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VYPE DFW Football Game of the Week: North Crowley vs. Allen (6A-D1 Region 1 Final)
Everything has gone according to plan for North Crowley this Fall.
The Panthers are firing on all cylinders in every facet of the game, which has earned them the distinction of being ranked as the No. 2 team in Texas (No. 9 in the nation), according to MaxPreps.
Following yet another undefeated regular season -- and their third-consecutive district championship -- coach Ray Gates and co. have steam-rolled their way to the Regional Final, with wins against Byron Nelson (56-21), Permian (72-14), and Coppell (35-24) over the past three weeks.
Now, North Crowley (13-0) has the opportunity to make back-to-back appearances in the state final-four.
The connection between quarterback Chris Jimerson (North Texas-signee) and senior wideout Quentin Gibson (Colorado) has been virtually impossible for opposing secondaries to contain.
If the passing game isn't enough, Cornelius Warren III (UNLV) and Daniel Bray (Utah) are always a threat to score from out of the back-field, behind a formidable offensive line -- anchored by Henry Fenuku (Missouri) --that's allowed the unit to average a ridiculous 57 points per game.
Defensively, the Panthers have limited their opponents to just 17 points a contest, which is a testament to the equally capable athletes they have on that side of the ball -- Jonathan Cunningham (Texas), Ja'Brelle Asberry (Sr. MLB), Gaylon McNeal (Washington State), and sophomore Avery Dotson being chief among them.
NCHS was eliminated in the State Semis of last year's postseason, at the hands of eventual 6A-D1 champion Duncanville. Suffice it to say, they'd love to get the chance to return the favor a week from now.
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However, No. 7-ranked Allen won't just stand idly by and give up a spot in the final-four.
With coach Lee Wigington at the helm, the Eagles (13-0) haven't dropped a game this Fall, either -- most recently outlasting Trinity in a 22-21 nail-biter last Friday -- which advanced them to their first appearance in Round No. 4 since 2021.
The offense's aerial attack has been incredibly sufficient with 2023 Offensive Newcomer of the Year Brady Bricker behind-center, along with the various targets he has in the WR room -- Donnell Gee Jr. (Tulsa-signee), Carter Harris (Sr.), and freshman break-out player Josyah Johnson.
Furthermore, Allen possesses not one, not two, but three explosive running backs -- Jaden Hambric (Jr.), Micah Ellis (Sr.), and Lyndon Spriggs (So.) -- who can keep defenses honest.
But, it can be argued that the most valuable asset towards the Eagles' success in 2024 has been their lock-down defense, which is averaging a mere 11.3 points allowed per game.
Its leading figures include second-team, all-district selections Kai Wheaton (Sr. CB), Mitchell Neu (Sr. LB), and Camden Clark (Sr. S).
This is the best that Allen has looked in years. Can they punch their ticket to the State Final-Four, marking the first time since 2018 they've done so?
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The battle of the undefeated will take place this Saturday (2:00 PM) at Vernon Newsom Stadium in Mansfield, TX. The victor might just become a favorite to reach AT&T.
North Crowley geared up for district following victory over Lucas Lovejoy
After an undefeated regular season last year, North Crowley has burst back onto the scene in the 2023-24 Texas High School Football season. The team is gearing up for district play with another 3-0 start to their season after a 43-20 victory over Lucas Lovejoy in week three. VYPE DFW takes a closer look at the Panthers' victory:
RECAP
Lovejoy took an early lead in the Friday night matchup with two touchdowns in the first quarter from Dante Dean and Khalin Williams. Setting the tone, the Leopards looked to be favorites early. Midway through the second quarter, the Panthers' momentum picked up as Cornelius Warren scored a touchdown on a 3-yard rush. With the decision to go for two, Chris Jimerson found Mason Ferguson to put the first 8 points of the night on the board for North Crowley.
Bad weather caused a 75-minute delay in the game as both teams headed into the locker room for a chance to reset, regroup, and focus on what was to come; Lovejoy ahead 20-8 after a late second-quarter touchdown from Payton Pierce.
Coming back to the field following the weather delay, the Panthers were poised for success as they put up 35 unanswered points. Closing out the first half with a Warren rush for a touchdown set the new tone for the game and gave North Crowley a new fire. Warren went on to score one more touchdown in the game. LaMarcus Davis (31-yard reception, 33-yard reception) and Jimerson (29-yard rush) were the other scorers for North Crowley in their come-from-behind victory.
What's Ahead
As the team enters district play, they boast an undefeated record. Having outscored their opponents by a combined 134 points so far this season, the North Crowley offense has proven its ability to continue fighting through challenges while the defense has shown their work and dedication to putting up timely stops against opponents in order to secure big victories. The team opens district play against Forth Worth Paschal on Friday, September 15th with kick-off slated for 7:30 p.m.