Crawford’s 7 touchdowns lead Pine-Richland to rout over Central Catholic

By: HSSN Staff
Friday, September 29, 2017 | 9:48 PM

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Jordan Crawford didn't pout this summer, a decision that ultimately had him smiling Friday.

The senior running back scored seven first-half touchdowns for No. 1-ranked Pine-Richland in a 47-17 victory over No. 2 Central Catholic, a Northern Seven rivalry that turned into a rout. Crawford, a three-year starter, had a 24-yard touchdown catch and touchdown runs of 31, 3, 14, 14, 14 and 4 yards.

“That was absolutely unbelievable,” said Crawford, who finished with 168 yards on 19 carries.

Crawford's attitude was tested this summer when star rusher Kenny White moved into the district. White, a 1,300-yard rusher at West Allegheny, would surely cut into Crawford's carries. But Crawford stayed positive, said his coach, and accepted his new role as a part-time rusher and part-time slot receiver.

“I kind of took it as motivation to get better,” Crawford said. “Kenny White is a great athlete, so in order to compete with him I really had to step up how I worked out in the weight room and on the field.”

When White injured his knee in Week Zero, Crawford was ready. He already had six touchdowns before Friday.

“When Kenny came in with all his numbers and his history, Jordan could have pouted,” coach Eric Kasperowicz said. “That was my biggest worry. But again it shows the type of kid he is.”

Crawford's seven touchdowns Friday let the Rams lead 47-3 at halftime. He watched the second half from the sideline as the clock ran continuously.

The win was Pine-Richland's first over Central Catholic (4-2, 3-1) since 2014, ending a streak of three consecutive losses. It also has the Rams (6-0, 3-0) alone atop the conference standings.

“This is a game you circle and really try to prepare for,” said Rams quarterback Phil Jurkovec, who'd never beaten Central. “It's bigger than just a regular game for us.”

Defenses tend to focus on the Notre Dame-bound quarterback, so Pine-Richland took what was available.

Crawford (5-8, 175) needed only 26 seconds to find the end zone, a 31-yard touchdown run that finished a two-play, 70-yard opening drive. He scored three times in the first quarter and four more in the second.

“You can't be one-dimensional on offense, you've got to be able to run the ball,” said Jurkovec, who completed 10 of 13 throws for 141 yards. “If they try to take away our passing, we're going to run the ball down your throats, and Jordan Crawford couldn't be stopped today. It was his game.”

White played Friday for the first time since Week Zero but was limited to defense.

“When Kenny gets back and he's 100-percent healthy, maybe he's going to start running the ball more and maybe Jordan will do other things,” Kasperowicz said. “Or maybe we keep Jordan where he's at and put Kenny (elsewhere). We don't know. We'll see how it plays out.”

Crawford's second and third touchdowns came just 37 seconds apart Friday. After he and Jurkovec connected on a 24-yard touchdown pass, Central Catholic fumbled a handoff at its own 22-yard line.

Two plays later, Crawford scored on a 3-yard run to lead 20-3.

“You can't give that football team possession on your 20-yard line,” Central Catholic offensive coordinator Steve Bezila said. “You're down 17 points right there and it stung a little. I think the realization was, all right, maybe tonight isn't our night.”

Crawford said he wasn't keeping count of his touchdowns but his teammates surely were.

“People were telling me on the sideline,” he said, laughing, “but honestly I was just more worried about beating (Central Catholic), not about how many touchdowns I got. … But I think a lot of people were amazed. It was pretty crazy.”

Chris Harlan is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach him at charlan@tribweb.com or via Twitter @CHarlan_Trib.

Tags: Central Catholic, Pine-Richland