Caldwell County controlled time of possession with its running game, and got a strong defensive effort while extending its winning streak against border rival Crittenden County.
Logan Smiley had 131 of his 174 yards rushing in the second half as the Tigers claimed a 9-0 victory at Rocket Stadium in Marion.
Caldwell is now 2-2 this season and has won 12 straight against the Rockets.
The Tigers have shutout the Rockets each of the past two years.
Meanwhile, Caldwell got its first touchdown pass of the season when Jack Stevens hit Jamus Carneyhan for a 5-yard scoring toss at the 11:53 mark of the second quarter. Blake Vivrette’s extra-point kick was ruled no good, although many on the Caldwell side thought the kick was between the uprights.
The Tigers took advantage of Rocket turnovers to win the field position battle for much of the night, but Caldwell could not get the ball into the end zone again. That left the door open for Crittenden, with the difference remaining 6-0 until late in the third quarter.
The Rockets turned the ball over four times while the Tigers had just one giveaway in the contest.
Caldwell held the ball for 28:22 while Crittenden had it for 19:38.
One of the biggest reasons the Tigers were able to control possession was converted eight of 17 third-down opportunities. Crittenden, on the other hand, was three of 13 on third-down tries.
The Tigers gained a little breathing room when Vivrette’s 27-yard field goal was good with 13 seconds left in the third quarter.
Crittenden (1-2) was unable to generate much offense at all with its running game, finishing with minus-five yards on the ground. However, the Rockets did pass for 171 yards with quarterback Luke Crider.
Crittenden’s deepest foray into Tiger territory came in the fourth quarter when the Rockets had first-and-goal from the 10. A short pass completion made it second down from the 7, but then three straight misfires turned the ball over on downs.
It was the Rockets’ only visit to the red zone, although Crittenden’s last possession of the night reached the Caldwell 26 before a fourth down pass was picked off near the goal line by the Tigers’ Isaiah Joyner.
Caldwell had 204 total yards of offense in the contest while Crittenden had 166.
The Tigers had 10 first downs while holding the Rockets to six.
Carneyhan helped lead the Caldwell defensive effort with 11 tackles, including seven first-hits and two tackles for loss. Elijah Shaheen had eight tackles, 1.5 sacks and a fumble recovery while Max Kramer had seven tackles and an interception.
The Tigers return home next Friday to host Union County on Hall of Fame Night at Tiger Stadium.
The Braves are 4-0 after beating Murray 53-28 on Friday.
