Crestview clips Navarre 14-7, forces shootout (with PHOTOS, VIDEO)

By RANDY DICKSON

Florida Freedom Newspapers

(850) 682-6524}randyd@crestviewbulletin.com

CRESTVIEW - It was smashmouth football at its best at Jack Foster Stadium on Friday.

Jordan Glover carried the ball 37 times for 169 yards and a touchdown as Crestview beat Navarre 14-7 in a key District 2-4A game.

The Bulldog (5-4, 2-1) win coupled with Fort Walton Beach's win over Choctawhatchee sets up a three-team shootout Monday to decide the two teams that will represent the district in the playoffs.

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"We knew we knew had to win two games to get to the shootout and we did it," Glover said.

A Crestview team that had been pronounced dead by many people following a 2-4 start had plenty of reasons to feel vindicated, but that wasn't on coach Matt Brunson's mind following the win.

"We are 2-1 in the district and we have a chance to make the playoffs," he said. "We'll see what happens in the shootout.

"Our defense played hard, and did good except for one drive in the third quarter when they picked up three or four first downs. I think we probably won time of possession pretty good. We didn't finish drives like we would have liked to, but overall our kids played hard."

Crestview scored both of its touchdowns in the second quarter.

Glover picked up the first Bulldog score of the night taking the ball in from a yard out with 6:07 left in the half.

It was fitting that the senior tailback carry the ball the final yard of the 53-yard drive as his number two had been called on each of the seven plays in the possession.

The key run on the drive aside from the score came on a fourth-and-1 at the Raider 44.

Brunson rolled the dice and put the ball in the hands of his big man, who moved the pile for the first down and emerged from the pack to break off a 30-yard run, setting up the touchdown four plays later.

The Bulldogs went to the air on their next drive, moving the ball 68 yards on just four plays.

Chris Pickett had a key 30-yard reception on the drive. But the other two catches, including the touchdown, belonged to Artis Coleman.

Coleman hauled in a 29-yard pass from Blake Ritchey despite a pass interference call against the Raiders.

Navarre's only score came on a 19-yard run by Kwamane Howard with 10 seconds left in the third quarter.

The score capped a 12-play, 56-yard drive after a short Bulldog punt.

Despite a strong effort by Howard, who finished the night with 59 yards on 11 carries, and freshman quarterback Marquis Hagewood, who rushed for 54 yards on 14 carries, the Raiders (2-7, 0-3) could do little against a solid Crestview defense.

Although the Bulldogs didn't score on their last drive, they were able to move the ball from their own 5-yard line to the 45 and take seven minutes off the clock before punting on the final play of the game.

The Bulldog defense held the Raiders to 146 yards in total offense. George Stakely and Ben Baber had interceptions for the Bulldogs.

Adam Hamilton intercepted a pass for the Raiders.

"I'm extremely proud of the way our kids have responded the last few weeks," Raider coach Chad Lashley said. "If they didn't have the character they could have quit after the Choctaw game.

"They responded well last week against a good Florida High team. And tonight against a good Crestview team we battled them and gave them our best shot. Obviously there are some things we would have to do different and not made some mistakes, but you can't question the effort."