CORSICANA, Texas — Homecoming night at Community National Bank & Trust Stadium saw Corsicana seize early control, taking a 14–7 halftime lead over Mesquite Poteet behind senior quarterback Kevin Pointer Jr. (#2) and a relentless Tiger defense.
Poteet struck first, marching 65 yards in five plays to go up 7–0 at the 10-minute mark. But Corsicana answered with creativity and grit. Facing fourth-and-five near midfield, linebacker Allen Walker II (#3) took a fake punt up the middle for nine yards and a fresh set of downs. Three plays later, Pointer pitched right to CJ Davis (#4), who burst 22 yards into the end zone to tie it 7-7 midway through the opening quarter.
From there, Corsicana’s defense set the tone. Cornerback Damone Brown (#1) intercepted a fake-field-goal pass in the end zone, while Walker and linebacker Abraham Arredondo (#20) repeatedly stuffed Poteet short on fourth-down tries. “When they get in certain situations, we dictate what we want to run and do, and we’ll bring pressure,” head coach Eugene Rogers said at halftime. “We dictate what they can do.”
The first-half turning point came with fifteen seconds left before the break. Pointer engineered an 86-yard march, capped by a 22-yard strike to Mark Brown (#7) who had earlier exited with a leg injury, to put the Tigers ahead 14-7 after Giancarlo Zuniga (#15) drilled the extra point. “All I know is he came back and he just caught that big touchdown,” Rogers said, smiling.
Statistically, Corsicana dominated the half. The Tigers compiled an estimated 212 total yards of offense, 107 rushing and 105 passing, while holding Poteet to 148 yards overall (52 rushing, 96 passing). Pointer went 7-of-11 for 105 yards and a touchdown; Murphy (#0) and Walker combined for over 90 rushing yards. The defense forced two turnovers and limited Poteet to just 3.4 yards per play.
Penalties were Corsicana’s lone blemish: six flags for 45 yards, including back-to-back holding calls that erased long runs. Rogers said he’s looking for cleaner execution and continued rhythm from his senior quarterback. “I’m looking for more of that, the connections, the catches, and getting in the end zone.”
Corsicana heads into the second half controlling tempo, momentum, and the scoreboard, positioned to turn a confident homecoming performance into a signature win.
Halftime Score
| Team | 1Q | 2Q | Halftime |
|---|---|---|---|
| Corsicana Tigers | 7 | 7 | 14 |
| Mesquite Poteet Pirates | 7 | 0 | 7 |
Halftime Yardage (Unofficial)
| Team | Total Yds | Rush Yds | Pass Yds | Pen Yds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Corsicana | 212 | 107 | 105 | 45 |
| Mesquite Poteet | 148 | 52 | 96 | 25 |