The Crandall Pirates put together a memorable 2025 campaign, winning their first six games of the season before a tough three game stretch tested the roster down the stretch. The Pirates regrouped to close the regular season with a win and qualify for the playoffs, ultimately falling in the bi district round. Crandall finished the year 7-4 overall and 4-3 in District 6 5A Division II, anchored by the running of Darrik Ward, the all around production of quarterback Luke Vanlandingham, and the playmaking of receiver Jeremiah Douglas.
Crandall 37, Mount Pleasant 27
Crandall opened its season with a 37 to 27 win over Mount Pleasant, jumping out to a 1-0 start.
Crandall 30, Hallsville 13
The Pirates kept rolling in week two, defeating Hallsville 30 to 13 to move to 2-0 ahead of a home matchup with Irving.
Crandall 49, Irving 0
Crandall blanked Irving 49 to 0 at Joy and Ralph Ellis Stadium, turning a 7 to 0 lead into a rout by scoring 28 points in the second quarter alone. Darrik Ward paced the offense with 150 yards on 14 carries and two touchdowns. The scoring outburst began when Luke Vanlandingham hit Jeremiah Douglas on an 11 yard touchdown to open the second quarter, then connected with him again on a 35 yard score after Crandall’s defense forced an Irving three and out. A fumble recovery at the Irving 41 set up a short touchdown drive finished off by Hezekiah Jordan from 11 yards out, and a muffed Irving kickoff handed Crandall the ball at the 5 yard line, leading to a 1 yard touchdown run from Micah Wright that made it 35 to 0 with 4:26 left before halftime. Ward broke off a 54 yard touchdown to open the second half, and Wright capped the night with a 55 yard scoring run in the fourth quarter. The win pushed Crandall to 3-0 while Irving fell to 1-2.
Crandall 56, Mesquite Poteet 33
Crandall opened district play with a 56 to 33 win at Mesquite Memorial Stadium, led by Luke Vanlandingham’s 180 yards and two touchdowns through the air along with 75 yards and a score on the ground. The opening quarter went blow for blow, with both teams finding the end zone on each of their first two drives. Poteet then stumbled, turning the ball over on three straight possessions, and Crandall capitalized to build a 35 to 14 cushion by the second quarter. Darrik Ward carried much of that load with 135 rushing yards and two touchdowns, the biggest a 83 yard burst right after Crandall recovered a fumble deep in its own territory to start the second quarter. Jeremiah Douglas was the top target in the passing game, hauling in three touchdowns among his 105 receiving yards. Poteet’s offense was not without its bright spots, as Dylan Davis rushed for 126 yards and two scores and Kyler Cornelius caught for 116 yards and two touchdowns of his own. The result moved Crandall to 4-0 overall and 1-0 in district, while Poteet dropped to 1-3 and 0-1.
Crandall 38, Corsicana 30
Crandall edged Corsicana 38 to 30 to stay unbeaten, improving to 5-0 overall and 2-0 in district play.
Crandall 49, Kaufman 35
The Pirates won a high scoring battle with Kaufman, 49 to 35, to reach 6-0 overall and 3-0 in district for their best start of the season.
Midlothian Heritage 52, Crandall 35
Crandall’s six game winning streak ended in a 52 to 35 setback against Midlothian Heritage, dropping the Pirates to 6-1 overall and 3-1 in district.
Ennis 42, Crandall 35
Crandall dropped a second straight contest, falling 42 to 35 to Ennis and slipping to 6-2 overall and 3-2 in district.
Terrell 63, Crandall 13
Terrell handed Crandall a third consecutive loss, winning 63 to 13 and moving the Pirates to 6-3 overall and 3-3 in district.
Crandall 46, Greenville 21
Crandall snapped its skid in the regular season finale, beating Greenville 46 to 21 to finish the regular season at 7-3 overall and 4-3 in district, locking up a playoff spot.
Bi District Playoffs: South Oak Cliff 49, Crandall 18
Crandall’s season came to a close with a 49 to 18 loss to South Oak Cliff at Kincaide Stadium in Dallas, as the Golden Bears stretched their bi district winning streak to 13 straight seasons. South Oak Cliff quarterback Jayden Williams set the tone early, throwing touchdowns of 24, 46 and 44 yards to Torrin Teague on three consecutive drives before adding a 44 yard scoring strike to Jaylen Moore, building a 35 to 10 halftime lead. The Golden Bear defense had not surrendered a point since a September 12 game against Longview, but that streak snapped when Crandall quarterback Luke Vanlandingham found Jeremiah Douglas for a 10 yard touchdown in the first quarter. South Oak Cliff put the game away in the second half on touchdown runs from Levon Morton and Mikayla Trotter. Williams finished 15 of 25 passing for 293 yards and four touchdowns, while Teague closed with 155 receiving yards and three scores. Vanlandingham threw for 192 yards and a touchdown in the loss. South Oak Cliff improved to 10-1 and advanced to face the winner of Mount Pleasant and Montgomery, while Crandall ended its season at 7-4.
Final Record
Crandall closed out the 2025 season at 7-4 overall and 4-3 in District 6 5A Division II, capped by a trip to the bi district round of the playoffs.
2025 Season Statistics
Rushing
| Player | Att | Yds | Yds/Att | TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Darrik Ward | 200 | 1246 | 6.23 | 18 |
| Luke Vanlandingham | 82 | 551 | 6.72 | 6 |
| Christian Ingram | 55 | 351 | 6.38 | 3 |
| Micah Wright | 35 | 185 | 5.29 | 4 |
| Issac Broines | 11 | 82 | 7.45 | 2 |
| Hezekiah Jordan | 4 | 24 | 6.00 | 1 |
| Jonathan Johnson | 1 | 12 | 12.00 | 0 |
| Camden Jackson | 1 | 11 | 11.00 | 1 |
| H Jodan | 1 | 10 | 10.00 | 0 |
| Jeremiah Douglas | 1 | 7 | 7.00 | 0 |
| Carlton Lewis | 1 | 3 | 3.00 | 0 |
| Willie Ingram | 1 | 3 | 3.00 | 0 |
| King Franklin | 1 | 2 | 2.00 | 0 |
| Team Stat | 1 | -13 | -13.00 | 0 |
Passing
| Player | Comp | Att | Pct | Yds | TD | Int |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Luke Vanlandingham | 63 | 93 | 0.68 | 881 | 8 | 2 |
| Issac Broines | 69 | 101 | 0.68 | 789 | 7 | 2 |
| Carlton Lewis | 3 | 4 | 0.75 | 39 | 0 | 0 |
| Carson Lewis | 1 | 4 | 0.25 | 8 | 0 | 0 |
Receiving
| Player | Rec | Yds | Yds/Rec | TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jeremiah Douglas | 63 | 1029 | 16.33 | 12 |
| H Jodan | 19 | 191 | 10.05 | 1 |
| Hezekiah Jordan | 13 | 126 | 9.69 | 0 |
| King Franklin | 12 | 117 | 9.75 | 0 |
| Jonathan Johnson | 7 | 68 | 9.71 | 0 |
| Camden Jackson | 4 | 51 | 12.75 | 0 |
| Trace Holmes | 2 | 27 | 13.50 | 0 |
| Darrik Ward | 4 | 22 | 5.50 | 0 |
