Up 29-27 with 3:30 remaining in the game, North Crowley went for it on fourth and goal from the 1-yard line and senior UNLV signee
Cornelius Warren III ran it into the end zone for the touchdown to go up 36-27. Under head coach Ray Gates, the Panthers played aggressively all game, converting four of five fourth down attempts – three of which ended in touchdowns.
Duncanville responded with 3:01 left in the game but North Crowley was able to run out the clock on its ensuing possession and win 36-34.
North Crowley wide receiver Quentin Gibson celebrates one of his two touchdown receptions on the day. (Photo: Michael Horbovetz)
This was a matchup of star receivers as
Quentin Gibson of North Crowley and
Dakorien Moore of Duncanville made big receptions all afternoon.
Gibson, a three-star headed to Colorado, caught a 32-yard score to open the game and a 49-yard pass in the fourth quarter to extend the lead to 29-21. Each of his touchdowns were on fourth down, upping his total to 33 scores this season.
Moore, a five-star Oregon pledge, had several chain-moving catches in the first half before scoring on a 58-yard throw to give Duncanville a 22-21 lead early in the third quarter. The future Duck finished the season with 18 receiving touchdowns.
North Crowley senior quarterback
Chris Jimerson chucked four touchdown passes with two going to Gibson while Warren and senior Cameron Hunter each caught one.
Duncanville five-star Alabama signee
Keelon Russell threw for two touchdowns and ran for another. He finished the season with 55 touchdown passes.
Aaron Bradshaw of North Crowley celebrates during Saturday's win over Duncanville. (Photo: Michael Horbovetz)
North Crowley junior safety
Aaron Bradshaw made outstanding plays against both Moore and Russell that forced turnovers. In the second quarter he forced Moore to fumble the football after a long catch. Then midway through the third quarter Bradshaw intercepted Russell to end another drive that had momentum.
North Crowley jumped out to a 15-0 lead after scoring on its opening possession, recovering a surprise onside kick, then scoring again.
Duncanville then scored on three consecutive possessions to take a 21-15 lead.
Jimerson wasn't done and led North Crowley on two straight touchdown drives to take a 29-21 lead with 10:08 left in the game.
Two minutes later Duncanville was back in the end zone as senior
JaQualon Armstrong scored his second rushing touchdown of the game and his 13th score of the season. Duncanville could not convert the 2-point conversion and North Crowley got the ball back with a 29-27 lead and 7:53 left in the game.
North Crowley, which improved to 41-2 over the past three seasons, then ran more than four minutes of clock and ended the drive with a touchdown by Warren. Warren finished the game with 178 rushing yards with one rushing and one receiving touchdown.
With Saturday's losses, Duncanville and North Shore will see their streak of three consecutive meetings in the state championship game end. The last time those squads didn’t meet in the title game was 2020, when Westlake defeated Southlake Carroll 52-34.
