Rangers nab first conference victory against Cardinals in Athens
KC was in desperate need of a win Saturday in order to stay in the Southwestern Junior College Football Conference playoff chase.
The Rangers got the big performance they needed from a number of different players as KC rolled over the Trinity Valley Community College Cardinals, 39-24, in Athens.
“I think we’ve been sitting there waiting on it,” said J.J. Eckert, KC head coah. “We just haven’t been able to put together that complete game yet. It’s long overdue.”
Making his second straight start, Hans Cook led KC’s highest-scoring offensive output of the season. Cook finished with 119 yards on 22 carries while throwing for 205 yards on 16 of 25 passing.
KC had six different players score points as the team racked up 28 first downs and 504 total yards.
TVCC came into the game with the league’s second-ranked offense, but KC’s defense set the tone early with four first-half interceptions. KC knocked away four other TVCC passes and totaled seven tackles for loss in the game.
Aided by four turnovers, KC took a 20-6 lead to the locker room. Cook connected with T.C. Henry and Terrance Cannon on first-half touchdown passes, in addition to a pair of field goals by David Bailey.
Cannon finished the game with four receptions for 18 yards and 62 yards on 13 rushing attempts.
KC quickly extended its lead in the second half when Darius Perkins hauled in a 59-yard pass from receiver Trae Hawkins.
Perkins, one of eight Rangers to catch at least one pass, led the receiving corps with three catches for 105 yards.
Cardinal running back Chad Winbush, who had 97 yards on 10 carries, scored his second touchdown of the game in the third quarter, and TVCC added a field goal to pull to within 27-17 with 4:56 left in the fourth quarter. However, Chase Fisher scored on a one-yard quarterback sneak and Si’Darius Blackshire tacked on a seven-yard touchdown run to cap off the Rangers’ scoring with 8:09 left in the contest.
Chase Ford entered the contest as the conference-leader in catches and receiving yardage and grabbed four passes for 55 yards.
Matt Jones led the KC defense with nine tackles, one in the backfield, while Josh Wilson added eight stops.
Junior Osunde, Jones, Qualon Childress and Joseph Schumpert each picked off one TVCC pass.
// J.C. Derrick, Executive Editor
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