Rocket running back Blake Gardner looks for a hole
against Calloway County's defense in the first quarter.

Calloway County drills Rockets 34-7
Laker QB passes for 234 yards

Marion, Ky. (Sept. 19, 2003) - Calloway County quarterback Brandon Steele passed for 234 yards and three touchdowns as the Lakers drills Crittenden 34-7.

The Rockets (2-2) had little trouble moving the ball down field, but stalled inside the red zone twice early in the game to set the stage for Calloway's lopsided win. Crittenden's offense, which accounted for 280 total yards, was stymied inside the 10. Twice the Rockets were knocking on the door, but Calloway's defense wouldn't let them in the end zone. Crittenden failed on five fourth-down conversion tries during the game, once at the five and once at the eight in the first half. Both times Crittenden failed inside the 10, Calloway was clinging to a 7-0 lead.

Although Crittenden's offense spent most of the first half on the field, grinding out most of its 240 ground yards, Calloway's stellar quarterback diced the Rocket secondary with pinpoint passes and a 27-0 halftime lead. Steele connected with 6-3, 200-pound receiver Seth Barrow on one 44-yard TD for a 13-0 lead midway through the second period then hit David Free for an 11-yard TD strike with 1:42 left in the half.

Crittenden trailed 20-0 and had to punt with 37 seconds before the break. Steele climbed in behind center and orchestrated a 66-yard scoring drive over the next 32 seconds to pile up a 27-point halftime edge. That late second-quarter score sealed the Rockets' fate.

Crittenden quarterback Sean Thompson was knocked out of the game in the first period and defensive back Dustin Easley went down with knee injury early in the second quarter. That only compounded the problems for Crittenden, who started the game without Shane Travis, a mainstay on the defensive line. Travis was sidelined with a stomach illness.

Thompson came back for a few plays in the second quarter, but a sprained ankle kept him on the shelf for the entire second half.

The loss was Crittenden's worst regular-season home loss since losing 46-7 to Hancock County in 2000.


Rocket running back Demetric Moss looks for room to run in the first half.


SCORE BY QUARTERS
Calloway County......7....20....7....0
Crittenden County ...0....0.....7....0


SCORING PLAYS
Call-Adam Renfroe 1 run (Brian Robertson kick) 9:02, 1st
Call-Seth Barrow 44 pass from Brandon Steele (Robertson kick) 6:32, 2nd
Call-David Free 11 pass from Steele (kick failed) 1:42, 2nd
Call-Devon Winchester 36 pass from Steele (Robertson kick) :05, 2nd
Critt-Blake Gardner 2 run (George Congenie kick) 7:05, 3rd
Call-Josh Young 32 run (Robertson kick) 4:22, 3rd


TEAM TOTALS
First Downs: Crittenden 15, Calloway 11
Penalties: Crittenden 5-45, Calloway 2-10
Rushing: Crittenden 42-236, Calloway 25-73
Passing: Crittenden 7-15-1, 40 yds., Calloway 14-31-1, 234 yds.

INDIVIDUAL STATS
Rushing
Crittenden-Demetric Moss 13-76, Gardner 13-65, Sean Thompson 3-30, Shawnte Moss 1-28, T.K. Guess 10-20, Josh Franklin 2-18, Austin Berry 1-(-1). Calloway-Young 13-65, Renfroe 2-4, Chase Crisman 2-(-10), Steele 1-(-4), Landon Lockhart 2-(-10).
Passing
Crittenden-Thompson 3-7-0, 20 yds., Berry 3-6-0, 18 yds., Guess 1-2-1, 2 yds. Calloway-Steele 14-27-1, 234 yds., Lockhart 0-4-0.
Receiving
Crittenden-Cody Robinson 1-18, Matt Collins 1-16, S.Moss 1-7, Guess 1-3, Dustin Harris 1-2, Gardner 1-(-5), Franklin 1-(-1). Calloway-Barrow 3-78, Winchester 2-60, Jay Wyatt 3-36, Free 3-35, Tyler Collins 2-20, Young 1-5.
Defense Aull 3 solos, 4 assists, TFL; Collins 2 solos, assist; Copeland solo; T.D. Guess solo; Harris 3 solos, assist, interception; D.Moss 2 solos, 3 assists; Roberts 4 solos, five assists, TFL; Baker 3 assists; Easley assist; Hart 4 solos, 4 assists, TFL; Jennings solo, assist; Gardner 5 solos, 2 assists; T.K. Guess 4 solos, 2 assists; Lanham solo; Robinson 2 solos, assist; S.Moss solo; Hamby solo, TFL.

Records
Crittenden 2-2, Calloway 3-2.

NEXT WEEK: Rockets host Webster County