By Warren Morrison
Herald Banner Staff
DUNCANVILLE - A commanding opening drive and a stifling defense guided the Commerce Tigers to a 28-6 win Friday over the Alvarado Indians in the Class 3A Region II area playoff game.
The win puts Commerce in the regional championship for the seventh time in eight years. The 11-1 Tigers will face the winner of today's game between Daingerfield and White Oak next week in Garland.
Commerce wasted little opportunity in the opening moments of the game at Panther stadium which was jammed with Commerce fans on the home side. After forcing Alvarado, 8-4, to go 3-out, the Tigers mounted an 18-play, 57-yard drive that consumed almost eight minutes of the first quarter clock.
Junior fullback Ryan Sienty completed the drive with a one-yard run behind a wall of Commerce offensive linemen. The Tigers added a little trickery as they lined up for the extra point.
Holder Justin Garrett - who is the backup quarterback Ñ took the snap and made a quick shuttle pass to his right to an open Avin Johnson for the conversion.
The 8-0 lead with 2:13 left in the quarter forced Alvarado to play catchup the rest of the game.
"Alvarado definitely came ready to play," said Commerce head coach Steve Lineweaver, who was celebrating his birthday Friday. "...(The drive) helped us."
The lead stood until early in the second quarter. A short punt by Commerce coupled with a 36-yard return by Alvarado gave the Indians excellent position at the Commerce 24.
Five plays later junior tailback Melvin Norwood scored on a 10-yard run around the right end, eclipsing the near corner of the end zone with 8:53 remaining in the half.
Alvarado went for the two-point conversion to tie the game but Norwood was tackled behind the line of scrimmage.
The two-point advantage was extended when Commerce got excellent field position following DeShown Wilkerson's block of Seth Blair's punt attempt from the Alvarado 18.
Sienty's second touchdown of the night on a 6-yard run plus Jordan Hougham's extra point at the 5:28 mark gave Commerce a 15-6 lead that would last until halftime.
Alvarado put a scare into Commerce after recovering a Commerce fumble at the Tiger's 39.
The Indians moved as close as the Commerce 5 but the drive was stopped when a Cashan Clark pass intended for Corey Seeton was intercepted by Commerce defensive back Brock Turner with 17 seconds left to play in the half.
Turner said he knew the play was coming to him as Alvarado wanted to take advantage of his 5-foot, 6-inch frame.
"They were going to try and test me. I had to get up and make the play," he added.
"Brock has a lot of confidence in himself," Lineweaver said."Sometimes he doesn't look good in practice. On Friday, he's a different player."
Commerce opened the third quarter with another scoring drive Ñ this time 56 yards in eight plays with almost half of the yardage coming on tailback P.J. Winston's 23-yard run off the bootleg reverse.
Hougham shanked his extra point attempt to the left, giving Commerce a 21-6 lead almost four minutes into the period.
The two teams traded possessions for the remainder of the period and well into the fourth quarter.
Alvarado, sensing the game slipping away, almost came back to life. On a first and ten at the Indians' 31, Clark, now paying as a receiver, found himself open behind the Commerce secondary inside the Tiger 30. A running leap by Tiger safety Odreakus Lewis batted away the Steve Ramsey pass attempt.
"I had to help my partners. I had to make the big play," Lewis said, adding he felt the momentum was under Commerce's control.
Lewis's effort proved to be a key defensive moment. On the next play Seeton was hit hard after a short pass form Ramsey. The ball fell out and was recovered by Turner at the Indians' 31. Eight plays later, it would be Turner who would score from two yards out with 5:41 left in the game.
"That was the icing on the cake for this game," Turner said.
Commerce's defense limited Alvarado to just 135 yards on offense, all but 32 on the ground. Norwood led the Indian rushers with nine carries for 42 yards and the touchdown.
Commerce gained 278 yards on offense, all but 13 on the ground. Sienty led the six Tiger ball carriers with 80 yards on 19 carries and the two touchdowns.