North Crowley football continues historic start with blowout win over Denton Guyer

After a program-defining win over defending Class 6A Division I state champion DeSoto, North Crowley head coach Ray Gates laid out a trap for his team to see.

Several messages, including “NORTH CROWLEY IS THE BEST TEAM IN THE STATE” and “DON’T TAKE THE BAIT,” were inside the trap.

With North Crowley facing Denton Guyer, another state-ranked opponent, the Panthers needed to stay hungry and hyper-focused on the present moment. Gates’ team avoided complacency on Friday at Crowley ISD Stadium, securing a dominant 49-28 win over the Wildcats.

Guyer (2-1) scored a touchdown in its opening drive, and the game was tied 7-7 at the end of the first quarter. A massive second quarter for the Panthers gave North Crowley (3-0) a 35-7 lead at the break.

Aggressiveness was a huge factor. Quarterback Chris Jimerson consistently converted facing fourth down and did more than move the chains. On fourth-and-long, Jimerson found Jaiden Brooks and wide receiver Quentin Gibson for 32 and 50-yard touchdowns, respectively.

Gibson, after tallying 256 yards and seven touchdowns in the first two games, set the tone against Guyer with 253 yards and four touchdowns on seven receptions. His stock continues to rise, and he’s making a case to be one of the best pass catchers in Dallas-Fort Worth.

Running back Cornelius Warren also had a strong showing, totaling 75 yards and a touchdown. His running mate Daniel Bray, a transfer from Abilene Cooper, also contributed 63 yards.

The North Crowley defense kept putting the offense in stellar situations. Four minutes into the second quarter, Ja’Brelle Asberry caused a fumble, and Xavier Coleman recovered; a trick play on the first play of the offensive series resulted in a 38-yard touchdown from Jimerson to Jermaine Cooper.

North Crowley’s defense, for the most part, contained Guyer’s offense and quarterback Kevin Sperry, an Oklahoma commit. Wide receiver Mason White was the Wildcats’ player of the game with big play scores of 46, 31 and 24 yards, and Daniel Tong added another score with a 4-yard reception.

On September 19, North Crowley will travel to Rockwall to end an extremely challenging non-district slate against the Yellowjackets.