North Crowley opens new football stadium with upset win over Lucas Lovejoy

The Crowley school district was about to have its very own high school football stadium after funding for the project was approved by voters during a 2007 bond package.

Fifteen years later, the project came into fruition with the first football game Thursday night.

North Crowley recorded the venue’s first score and first touchdown, and went on to upset Class 5A Division 2 No. 3 Lucas Lovejoy, 28-20, at the new Crowley ISD Multi-Purpose Stadium. The Panthers improved to 3-0 for the first time since 2005 when they won their first five games.

“We talked about the moment, seizing the moment. It’s the moment versus the mission and this was a moment in the middle of our mission this year,” said North Crowley coach Ray Gates, who was hired in February after being at Cedar Hill. “We had one opportunity to seize it and our kids did.

“I’m super excited for our community, super excited for our kids. It’s the first time we’ve been 3-0 since 2005 and I can’t tell you the last time we beat a ranked opponent in the state. So it’s a great win for North Crowley and our community.”

The 8,000-seat stadium is located just south of downtown Fort Worth off Risinger Road and Hemphill Street and features a field house with locker rooms and training areas and a split-level press box. It also has a 3,000 square foot community room and a 60 by 30 foot LED video scoreboard in the north end zone.

“To be able to open up tonight 15 years later and to see the stands full, the kids get the chance to experience it, it’s phenomenal,” CISD superintendent Michael McFarland said. “This is going to be a destination spot. We hope to host quite a few playoff games, band contests and soccer games.”

Trailing 14-3 at the half, Lovejoy (1-2) scored on its opening drive of the third quarter, a 1-yard run by 3-star LSU commit Kyle Parker to pull within one possession.

The Leopards came in averaging 50 points a game after putting up 52 in their Week 1 win over College Station and 49 in their Week 2 loss against Argyle.

North Crowley answered the bell when on fourth-and-1, Cornelius Warren broke outside down the right sideline and scored on a 66-yard touchdown run to make it 21-10 at the five-minute mark.

The Panthers picked up momentum when they forced a Lovejoy punt, but the return was muffed and the Leopards recovered, and capped it off with a 8-yard touchdown catch from Parker to make it 21-17 with 2:11 left in the third. Parker is ranked No. 55 among all Class of 2023 receivers in the nation.

Warren finished with 175 yards rushing and added his second touchdown, from 5 yards, to extend the Panther lead to 28-17 in the fourth. He also had two catches for 42 yards.

North Crowley had over 400 yards total offense.

Sophomore QB Chris Jimerson had 166 yards passing and one TD, and rushed for 48 yards.

“We came in as the underdog. They all thought we were going to lose,” Jimerson said. “Came out here and worked all week, played hard and came out with a W.”

“We talk about this all the time, when you make a play, flush it. When you miss a play, flush it. It’s on to the next play,” Gates added. “So when they make an answer, we’re going to make an answer. We knew it was going to be a dog fight, we knew it wasn’t going to be easy.”

The defense was led by 4-star Texas committed linebacker S’Maje Burrell, No. 12 in the S-T Top 100 and a pair of interceptions from Devon Jackson and Armani Green. Burrell had several big hits all night and tipped a pass that led to Green’s interception. Anthony Toliver also had a big fourth-quarter sack for the Panthers.

“We wanted to set the tempo,” Gates said. “We wanted to come out and make them say ‘OK what do we have to do’ and when it gets late in the game, in the fourth quarter we’re going to take them to the deep end and see if they can swim with us for four quarters.”

North Crowley got a break on the opening kickoff when the ball was mis-kicked and Jaydon Davis recovered at the Lovejoy 35. Warren picked up 20 on the end around and two plays later, the Panthers scored the first touchdown.

Jimerson found 6-5 3-star Vanderbilt commit Ka’Morreun Pimpton on a 9-yard strike, but the extra point was missed. However, North Crowley landed the first punch, 6-0 less than two minutes into the first quarter.

Pimpton is the 34th ranked Class of 2023 tight end in the nation, according to 247Sports.

He’s also the 62nd ranked player in this year’s Star-Telegram Top 100.

The North Crowley defense also responded on Lovejoy’s first drive, holding the Leopards to four yards and a three-and-out. The Panthers drove across midfield, but the drive ended in a Lovejoy interception from RJ McIntosh, who had a nice return to the North Crowley 33.

One play in and Brayden Hagle hit big tight end West Wilson for 24 yards to the 9.

North Crowley’s defense had a nice goal line stand and held Lovejoy to a 21-yard field goal from Caden Carlock making the score 6-3 with 2:32 left in the opening period.

The Panthers drove into Lovejoy territory again, to the 17, but three straight incomplete passes turned it over on downs. But the defense came up big again when three plays later, Jackson picked off a Lovejoy pass, which North Crowley would turn into points.

Pimpton made a nice one-handed grab for 37 yards to end the first quarter. and Dejuan Lacy capped off the drive with a 4-yard touchdown run. Pimpton again made a great catch in the corner of the end zone for two and the North Crowley lead grew to 14-3 with 8:25 left in the first half.

Pimpton finished with five catches for 104 yards.