North Crowley’s Explosive Offense Secures School's First Texas 6A State Championship

QB Chris Jimerson throws for four scores, including three to Colorado commit Quenton Gibson in romp over Westlake

North Crowley senior quarterback Chris Jimerson. / Photo by Oladipo Awowale (2024)

In a game that was over from virtually the first snap of the night, North Crowley showed everyone they are the best team in Texas this season beating Austin Westlake 50-21 while also showing the country they can make a legitimate claim to being the best team in the nation.

On a play which was put into the playbook at Monday’s practice, senior quarterback and North Texas pledge Chris Jimerson hit senior wide receiver Quentin Gibson on a flea-flicker which resulted in a 75-yard touchdown and quick 7-0 lead. The Colorado commit was just getting started, as Gibson took a bubble screen late in the second quarter to the house in spectacular fashion from 44-yards out after making three to four Westlake players miss to give North Crowley a 21-7 lead. Gibson made the touchdown even more memorable by going viral by celebrating his 35th touchdown of the season by hitting the Coach Prime dance in the endzone.

“We put that first play in on Monday, coach said we are going to put you in motion on this play, so I slowed it down to sell the run fake and sped back up and was wide up and I did the rest from there,” said Gibson who was named Offensive MVP of the state title game.

“Somebody texted me before the game and suggested I do the “Coach Prime” dance and said alright I’m going to do it because I knew I was going to score. Their morale went down on the second score, but I think they knew they were going to lose before they even came to the game.”

Gibson capped off his spectacular season with three touchdowns which tied the 6A record for most in a state championship game, 2009 receiving yards and 36 touchdown receptions. The TD receptions mark breaks the Dallas-area record set by Seattle Seahawks wide receiver and former Rockwall star Jaxon Smith-Njigba in 2019 and are the fourth-most in Texas state history.

The Panthers also got huge nights from Jimerson and senior star running back Cornelius Warren who ended their great seasons in grand fashion as well. Each scored on touchdowns from 44 yards or longer out as all four of North Crowley’s first half touchdowns came from over 40 yards.

When the dust settled, Warren finished the game with 217 yards on 23 carries highlighted by a 75-yard scamper which made it 41-14. On the season, Warren finished with 1607 rushing yards, 18 touchdowns and is one of most sought out after running backs in the nation after decommitting from UNLV just last week.

Jimerson threw for 299 yards and four touchdowns on the night while scoring on a highlight reel touchdown run from 44-yards out to give North Crowley a 14-7 lead they would never relinquish. The talented quarterback put an exclamation point on one of the most efficient seasons in Texas history as he finished with 58 touchdown passes to 5 interceptions while accounting for 65 total touchdowns and 4,546 yards of total offense.

When you add in the fact that Westlake only allowed 12 points per game coming into the state championship game, North Crowley’s 50 points and 640 total yards which are the second most in Class 6A state championship history are even more impressive. Not bad for a team who gained its confidence over the summer after ending last season losing by 42 points in the state semifinal round.

“We had a lot of guys coming back from that team and I watch those guys work in the offseason and find more ways to do more and they were hungry,” said Ray Gates who is 42-2 in three years at North Crowley.

“Sometimes it takes you to lose to learn and without that loss we wouldn’t be here today. I want the word legacy to come to mind when these guys are thought of because their legacy is will forever be North Crowley’s first ever 6A Division I champions.”