By Warren Morrison
Herald Banner Sports Editor
COMMERCE - Quarterback Chad Anderson had the flu earlier in the week, but he made the Pottsboro Cardinals ill Friday night leading the Commerce Tigers to a 34-13 win in the District 10-3A opener at Memorial Stadium.
Anderson, a 145-pound junior ran for three touchdowns and threw for another to keep Commerce, the sixth-ranked Class 3A team in the state, undefeated at 4-0, while Pottsboro falls to 1-3 for the season.
Anderson led the Commerce offense with 14 carries for 133 yards, while completing five of seven attempts for 91 yards with one interception.
"Chad came back and certainly performed well," Commerce head coach Steve Lineweaver said. "He threw the ball well and ran the option well."
A surprisingly tough Pottsboro defense kept the Commerce offense in check for most of the first quarter until the Tigers final possession of the period. That is when Commerce capitalized on runs of 10 and 15 yards by junior fullback Ryan Sienty to help put the ball at the Pottsboro 2.
Two plays later, senior fullback Landon Owens broke through the middle from one yard out with 47 seconds left to play in the quarter.
Anderson scored his first rushing touchdown on Commerce's next series to cap a six-play, 89-yard drive. The drive was started with a 31-yard pass to wide receiver Odreakus Lewis and ended with Anderson's 23-yard run around the left side of the Pottsboro defense at the 6:58 mark.
A run by tailback P.J. Winston for the two-point conversion gave the Tigers a 14-0 that stood until halftime.
Commerce turned the ball over to Pottsboro on its first possession of the third quarter and the Cardinals responded with a six-play, 59-yard drive. Fullback Josh Shields gained 41 of his game-high 94 yards during the drive with 30 coming on a touchdown run in which he ran untouched through the Commerce defense.
Hinnerk Doll added the extra point to cut the Commerce lead in half, 14-7, with less nine minutes to play in the quarter.
Lineweaver said he was impressed with the Pottsboro effort.
"I thought they played very well. They had a good game plan. I knew they would run right at us," Lineweaver said. "We didn't help ourselves when we made a few mistakes with turnovers."
Commerce committed its second turnover of the quarter on its next possession when an Anderson pass for Avin Johnson was intercepted by Pottsboro's Dale Hunter near midfield who returned the ball to the Tigers 15.
But Commerce's defense made a stand and allowed Pottsboro only one yard before the Cardinals attempted a 47-yard field goal that was short of the goal.
That apparently woke Commerce up as the Tigers would score on their next three possessions with Anderson involved in all three scores.
First was a 20-yard pass to a wide-open Lewis to close out the third quarter followed by runs of 17 and 7 yards in the fourth quarter to bring the Commerce lead to 34-7 with 8:47 remaining in the game.
Lewis was the Tigers' leading receiver with three catches for 61 yards.
Lineweaver said the Commerce frustrations could be attributed to the success the Tigers had in their previous games.
"We expected to have more success and when we didn't, frustration set in as did a little panic," he added. "We're not the Green Bay Packers and even the Packers get a little flat sometime."
Pottsboro closed out the scoring and the game with a seven-yard run by quarterback Matt Short, who finished with 23 carries for 75 yards.