T.K. Guess catches a 39-yard touchdown pass in the second
quarter. He became the school's single-season pass receiving
record holder during the game.

Defense holds off Panthers
Rockets finish second in district with
27-20 victory over Russellville

Marion Ky. (Oct. 29, 2004) - Russellville's quickness stretched Crittenden County's defense the entire way, but with the game on the line in the closing seconds, it was a gut-wrenching defensive stand that preserved the Rocket victory 27-20 and saved a second-place finish in the Class A Second District.

The Panthers had come up big in tight situations and had converted all three of its previous fourth-down plays to keep the game close until the final period. However, facing a fourth-down-and-18 from its own 44 with just seconds to play, Russellville quarterback Alex Watkins couldn't get his pass over the outstretched arms of Rocket safety T.K. Guess. With Watkins' most lethal weapon, Patrick Temple, streaking down the opposite sideline from the Crittenden bench, Guess leaped up and swatted the pass to the ground, ending Russellville's bid for an upset with a minute to play.

On that fateful final series, Crittenden's defense bent a bit, allowing the Panthers to pick up a first down after looking at a fourth-and-three from their own 49. It was Temple, Russellville's speedy playmaker, who wiggled his way into Crittenden territory for a first down to keep the drive alive.

The celebration was short lived, however, as Rocket lineman Dustin Lanham pinned Russellville's Dustin Sydnor for a five-yard loss on second down and Crittenden linebacker Dustin Easley sacked Watkins for a two-yard loss on the next play, pushing the Panthers back to their own 44 and setting up Guess' chance to break up Russellville's final pass.

It was Guess who did some celebrating of his own early in the game. On his first 11-yard catch in the first quarter, the junior receiver set a new single-season school record for pass receiving. He broke the mark previously held by Jared Champion of 594 yards in 1996. Guess has also set the single-season interception record this year with eight.

Crittenden's record-setting quarterback Austin Berry continued his aerial assault, throwing for three touchdowns and 146 yards. Guess caught five passes in the game for 84 yards and rushed for 62. Blake Gardner rushed for a team-high 68 yards, including the decisive touchdow in the fourth quarter on a 14-yard carry.

Crittenden did a much better job of containing Russellville's Temple in the final half. The senior ran for 61 yards in the first two periods, but finished with only 86.

"It's great to be 8-2 and going to the playoffs as the second place team," Rocket coach Al Starnes said after the game. "But really we're a bit disappointed because we know we were within a minute of being undefeated."

The Rockets have lost just two games this year by a total of nine points. In each loss, Crittenden was driving for the potential win, but ran out of time.

Crittenden has defeated Russellville five of the last six meetings, but had lost to the Panthers last year by a touchdown. Russellville's first-year coach John Myers is no stranger to the Rockets. He was the quarterback at Hancock County in the late 1980s when Crittenden and Hancock played some close games. It was his alma mater, the Hornets, that knocked Crittenden from first-place in the district a week earlier.

The victory over Russellville was important because it gives the Rockets homefield advantage for the first round of the Class A playoffs. Crittenden will host Fulton City, (3-6) the third-place team from the First District, Friday, Nov. 5.

(Pictured inset: Brad Hart (2) and Shawn Farmer (34) saddle up Russellville's Lance Bibb)