Commerce walked away from Tiger Stadium without a doubt last week after its 41-0 shutout over Athens Christian. Players and coaches agreed: Commerce was due for a big win.
“It feels great,” Chance McClure said, smiling as he moved to the locker room after the game. “We’re not a 2-3 team. We should be doing better than that.”
Added Trey Grier: “We were ready for a win. We practiced perfect. And we played perfect.”
Both players nodded to their offensive linemen for enabling Commerce’s grueling run attack, a key to the team’s victory in its Region 8-A opener.
The Tigers gained 418 of their total 478 yards on the ground, with Grier carrying the ball 12 times for 61 yards and two touchdowns and McClure adding 72 yards on nine carries.
Quay Little, who returned from an injury that sidelined him for a game, led all rushers with 115 yards and one touchdown. Quarterback Cody Streetman gained 97 yards on 12 carries and two touchdowns – the first two of the game.
“It was a much needed win,” Streetman said. “Tonight we just executed. Everyone was on the same page.”
Coaches crafted a basic strategy, explained coach Marvin Justice, who likened the team’s approach to “Football 101.” Commerce first narrowed its ground game between the defensive tackles, then the team took advantage of open space.
“We wanted to make them condense their defense. Then we ran on the outside,” Justice said.
It took about a quarter before the game plan started to click. Streetman scored on runs of 4 yards and 5 yards within five minutes at the end of the first and beginning of the second quarters.
Morgan Flint’s fumble recovery at the Athens Christian 38-yard line helped the Tigers solidify their lead after that.
Grier and Garrett Wilson, who led the team in receiving with four catches for 51 yards including a 24-yard touchdown pass from Streetman, closed out the second quarter with two more scores, making it 28-0 at the half.
“I saw it pop out and just happened to be there,” Flint said. “(This win) was long needed. I’m very excited about it.”
Flint was also one of the leading tacklers on defense with six. Other players with more than five take owns included Tony Patman (8), McClure (8) and Dillion Hagard (9).
Linemen, in particular, were praised for their efforts on Friday.
“The line played their butts off. For us to put up 40 points, that was a big deal,” McClure said. “They definitely helped us do that more than we ran. Every yard of the game goes to the line tonight.”
The Tigers (2-3, 1-0 in Region 8-A) this week play Riverside Military Academy (1-5, 1-1) traveling to Gainesville for only the second time in the team’s history, the first time coming in 1944.
The Eagles won their first region game last week, using a passing attack and strong special teams play to beat the winless Social Circle squad, 21-0. Riverside earlier lost to George Walton Academy 42-6.
