CRESTVIEW — Corey Armstrong connected with Jaylynne Robinson on touchdown passes of 15, 61 and 47 yards to lead the Crestview High School football team to a 42-32 win over Pensacola High at Jack Foster Stadium on Friday.
The win was Crestview’s fourth in five games and improved the Bulldogs to 5-5 on the year. The five wins are the most for Crestview since 2010.
See phtos from Crestview-Pensacola football game>>>
“I was just proud of the effort we gave to finish the season out,” Bulldog Coach Tim Hatten said. “We put up 42 points against a pretty good ball club.
“I’m proud of the effort. And the coaching staff, what a great bunch of guys. I’ve had more fun this year than I’ve had in the last four or five years coaching football.
The victory was bittersweet for Robinson, a senior as he played his last high school game.
“It’s very special,” he said. “I’m going to miss playing for Crestview. When I go off to college, it’s not going to be the same.
“We worked a lot harder and had a lot of people step up and be a leader. I’m going to remember all the time we spent together. I’m not going to remember the games so much as hanging out with my boys.”
Robinson gave the Crestview fans something to remember on the first Bulldog drive of the night as he caught the first of his touchdown passes from 15 yards out to cap a 45-yard drive. It was Robinson who set the Bulldogs up in Pensacola territory when he returned the opening kick into Tiger territory.
Emmanuel Reed, who finished the night with 110 yards rushing on 28 carries and two touchdowns, scored from five yards out with 3:55 left in the first quarter to give the Bulldogs a double digit lead they would hold most of the game.
Armstrong’s 61-yard pass to Robinson made the score 21-0 less than 90 seconds into the second quarter.
Just when it looked as if the Bulldogs would blow PHS out of the stadium momentum changed.
Tiger defense back intercepted a deflected Armstrong pass and returned inside the Crestview 5-yard line. The Bulldog defense held tight for three downs, but on fourth and goal from the three Dageon Watson put the Tigers on the scoreboard.
Watson scored on a 21-yard touchdown run on Pensacola’s first possession of the third quarter as the Tigers closed the Bulldog lead to 21-13.
Robinson’s third touchdown catch from Armstrong with 5:31 left in the third quarter put Crestview back up by 15 points.
The Bulldogs got a special teams touchdown from Mike Hall early in the fourth quarter. The Tigers muffed a punt and Hall recovered it in the end zone.
Pensacola (2-8) wouldn’t go away. Watson scored on a 54-yard run with 10:09 left in the fourth quarter.
The Bulldogs took the ensuing drive and marched 78 yards on 12 plays. Reed finished things off with a 7-yard run. Seth Kootsouradis, who shared extra point duties with Tyler Hancock kicked his third PAT of the night to put Crestview up 42-20.
Pensacola managed a pair of touchdowns late in the game, but it wasn’t enough as the Bulldogs held on for the win.
Armstrong finished the night 8-of-14 passing for 171 yards.
Matt Gillis had two catches for 24 yards and Khalil Foster had two receptions for 26 yards.
!——-HUB NOTE: PLEASE IGNORE BELOW
Randy Dickson is the Crestview News Bulletin’s sports editor. Email him at randyd@crestviewbulletin.com, tweet him @BigRandle, or call 682-6524.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Bulldogs get win over PHS (photo gallery)