Carrollton Pulls Away From Douglas County in Second Half, 62–24

Carrollton defeated Douglas County 62–24 on Friday night, scoring the final 31 points of the game after the Tigers closed within seven at halftime.

Nick Archer rushed for four touchdowns, and CJ Cypher threw four touchdown passes and ran for another as the Trojans scored 31 points in the first half, 17 in the third quarter and 14 in the fourth. Douglas County led twice in the first half behind two touchdown passes from Trey Byrd, and Jeremiah Mathis added an 81-yard kickoff return, but the Tigers did not score after halftime.

Carrollton scored first. After a return by Rontre Welch to open the game, Archer ran 45 yards to set up an eight-yard touchdown pass from Cypher to CJ Spencer with 10:30 left in the first quarter. The extra point gave the Trojans a 7–0 lead.

Douglas County answered with a long drive that Byrd finished with a four-yard touchdown pass with 3:59 left in the quarter, and the extra point tied the game at 7–7. The Tigers took their first lead, 10–7, on a 29-yard field goal by Emmanuel Boras-Perez with 30 seconds remaining in the period.

Archer put Carrollton back in front early in the second quarter. He ran 30 yards to the Douglas County 2-yard line and scored on the next play. The extra point was blocked, leaving the Trojans ahead 13–10.

Douglas County responded on third-and-six, when Byrd completed a 61-yard touchdown pass with 10:00 left in the half. Boras-Perez added the extra point, and the Tigers led 17–13.

Carrollton then scored three consecutive touchdowns. Cypher connected with Keaires Miller for a 60-yard touchdown with 5:27 remaining, Archer scored on a six-yard run at the 2:22 mark, and Cypher found Miller again from 15 yards with 50 seconds left. The Trojans did not convert after any of the three, and the lead stood at 31–17.

Mathis returned the ensuing kickoff 81 yards for a touchdown, and the extra point by Boras-Perez made it 31–24 with 36 seconds left. That was the score at halftime.

Carrollton controlled the second half. After forcing a punt, the Trojans moved downfield on a 24-yard run by Archer and a face-mask penalty against Douglas County. Archer scored from nine yards out with 10:04 left in the third quarter, and the extra point made it 38–24.

Carrollton’s special teams then blocked a Douglas County punt. Archer followed with runs of 16 and 23 yards to move the Trojans inside the 8-yard line, and Cypher kept the ball for a four-yard touchdown with 4:28 remaining in the quarter. The extra point made it 45–24, and a 31-yard field goal with 27 seconds left in the third extended the lead to 48–24.

Two takeaways early in the fourth quarter led to the final two scores. Julian Satterwhite intercepted a Cameron Anderson pass at the Douglas County 26-yard line and returned it 11 yards to the 15. On the next play, Cypher threw a 15-yard touchdown pass to Spencer with 11:42 to play, and the extra point made it 55–24. Douglas County fumbled on its next possession, and Tyler Boyd recovered for Carrollton at the Douglas County 23-yard line. Archer scored on an 11-yard run with 9:11 remaining, and the extra point produced the final margin.

Carrollton stayed on the ground the rest of the way to run out the clock.

Archer was named the KBSN Sports Player of the Game. His four rushing touchdowns covered two, six, nine and 11 yards, and his runs of 45, 30, 24, 23 and 16 yards set up scores. Cypher’s four touchdown passes went to Miller, who caught scores of 60 and 15 yards, and Spencer, who caught scores of eight and 15 yards.

For Douglas County, Byrd threw touchdown passes of four and 61 yards, Mathis scored on the 81-yard kickoff return, and Boras-Perez kicked a 29-yard field goal.