Craig County gets 26-7 win over Auburn at home
Craig County high school, New Castle, Va – The Craig County Rockets celebrated a home win for the first time in a good while. They also carded their new coach, Jimmy Fisher, his first victory as their head coach. Craig County bulled their way for 276 yards and four touchdowns on the ground over a depleted Auburn Eagle team. QB 7 Braydon Frango led the charge hitting the century mark with 101 yards on 14 carries. Up 12-0, Coach Fisher had to refocus his troops at halftime, “I told our guys we have another half to play. 
They were excited. This group of Seniors had never won a home game.” Auburn, down five starters for various reasons, had their night go from bad to worse early on when arguably their best player, RB/LB 11 John Keith, was knocked out with a concussion. Their most prolific offensive and defensvie producer was missed, needless to say, but Auburn fought to the end with the team they had. The Eagles stopped the Rockets near their endzone on downs right before half to keep the game close at the break.
First Half–
Craig County started the game off with a successful onside kick. That set the tone for the game right from the jump. From there the Rockets used their ‘three yards a cloud of dust’ mentality to put points on the board in the first quarter. It took a little short of three minutes for QB 7 Brayden Frango to start the scoring with a 19-yard TD run at the 9:01 mark.
Craig County QB 7 Brayden Frango runs for yardage
The two point attempt was no good. Craig led 6-0. The Rockets defense wasn’t too bad on the night either, holding the visiting Eagles to 107 total yards on the night. And if you’re one of those folks that like the kicking game, this wasn’t your contest. Aside from kickoffs, neither team punted and only Auburn kicked and made an extra point.
The Rockets added to their lead with 2:35 left in the first, on a one yard TD blast by Senior RB 22 Dylan Crawford. The two point try failed, so that made it 12-0.
QB 7 Brayden Frango follows the blocking of RB 22 Dylan Crawford
Craig County would make one more run at first half points before the break, and it was a good one. As time was winding down, Coach Fisher’s Rockets worked the ball deep into Eagle territory. A big 34-yard run on a fourth and six at midfield by RB 22 Crawford had put the home team in position to pad their lead. 
Craig would successfully execute three fourth down attempts in the series with RB 22 Crawford and QB 7 Frango turning the trick on the ground each time. But the young Auburn defense bent but didn’t break. Craig County slowly moved the ball down to the nine with seconds left, but when QB 7 Frango’s pass in the back corner of the end zone fell incomplete, Craig County would have to be content with their 12-0 lead.
Auburn DB 6 Talon Mower breaks up a TD pass attempt to Rocket TE 25 Nathan Fisher on the last play of the first half
Third Quarter –
Craig played keep away for much of the third quarter. They got the ball first and used up seven minutes of the stanza to add to their lead. Sticking to the ground game, the Rockets covered the 75 yards in fourteen plays with RB 6 Trevyn Francisco putting a lid on it. The Sophomore, behind good blocking, motored the last 28 yards to paydirt.
Sophomore RB 6 Trevyn Francisco evades a tackler in route to a 28-yard TD run
Again the two point try by RB 22 Crawford came up short, but Craig now led eighteen to zip. Auburn’s only series in the quarter started promising but ended quickly. Eagle RB 9 Isaiah Keith picked up six yards on first down.
Eagle RB 9 Isaiah Keith picks up six
But then the wheels came off of the Auburn offense. LB 22 Crawford tackled RB 9 Keith for a two yard loss on second down. Freshman QB 1 Landon Marr’s third down pass fell incomplete. Then on fourth down, Marrs was sacked by Senior DL 72 John Hutchinson for a five yard loss, giving the ball back to the Rockets.
Rocket DL 72 John Hutchinson pulls down Auburn QB 1 Landon Marrs
Craig County used the rest of the quarter to put points on the board. Needing only thirty yards to reach paydirt, the Rockets utilized four different backs to make it work. RB 6 Francisco picked up four to the twenty-six. Auburn stuffed RB 22 Crawford for no gain on second, but then came the most interesting play of the night. QB 7 Frango took off around left end, dodged and weaved his way down to the thirteen where he looked to be stopped. But the Senior quarterback then handed the ball to offensive lineman 74, Logan Reynolds, in the scrum and the Senior carried the ball for five more yards. It’s amazing that Reynolds didn’t score, but Auburn alertly picked up on the exchange and brought the lineman down at the eight.
Craig County RB 13 Zach ‘Little Pudgy’ Peters runs hard
From there RB 13 ‘Little Pudgy’ Zach Peters bulled his way for two yards down to the three, and RB 22 Crawford finished it off. This time, on the two point try, QB 7 Frango kept it himself and stretched the ball across the goal line to make it 26-0 with :28 left.
Auburn first year coach, David Seabaugh
First year Auburn Coach David Seabaugh looked at both sides of the coin, “We had some positive plays on the field tonight. Most of the guys were Sophomores and Freshman… should be on a JV team probably, but they’re still making plays. Leaves you excited for the future, but you’re in this season right now, and we have to figure out a way to be better.“
Fourth Quarter –
Both teams had the ball twice in the final quarter. Auburn finally dented the scoreboard on a nine yard TD run by the Freshman QB 1 Marrs with 2:26 left in the game.
Auburn Freshman QB 1 Landon Marrs
Marrs was a one man crew on the drive, handling the ball for six of the seven offensive plays.
Craig County Coach Jimmy Fisher logs his first win
The young signalcaller caught Coach Fisher’s eye, “Their Freshman quarterback, number one, is really good.”
Marrs ran for 22 yards on a fourth and one at the Rocket forty-nine. On the next play, RB 9 Isaiah Keith was the recipient of a Marrs pass, a 17-yard catch and run down to the eight. Two plays later, it was Marrs again, this time finding the endzone. K/OL/DL 50 Jackson Brockman kicked the point after and Craig’s lead stood at 26-7. That’s how the game would finish up. Coach Fisher had some concerns coming into this game, “They (Auburn) fought, and I was worried about their passing. We have to get better.” Everyone’s goal is to get better, but the Rockets can at least enjoy this one for a couple more weeks.
Craig County (1-1) will have an open week coming up preparing to take on Montcalm, WV at home on September 17th. Auburn (0-2) will need to regroup for a home contest with Floyd County (1-1) this Friday.
– Cap’n Crunch
Scoring:
1st Quarter–
9:02 CC: Frango 19-yard TD run, two point try no good
2:35 CC: Crawford 1-yard TD run, two point try no good
3rd Quarter–
4:56 CC: Francisco 28-yard TD run, two point try no good
0:28 CC: Crawford 3-yard TD run, Frango 2-pt run
4th Quarter–
2:26 A: Marrs 9-yard TD run, Brockman PAT