Crescent kick crashes Comets

Long after the game was over, J.L. Fisher hadn’t quite calmed down.

“My heart rate hasn’t gone down yet,” said the Crescent head football coach.

For good reason. Kade Varner kicked a 26-yard field goal with 17 seconds left to lift the Tigers to a 23-21 victory Thursday at Hinton.

It kept Crescent’s unbeaten record intact as the Tigers moved to 6-0.

More importantly, they remained the only team with an unblemished mark in District A-3 games as they upped it to 3-0.

But it wasn’t easy.

Crescent led 20-7 midway through the third quarter, but the hometown Comets began their comeback with a 6-yard touchdown pass from Levi Taylor to Braydon Strong with 5:03 left in the third.

Then early in the fourth, Grayden Deviney broke free for a 29-yard touchdown run. The extra-point put the Comets up 21-20.

It remained there most of the quarter and Hinton had the ball with a chance to run out the clock.

However, an exchange went awry with 2:00 left and Crescent’s Stone Fisher was there to jump on the fumble at the Comet 27.

With new life, Crescent drove near the Hinton goal line, but a false start backed up the Tigers.

Out of timeouts, Fisher opted to put the game on Varner’s foot.

He delivered. Crescent controlled much of the game.

The Tigers out-gained Hinton 351-218 and led 14-0 just 10 seconds into the second quarter when C.J. Wilson caught a 54yard touchdown from Tanner Rice.

Rice had scored on a 1-yard run about three minutes before. Hinton made it 14-7 at the half as Deviney found the end zone on a 24-yard run.

However, Rice’s 1-yard TD run at 9:12 of the third again put Crescent up by two scores.

Varner’s extra-point was blocked after that TD, which eventually allowed Hinton to stake its one-point lead.

Varner and Rice split time at QB.

Varner was 11 of 23 for 152 yards, but was picked off twice.

Rice went 4 of 7 for 63 yards. Wilson hauled in four total passes for 118 yards.

Rice caught four passes as did Boston Cox.

Varner and Rice also combined for 107 rushing yards.

Varner had 57 on 15 attempts while Rice ran it 11 times for 50 yards.

Rice also had a big night on defense as he joined Tylan Neugent in leading the team with 11 tackles.

Fisher recorded five tackles and a sack.

The Tigers have a non-district game Friday at Western Heights.

They return to district action the following week when they host Minco (6-1, 2-1) in a game that will play a role in deciding the district champ.