GAME 1:
NAVARRO at CISCO
7 pm Saturday, September 4
Chesley Field, Cisco, Tx
(Non-Conference)
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MEETING: 70th
SERIES BEGAN: 1947
SERIES LEAD: Navarro, 49-19-1
STREAKS AND TRENDS: Cisco snapped Navarro's series-long, 12-game winning streak last year; Navarro won 12 straight between 2008 and 2020. The Wranglers have won only six games over Navarro in the 26 years of the SWJCFC -- five at Chesley Field. The last time Cisco beat Navarro in consecutive seasons occurred in homecoming games of 1996 and 1997.
THE VENUE: Cisco ISD's 3,000-seat Chesley Field opened in 1942. An artificial surface was installed about 12 years ago.
COACHES: Scott Parr, the 15th head coach in Navarro football history, begins his third year. His coaching record is 9-9, with the 2019 SWJCFC Championship. Cisco's Ryan Taylor, promoted to head coach after four seasons as offensive coordinator, begins his second season (7-0).
LAST MEETING: Cisco 41, Navarro 24 on May 1, 2021.
THE 'SPRING' GAME: Back-up quarterbacks Grant Tisdale and Gage White threw touchdown passes and led a errorless Wrangler offense. Without injured starting quarterback Cooper Bell. CJC rallied from a 24-21 deficit with 20 unanswered points during the final 17 minutes of play. Ashtyn Hawkins and Justyn Hammonds caught scoring passes, while running back Preston Dixon gained 191 yards on 23 carries and scored twice. Cisco's defense picked off three Dodge Delosier passes -- highlighted by defensive lineman Charles Gonzalez' 75-yard scoring return. In his first full game back from injury, Delosier completed 28-of-44 passes for 343 yards with three touchdowns.
FOR OPENERS: Navarro and Cisco are meeting in a season-opening game for the first time. Navarro seeks its second consecutive season-opening victory, following up a 53-50 win over Tyler in spring. Cisco chases its fifth consecutive opening win, following up a 31-20 triumph over NMMI.
SEEING DOUBLE: Navarro and Cisco will bookend their 2021 season by closing it as well. The programs will be playing twice in the same season for only the third time in history. In 2000, Chuck Lawrence's Bulldogs won non-conference (40-5) and SWJCFC (30-6) games over the Wranglers. Before that, coach Bob McElroy's 1993 'Dawgs won 22-8 and 56-2.
ABOUT NC: Third-year coach Scott Parr's Bulldogs return eight offensive and nine defensive starters, plus three special-teams holdovers, including NJCAA First-Team All-American kicker Alexis Lopez. The eight offensive players played major roles as the Bulldogs averaged 38.9 points and 462 yards in spring. NC's offense had NJCAA rankings of 1st in passing yards (2163), 2nd in first downs per game (24.4), 5th in yards per game (462), 7th in per-game scoring (38.9), 8th in total offense (3234), 10th in points scored (272), and 11th in touchdowns (35). Beyond the large numbers, Navarro brings back 10 of its 12 All-SWJCFC players. Mix the right ingredients from February's signing class to deepen and strengthen the team, and reasons for optimism abound.
KEY PLAYERS: Navarro – QB Qua Gray (72-120-800-5-6 in 5 games). RB Isaiah Robinson (216-1282-11 rushing and 38-295-2 receiving in 15 career games). All-SWJCFC WR Quentin Lee (90-1181 in two seasons) pulls career ranks of fourth in receptions and seventh in yardage. WR Jeremiah Aaron (28-419-5) is a dual threat with 411 return yards (345 KOR). All-American PK Alexis Lopez counts on more than 51 points (from 7-of-7 FG attempts and 30-of-31 conversions).
Cisco - Many components who were part of unbeaten Cisco's first-ever SWJCFC Championship relish the idea of a repeat. CJC's top three all-purpose yardage makers return, topped by first-team All-SWJCFC RB Preston Dixon (115.2), Cartraven Walker and Christian Mosely. Dixon rushed for a team-high 102-650-8 in spring, complemented by Walker (69-302-2) and Mosley (7-121, plus 189 return yards). WRs Ashtyn Hawkins (25-482-7), Justyn Hammonds (21-512-3) and Brandon McDuffie (14-170-2) form a solid receiving corps. PK Caleb Kue totaled 50 points from 7-of-8 field goals and 29-of-31 conversions for a unit that averaged 35.1 points and 366.7 yards. First-team All-SWJCFC DB Trejon Hugue and top-tackling LB David Powers (46 tackles, 3 sacks, 2 forced fumbles) heads a defensive unit that allowed 15.7 points and 328 yards per game.
WHAT'S AHEAD:
DEPARTURE: Navarro leaves via bus about 12:30 pm Saturday. The team's pre-game meal will be at an Arlington-area restaurant before the tour heads west on Interstate 20.
WEATHER FORECAST: Under clear skies, temperature at kickoff Saturday should be in the middle 90s. South winds of 7-10 mph during the day should scale back to 5-7 mph Saturday evening. Humidity will be 32 percent.
AUDIO STREAMING BROADCASTS: Steve Petty handles play-by-play and Ronnie Greer offers color commentary on KAND-1340 AM Corsicana. kandradio.com KATX 97.7 FM Eastland airs Cisco football broadcasts. katxradio.com Should CJC provide a free, livestreaming link for Saturday's game, it will be posted on social media platforms at the Navarro College Athletics Facebook Page and @NavarroSports on Twitter.
OTHER OPENERS: (All Non-Conference Games) ASA-Miami at Trinity Valley, 1 pm; Papago Pumas at NMMI, 6 pm; Navarro at Cisco, 7 pm; Kilgore at Tyler, 7 pm. The Southern Shreveport-at-Blinn game was postponed Thursday. Northeastern Oklahoma A&M is not playing this week. Check for NJCAA football scores by scrolling to an updating thread on Navarro College Athletics Facebook.
NEXT WEEK'S GAMES: In their first SWJCFC game, Navarro plays the TJC Apaches at 7 pm Saturday, Sept. 11, on Earl Campbell Field at CHRISTUS Trinity Mother Frances Rose Stadium in Tyler. Cisco will host another non-conference opponent, Rezolution Prep Academy.
---Mike Montfort
