conner Brinkmey 2-37, Nick Williams 1-12, Michael Robinson 1-10, Massey 1-22.

Defense

Gobin 2 solos, TFL; T.Guess solo; Jones solo; Phillips 3 solos, 2 assits, TFL; Boone 5 solos, 3 assits, TFL, interception; Easley solo, 3 assists, TFL, caused fumble; McCalister 3 solos, assist, 2 TFLs, caused fumble, 2 fumble recoveries; Perkins solo; Tabor 2 solos, assist, fumble recovery; Turley 3 solos, assist; Winders solo, assist, sack; Bailey solo; Carlson solo; Crider assist, Derrington assist; Mundy 2 solos, assist, TFL; Sharp assist; Stone solo; Wood solo, assist; Yates 3 solos, 3 TFLs; Morgeson 2 solos.
Players of the Game

Offense Xander Tabor, Defense Tyler Boone and Caden McCalister; Lineman Ian Ellington.

Records

Crittenden 1-0, Ft. Campbell 0-1