Crandall is 0-7 against Midlothian Heritage since September of 2016 but things could change on Friday. The Pirates will welcome the Jaguars at 7:00 p.m. Crandall is currently enjoying a perfect season and no doubt wants to keep things rolling.
On Friday, Crandall strolled past Kaufman with points to spare, taking the game 49-35. The Pirates pushed the score to 28-7 by the end of the third, a deficit the Lions cut but never quite recovered from.
Darrik Ward Jr.
| 10/10/25 @ Kaufman | 220 |
| 09/26/25 vs Corsicana | 187 |
| 09/18/25 @ Poteet | 150 |
| 09/11/25 @ Irving | 147 |
| 09/05/25 vs Hallsville | 118 |
| 08/29/25 @ Mt. Pleasant | 107 |
Crandall can attribute much of their success to Darrik Ward Jr., who gained 258 total yards and four touchdowns, and Luke Vanlandingham, who rushed for 116 yards and one TD. Ward Jr. is also crushing it when it comes to rushing yards: he's rushed for at least 107 every time he's taken the field this season.
They were just one part of a punishing run game: Crandall was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 346 rushing yards. That's the most rushing yards they've posted since back in November of 2024.
Meanwhile, there was early excitement for Midlothian Heritage after they claimed the first score on Thursday, but it was Terrell who ended up claiming the real prize. The Jaguars took a 21-14 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Tigers. While the Jaguars didn't get the win, they did start the game off strong, beating the Tigers 7-0 in the first quarter.
Crandall will need to focus on slowing down Dax Montelongo, one of several Midlothian Heritage players who made an impact when they last played. He threw for 136 yards and a pair of touchdowns, and also rushed for 95 yards on only seven carries. Montelongo's passing game has become a key predictor of Midlothian Heritage's success: the team is 2-1 when his passer rating is 100 or higher, but only 1-2 otherwise. Za'Ko Davis was another key player, gaining 122 total yards and a touchdown.
Midlothian Heritage's defeat was their first in the district, dropping their district record down to 2-1 and their overall record down to 3-3. As for Crandall, their win bumped their record up to 6-0.
Crandall was taken down by Midlothian Heritage 56-3 in their previous meeting back in October of 2024. That game was all but decided by halftime, at which point the Pirates were down 49-3.
