Fourth quarter comeback lifts Commerce, 17-7

By Warren Morrison

Herald Banner Staff

MESQUITE - "Tigers Never Quit."

That motto for the Commerce athletics program was never more evident Friday night as the Tigers rallied to score all their points in the fourth quarter to claim a 17-7 win over the Wills Point Tigers in the Class 3A Division II bi-district playoff game at Hanby Stadium.

With the win Commerce, the District 11-3A champion, sees its record improve to 11-0 and keeps its winning streak intact at 27. Wills Point, the District 12-3A runner-up, ends its season at 6-5.

Commerce plays the winner of Gainesville-Dallas Pinkston, also played Friday night, at the site and time to be determined.

"It's amazing all year when our team has had to make plays, we get somebody who makes a big play," said Commerce head coach Steve Bragg. "It's a testament to Commerce football. The kids hang in there and they keep believing we find a way to get the win."

Trailing 7-0 heading into the fourth quarter, Commerce cut the deficit to four on a 31-yard field goal by freshman kicker Bart Bryant at the 8:46 mark in the period.

Commerce immediately got the ball back on the next series when linebacker Moises Santibanez recovered a fumble from Wills Point halfback Donovan Pipkins at the Blue Tigers 13. However, Commerce could not convert for the score as the Wills Point defense denied a first down on a keeper by Tigers quarterback Brodrick Kelley.

The 178-pound Kelley kept the ball on a fourth-and-inches, but Wills Point forced the Commerce senior to run laterally and pushed him out-of-bounds just shy of the first down-marker at Blue Tigers 3.

The Commerce defense, which limited Wills Point to just 17 rushing yards in the first half, forced the Blue Tigers to go three-and-out and the Tigers capitalized on the opportunity.

A short punt gave Commerce the ball at the Wills Point 40 and the Tigers needed only three plays to cover the distance. Thirty-six of those yards were covered in a pass from Kelley to tight end Zach Phifer. That set up halfback Tommy Wright's four-yard touchdown run through the middle of the Wills Point defense.

Bryant's extra point extended the Commerce lead to 10-7 with 3:36 showing on the fourth quarter clock.

Wills Point did not possess the ball again for very long. On the first play from their own 27, Senior quarterback Dustin Tabor dropped back in his pocket and threw for the sideline intended for receiver Derek Stevens near the 35-yard line.

Instead, defensive back Larry Hatley stepped in front to make the interception and run 33 yards untouched for the touchdown. Bryant's extra point extended the Commerce lead to 10 with 3:19 left to play.

Hatley said Tabor gave a clue what he was going to do when he came to the line.

"He was looking at the receiver to see how far off I was," Hatley said. "I saw him glance over so I scooted up a little bit. When he threw the ball, I just knew I had it."

Hatley added that in watching game films earlier the week, Tabor would always glance over to the receiver when he was throwing to the sideline.

Despite two quarterback sacks, Wills Point managed to move the ball into the Commerce end of the field for the first time in the quarter on a carry by sophomore quarterback Jake McDougle, substituting for an injured Tabor.

McDougle's 15-yard run ended at the Commerce 47, where he fumbled the ball. The initial call was that the ball came loose as McDougle hit the artificial turf, but the sideline judge overruled the call and gave the ball back to Commerce at the 1:53 mark, who ran out the clock to preserve the victory.

Wills Point broke a scoreless deadlock with 1: 48 left to play in the third quarter on a four-yard run by senior running back Wilson Warren. The seven-play drive covered 22 yards and was set up by linebacker Jason Wright's recovery of a Commerce fumble at the Tigers 22.

Commerce, which had gained only 33 yards of offense in the first half, and finished with 168, was led by Kelley. The senior had 21 carries for 61 yards and completed two of six for 35 yards with one interception.

Wills Point finished with 137 yards of total offense, led by Pipkins with nine carries for 28 yards. Tabor completed five of nine for 60 yards with two interceptions.