By Warren Morrison
Herald Banner Staff
McKINNEY - With its offensive line leading the way, the Commerce Tigers drove 65 yards in 15 plays to score the go-ahead touchdown in the fourth quarter for a 19-13 win over the Sanger Indians in a Class 3A bi-district playoff game at Lions Stadium.
With the win, Commerce - the District 10-3A co-champion at 10-1 - advances to its eighth consecutive area playoff game next week in Duncanville against the Alvarado Indians, a 38-14 winner Friday night over the Canton Eagles.
Sanger, the District 9-3A champion, ends its season at 9-1.
The winning drive for Commerce after its defense halted a Sanger drive at the Tigers 35. Four plays later, Commerce was in Sanger territory and inside the 40-yard line after junior quarterback Chad Anderson faked a pass attempt and ran for eight yards and Tigers first down.
Commerce moved to the Sanger 30 on what would be the first of seven straight carries by fullback Ryan Sienty. The 205-pound junior collected 34 of his team-high 66 yards during the drive, with his biggest gain being a 13-yard carry to the one-yard line.
Sienty would then provide the leading block for Anderson's run through the middle of a tired Sanger defense. Kicker Jordan Hougham shanked his attempt to give Commerce the advantage with 2:54 remaining in the game.
"I owe it all to my line. They're doing a great job," Sienty said. "When its fourth and short or third and short, they need me up the middle to get the short yards and I get it done."
Even Commerce head coach Steve Lineweaver was impressed by the line's effort.
"Outstanding. It was outstanding," he said. "They were out there going both ways (as they were also) chasing the quarterback. For them to have that much left and push it in is amazing."
There was still time left for Sanger to mount one final drive after returning the ensuing kick to its own 33. But on the next play, Sanger fumbled the ball back to Commerce at the 28-yard line. The Tigers needed only one first down to run out the clock and it was provided by Sienty with a three-yard carry on a third-and-three.
Commerce started the game on the muddy turf at Lions Stadium with a strong drive, only to see it come to an abrupt halt near the Sanger 20 when Anderson's tipped pass was intercepted by safety Nick Martinez and returned to the Indians 42.
The turnover ignited a 12-play, 58-yard scoring drive. Sanger's drive appeared to have stalled at its own 33, when quarterback Nathan Sprabury's pass found receiver Marcus Schulz between two Commerce defenders inside the 20 and the Indian senior raced for the end zone with 2:51 left to play in the opening quarter.
The 6-0 lead after the two-point conversion try was negated did last for long. On its third possession of the night, Commerce started with two big running plays - a 36-yard broken field run by senior halfback P.J. Winston followed by a 26-yard gainer from junior halfback Clifford Ethridge - that gave the Tigers a first-and-goal at the Sanger 7.
Three plays later, Anderson connected with senior receiver Odreakus Lewis for a 7-yard touchdown pass. Hougham's kick for the extra point at the 10:21 mark gave Commerce its first lead of the night.
An interception by defensive back Brodrick Kelley off a halfback option play set up the drive that would expand the Commerce lead shortly before halftime.
Anderson, whose 16-yard keeper around the end sustained the drive, pushed the ball over the goalline from one-yard out with 23 seconds remaining in the half. Commerce could only maintain the 13-6 lead as Hougham's kick was blocked.
Anderson finished as the team's leading rusher with 85 yards on 16 carries. He also completed two of seven attempts for 19 yards with two interceptions.
Sanger wasted little time in the second half to tie the game as the Indians took the opening kickoff and consumed more than six minutes off the clock with its 13-play, 60-yard drive. The Indians kept their drive alive with a 10-yard pass from Sprabury and a 18-yard halfback option pass down to the Commerce 2.
Sprabury ended the drive with a two-yard carry on the next play and Swindle's tied the game at the 5:54 mark.
From that point, the Commerce defense took control of Sanger's offense as the Indians could manage only 39 more yards in the half. Senior tailback Adam Tucker, who had rushed for more than 1,000 yards in the regular season, had just 76 yards on 19 carries. Sprabury completed six of 13 attempts with one interception for 46 yards.
"Sanger is one of the top teams in the state," Lineweaver added. "I thought they were capable of beating anyone in the state."