Perrin Pirates hold off Knights for Homecoming victory

The old saying  is “defense wins championships,” and while this may not have been a championship, defense was the key factor in Perrin’s 40-34 win over Wichita Falls Notre Dame.

Perrin’s defense started the game strong by holding Notre Dame to a three-and-out on its first possession. However, on the Pirate’s first offensive snap, the ball sailed over quarterback Raul Martinez’s head and through the back of the end zone for a Perrin safety. 

Perrin struggled to snap the ball throughout the game. Pirate Head Coach Ben Staggs attributed the sloppy line play to injuries.

 “We had a couple of guys out, but the big one was our center,” Staggs said. “The kid we had in there today was thrust in there, since the injury was just last week, and only had four days of practice.”

Perrin fell behind 10-0 early in the first quarter after a two-play touchdown drive from Notre Dame.  The Pirates had an answer as Sammy Hernandez scored on a 53-yard run to make the score 10-8 after a successful two-point conversion.

The teams battled back and forth throughout the second quarter, with both teams turning the ball over on downs. Notre Dame eventually broke through with a 56-yard touchdown pass to increase the lead 18-8 with 3:11 left in the half.

After a Notre Dame penalty, Adrian Masterson scored from the one-yard-line,  bringing the deficit to two at 18-16 before halftime.

Perrin received the football to start the third quarter, which is when Hernandez showed flashes of his talent. Hernandez ran for 28 yards in two plays to give the Pirates a third-and-two. After converting the first down, the Pirates went back to Hernandez for a two-yard rushing touchdown, his second of the game, to give the Pirates their first lead at 24-18.

Perrin’s defense stepped up in the second half, forcing a punt on a three-and-out. Hernandez then scored another touchdown, this time a 60-yard run to up the Pirates’ lead to 32-18 with 5:07 left in the third quarter. Landon Draper added two interceptions in the third quarter.

For more on this story, see the Wednesday, October 2 edition of the Jacksboro Herald-Gazette.