THURSDAY PREPS: Carver holds off late rally to earn first-ever win over Park Crossing

Action from Carver’s 20-14 win over Park Crossing on Thursday at Cramton Bowl. (Tim Gayle)

By GRAHAM DUNN

G.W. Carver was held to minus yardage rushing but quarterback Marquarius Moore made up for it with his arm while the Carver special teams proved to be the difference in a hard-fought 20-14 win over Park Crossing in Class 6A, Region 2 play at Cramton Bowl on Thursday.

It was Carver’s first win in the series after losing the first six meetings.

Moore passed for 278 yards and two touchdowns on 19 of 30 attempts but it was the kickoff return by Juwon Gaston for 79 yards with 4:41 left in the first half that gave Carver the lead as well as the final points for either team.

The touchdown came after the Thunderbirds had taken a one-point lead on a Jayvius Langford touchdown pass to AJ McPherson for 56 yards with five minutes left in the half. The difference at the time was the extra point from kicker Brayden Howard that gave PCHS the 14-13 advantage.

Carver opened the scoring in the first minute of the game on a 39-yard pass from Moore to Ke’Darius Cobb.

PCHS answered with 3:36 left in the first quarter on Adaryll Lewis’s 1-yard plunge.

Moore added his second touchdown pass with 8:17 left in the half, 10 yards to Ali McMllian.

The second half was mostly defense and turnovers, not to mention untimely penalties on both sides. Each team had a touchdown taken off the board including what would have been the go-ahead score by the Thunderbirds with just over nine minutes left in the game. Carver had a pick-6 erased due to a roughing call.

The two teams each had 105 yards in penalties. Park Crossing also had a key turnover late in the game on a fumble that ended another scoring threat.

Carver was held to minus-11 yards rushing but Park Crossing wasn’t much better with 27 yards on the ground.

Gaston also had an interception for the Wolverines. DeMarcus Harris added a pick for the Thunderbirds.

The game was halted between the third and fourth quarters to honor Keondre Hope, a junior at Park Crossing who died on Sept. 2 from injuries sustained in an ATV accident.

Carver (2-1, 2-0) travels to Opelika next Friday while Park Crossing (2-2, 1-1) plays Eufaula at home next Friday.