Navasota vs. Coldspring-Oakhurst: Wrap-Up

STORY BY SCOTT CLENDENIN

Second-ranked Navasota found itself in a dogfight against Coldspring on a wet and windy night at Rattler Stadium, but the Rattlers controlled the second half for a 35-14 victory.

The Trojans rallied to tie the game in the second quarter during a downpour, but Navasota’s Shelton Eppler connected with Tren’Davion Dickson for three touchdown passes while the Rattler defense limited the Trojans to 75 yards of offense in the second half.

Two roughing the passer penalties helped the Rattlers’ drive to open the second half, then from the Coldspring 11-yard line, Eppler’s pump fake freed Dickson in coverage, and Eppler hit him for the touchdown and a 21-14 lead.

The Rattler defensive front struggled in the first half but took over the line of scrimmage after halftime, forcing Coldspring into second- and third-and-longs that the Trojans couldn’t convert.

That helped Navasota (3-0) continue to improve field position, then in the fourth quarter, Eppler hit a wide open Dickson from 34 yards on a deep post pattern for a 28-14 lead.

The ensuing kickoff bounced away from the Trojan return team, and Navasot’as Jarvis Norman dove on the ball at the Coldspring 23. Eppler went over the top to Dickson on the next play for a

-yard TD pass, giving the Rattlers two touchdowns in just six seconds.

From that point on the Rattlers featured running back Derrion

Randle as their ground attack chewed up the clock. Randle finished with 21 carries for 117 yards and a touchdown.

Eppler completed 12 of 28 passes for 188 yards and three touchdowns. Dickson had six catches for 114 yards and all three TDs.

Coldspring (1-2) picked up 191 yards on the ground. Daylon Giddens had 21 carries for 61 yards — just 10 coming after halftime — and Drevion Cooper had 22 carries for 93 yards.

Brett Sykes fumbled the second play of the game and gave the ball to Navasota at the Rattler 31. Eppler found his favorite target Dickson down the right sideline to the Coldspring 5. It took two carries for Randle to score, but he powered into the end zone from 1 yard out for a quick 7-0 Rattler lead.

Brock Barbay, the head coach’s son, replaced Sykes at quarterback for Coldspring, but his second play was a backwards pass that hit the turf. Dickson scooped up the ball at the Coldspring 24 and sprinted into the end zone for a 14-0 lead.

Coldspring responded on its next possession by driving the ball to the Rattler 5, but Navasota’s defense held on downs.

The skies opened up and the ground-based Trojans again moved the ball down on their next possession. On the first play of the second quarter, Sykes called his own number and pushed across the goal line for a

TD run, cutting Navasota’s lead to 14-7.

Navasota had a Randle touchdown called back on a penalty and didn’t connect on deep passes to Sammy Blair and Jerbrell Lipscomb that would have been touchdowns.

Coldspring took advantage, springing wideout Javontre Williams on an end around for 37 yards down to the Navasota 16. Daylon Giddens then evened the score at 14 on a 2-yard TD run.

Navasota missed a 34-yard field goal right before halftime, leaving the scored tied 14-14 heading into the third quarter.

Story courtesy of B/CS Eagle