CRESTVIEW — A tough start to the 2014 football season got worse for Crestview High School on Friday against an athletic Tallahassee Rickards squad.
The Bulldogs were their own worst enemies as turnovers and special team mistakes plagued Crestview in a 28-12 loss.
Rickards scored three second quarter touchdowns in seven minutes and 40 seconds to take control of the game.
Cresview-Rickards photos >>>
A blocked Bulldog punt put the Raiders in business at the Crestview 4-yard line with nine minutes left in the second quarter. Three plays later D.J. Phillips hit Carless Rollins with a 4-yard TD pass for the game’s first score.
A mishandled snap on a Crestview punt set the Raiders up at the Crestview 31 just 100 seconds later. Rasheed Cosby carried twice to get to the end zone and put Rickards up 14-0.
The longest Raider drive of the night covered 66 yards and milked the final minutes of the half. Cosby finished the drive with a 9-yard run.
Crestview (0-3) finally got on the scoreboard with two minutes left in the third quarter on a 3-yard pass from Rusty Moorer to Andrew Adkins. The extra point failed as the Bulldogs trailed 21-6.
A Tavyan Jackson interception of a Moorer pass set up the final Rickards score with a little more than eight minutes left in the fourth quarter.
Phillips scored from 12 yards out on a third-and-goal to put the game out of Crestview’s reach.
The Bulldogs tried to rally as Moorer found Lajonte Watson with a 20-yard touchdown pass with five minutes left in the game, but that was all Crestview could muster.
The Bulldogs finished the night with just 158 yards in total offense.
Crestview coach Tim Hatten was clearly unhappy about the way the Bulldogs played.
“That’s about as bad a played performance that I’ve been involved with in my 27 years,” he said. “I’m probably about as disappointed as I’ve ever been in my coaching career – not because I think we are a great, great football team, but our execution and our attention to detail are killing us.
“We’ve got to change something. We’ve got to make a change in this program and we have to make it fast. We have to get some attention are we are going to do our jobs to do that.”
Moorer finished the night 9-of-20 passing for 78 yards and the two touchdowns. He also threw two interceptions. All of Moorer passing yards came in the second half.
Corey Armstrong, who started the game at quarterback was 6-of-12 passing for 22 yards. D.J. Stewart was Crestview’s leading rusher with 38 yards.
EmailNews Bulletin Sports Editor Randy Dickson, follow him on Twitter or call 850-682-6524.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Rickards roughs up Bulldogs (PHOTOS)