Tigers Keep Rolling, Beat Kaufman 35–17

Corsicana Roars Back to Defeat Kaufman, 35–17 | Full Game Report

KAUFMAN, Texas (Oct. 23, 2025) — The Corsicana Tigers turned a sluggish first half into a statement second, overpowering Kaufman 35–17 on the road Thursday night in district play.

Behind a physical offensive line and a resurgent ground game, the Tigers (5–3, 3–2 district) scored 28 unanswered points in the final two quarters to secure their third straight district win and keep playoff hopes alive.

Senior quarterback Kevin Pointer Jr. (#2) led the offense with 158 total yards and a touchdown through the air, while the Tigers’ rushing trio of Mark Brown (#7), Kenan Murphy (#0), and CJ Curry (#27) combined for more than 240 yards and four touchdowns.

“We came out flat, no question,” head coach Eugene Rogers said. “But this team believes in itself. Once we got that spark from Mark and started controlling the line, everything flipped. The energy on our sideline changed completely.”

First Half: Kaufman Strikes First

Kaufman (2–7, 0–5 district) opened the scoring midway through the first quarter when quarterback Cole Martin (#12) connected with senior running back Pate Bowers (#1) on a 14-yard swing pass to make it 7–0.

Corsicana responded in the second quarter. Pointer engineered a 12-play drive capped by a 3-yard touchdown run from Murphy, tying the game at 7–7 with 4:51 remaining in the half.

The Lions regained the lead before halftime when kicker Tristen Renteria (#28) drilled a 36-yard field goal after Josiah Lopez (#31) blocked an earlier attempt. Kaufman entered the break ahead 10–7.

“That block by Josiah kept it close,” Rogers said. “It gave us momentum going into the locker room, even though we hadn’t played our best half of football.”

Second Half: Tigers Take Over

Kaufman opened the third quarter strong as Elijah Rose (#29) broke free for a 43-yard touchdown run to extend the lead to 17–7, overcoming a holding penalty one play earlier.

From there, it was all Corsicana. Pointer and Brown sparked the Tigers’ comeback with a 58-yard burst up the right side, followed by a short-yardage push from Brown for his first touchdown of the night.

After a defensive stop anchored by Allen Walker II (#3) and Frank Jackson (#17), Corsicana took its first lead when Kristian Evans (#6) plunged in from four yards out late in the third, making it 21–17.

“We told them in the locker room we were going to win this game up front,” Rogers said. “Our offensive line — Lopez, Gomez, and Crumpton — set the tone the rest of the way.”

Brown continued his dominance in the fourth quarter, breaking loose for a 35-yard touchdown to cap a 94-yard drive. The Tigers’ defense then forced back-to-back punts, and CJ Davis (#4) sealed the victory with an interception inside the five-yard line with just under two minutes to play.

Curry added a 12-yard touchdown run in the closing minute to put the game out of reach.

Defensive and Special Teams Standouts

Corsicana’s defense tightened in the second half, holding Kaufman to just 56 total yards over the final two quarters.

Walker and Jackson led the team in tackles, while CJ Curry added a forced fumble recovered by Walker II. Deandre Lloyd (#33) also broke up a key third-quarter pass to stall a Kaufman drive. Giancarlo Zuniga (#15) was perfect on special teams, going 5-for-5 on PATs.

“We were more physical,” said Brown, who finished with 17 carries for 152 yards and two touchdowns. “That’s who we are — we wear teams down. Once we started running downhill, they couldn’t stop us.”

Rogers added that the win showed how far the Tigers have progressed this season.

“This was the most complete game we’ve played all year,” he said. “We’ve grown up a lot since district started.”

Final Summary

Pointer finished 10-of-16 passing for 72 yards, a touchdown, and no interceptions, adding 25 rushing yards. Murphy had 10 carries for 64 yards and a touchdown, Evans added 36 yards and a score, and Curry closed with eight carries for 42 yards and a touchdown.

For Kaufman, Rose rushed 20 times for 175 yards and a touchdown, while Bowers totaled 48 yards and a receiving score. Martin went 8-of-20 passing for 92 yards, one touchdown, and one interception.

BOX SCORE

GAME STATS

Corsicana Tigers (5–3, 3–2)

Kaufman Lions (2–7, 0–5)

Team Records

Corsicana:
Overall – 5–3
District – 3–2 (5th)

Kaufman:
Overall – 2–7
District – 0–5 (7th)

All stats and play-by-play details are live, in-game estimates compiled from in-house coverage and on-site observations.