Pirates Look to Rebound

Crandall visits Rowlett as both teams try to bounce back from opening week losses.

Two playoff teams looking to rebound from season-opening losses will meet Thursday night when the Crandall Pirates visit the Rowlett Eagles at Homer B. Johnson Stadium in Garland.

Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. Both teams enter the non-district matchup with 0-1 records.

Crandall lost 35-24 at Braswell last Friday, while Rowlett fell 27-7 against Hurst L.D. Bell. The results leave both teams searching for improvement heading into tonight’s matchup.

For Crandall, the game represents another opportunity to develop an offense led by several talented underclassmen. Rowlett will counter with an experienced senior class and a passing attack that produced encouraging numbers despite the Eagles’ struggles in the opener.

Crandall’s opener against Braswell showed that the Pirates have enough offensive weapons to move the football against a Class 6A opponent. Crandall finished with 302 total yards, including 165 on the ground and 137 through the air.

Junior running back Darrik Ward led the Pirates with 125 yards and two touchdowns on 26 carries. His workload and production established him as the central figure in Crandall’s offense entering Thursday’s game.

Ward averaged 4.8 yards per carry against Braswell and accounted for nearly 80 percent of Crandall’s rushing production. Rowlett’s ability to keep him contained will be one of the game’s most important matchups.

Junior quarterback Carleton Lewis completed 15 of 22 passes for 137 yards and a touchdown in his first start of the season. His 78.3 percent completion rate was one of the most encouraging numbers from Crandall’s opener.

Lewis did not generate a large number of downfield completions, but he consistently delivered the football accurately and kept the Pirates’ passing game on schedule.

Senior receiver Jeremiah Douglas was his primary target. The Vanderbilt commit caught eight passes for 123 yards, including a spectacular 55-yard touchdown. 

The combination of Ward’s rushing ability and Douglas’ production on the perimeter gives Crandall two different ways to attack Rowlett.

If the Eagles bring additional defenders toward the line of scrimmage to stop Ward, Douglas could find favorable matchups outside. If Rowlett keeps its secondary back to limit Douglas, Crandall should have opportunities to continue feeding Ward.

Rowlett’s largest problem against Bell was not its ability to throw the football. It was keeping possession.

The Eagles committed four turnovers, losing three of their four fumbles and throwing one interception. Bell did not commit a turnover.

That minus-four margin made it difficult for Rowlett to establish any offensive rhythm. The Eagles finished with 241 total yards but managed only seven points.

Rowlett also produced just 25 net rushing yards on 15 attempts. Team losses accounted for minus-25 yards, but no Eagles ball carrier finished with more than 15 yards.

Senior quarterback Samuel Loera leads an offense that was much more productive through the air than the final score indicated against Bell. Loera completed 14 of 31 passes for 216 yards, one touchdown and one interception.

Senior receiver Micah Pearson caught four passes for 83 yards, while senior Braxton Moore added three receptions for 47 yards. Moore scored Rowlett’s only touchdown on a 31-yard catch.

Zayden Moughalian contributed two receptions for 52 yards, giving Loera several experienced receiving options capable of attacking different areas of the field.

Crandall’s secondary will have to account for more than one target. Pearson can stretch the field, Moore has demonstrated playmaking ability after the catch, and Moughalian gives Loera another downfield option.

L.D. Bell established the formula Crandall is likely to test Thursday.

Rowlett allowed 206 rushing yards on 49 attempts in its opener. Bell averaged 4.2 yards per carry and recorded 23 first downs, using its running game to sustain possessions.

Crandall has a proven feature back capable of handling a similar workload. Ward’s 26 carries against Braswell demonstrate that the Pirates are comfortable making him the foundation of their offense.

Rowlett has several experienced defenders capable of answering that challenge.

Senior defensive end Xavier Beale was a first-team all-district selection last season, while senior defensive lineman Malakai McClendon earned second-team honors. Junior defensive lineman Isaiah Jefferson also received second-team all-district recognition.

That front must win the early downs and prevent Ward from consistently reaching the linebackers. If Crandall remains in manageable third-down situations, the Pirates can maintain their offensive balance and control the pace of the game.