Hillcrest Advances; Dominates Carver-Montgomery 56-6
The Hillcrest Patriots, led by junior quarterback Ethan Crawford, completely dominated Carver of Montgomery, winning their first round matchup 56-6.
From the start of the game, the Patriots were locked in. Hillcrest shook off an early redzone turnover and quickly jumped out to a 6-0 lead on their second possession of the night. Crawford found his sophomore wide out, Decorrian Thomas, to bust the game wide open.
After that, it was all Hillcrest. The Patriots locked down Carver's offense in the first half, allowing just three first downs and picking up double-digit tackles for loss. Crawford's night was finished after an electrifying first two quarters where the junior quarterback went eight-for-nine for 120 yards and four scores.
Crawford was not alone; however. Junior running back, Jamarian Johnson, rushed the ball ten times and hauled in three receptions of his own, finishing the night with nearly 100 all-purpose yards and three touchdowns.
Hillcrest head coach Jamie Mitchell spoke on the dynamic duo of Crawford and Johnson following the big win, saying, "Those dudes were really good down the stretch. We've played our best football the last half of this season. I love where this team is."
Senior wide receiver, Anthony Meyers, Jr., made the play of the night for the Patriots, hauling in a 27-yard touchdown from Crawford with a spectacular catch to give Hillcrest a 14-0 lead in the first quarter.
Crawford and the Patriots never relented control of the game, and continued to pile it on the Wildcats, taking a 42-0 score into halftime.
Out of the half, Carver was able to strike quickly, marching down the field for a score on their opening possession, but were stopped again on subsequent drives, finishing the game with just 150 yards of offense.
Backup quarterback Jameson Farley led Hillcrest in the second half on its only two scoring drives, finding Decorrian Thomas for another score and handing the ball of to Jayshon Land to make the score 56-6.
Hillcrest will stay at home next week to take on the surging Baldwin County Tigers, fresh off an upset victory over Helena. Baldwin County, much like Hillcrest, appears to be playing their best ball of the season, and should provide a very solid test for the Patriots.