For the first five minutes of Commerce High School’s Homecoming football game Friday night at Memorial Stadium it appeared the Tigers had a good chance to win. But alas, Kaufman High School’s Justin Kapp, Ayron Miles, Hippo Perea, and Rory Turner made sure there would be no Tiger Homecoming victory at their expense.
With quarterback Kapp’s touchdown passes and runningbacks Miles, Turner, & Perea rushing for touchdowns, the Kaufman Lions came away from Memorial Stadium with a 59-34 victory. The win evened the Lions record at 2-2, while the Tigers fell to 1-3 on the season.
Things started out well for the Tigers, as senior quarterback Landon Allen scored on a 16-yard touchdown run. Jake McCarty kicked the extra point to put Commerce up 7-0.
After that, it was pretty much all Kaufman. The Lions wasted no time moving the football down the field capped-off by Miles’ 5-yard touchdown run. Jonathon Batres kicked the extra point through the uprights to pull the Lions even at 7-7.
After a Commerce three and out, Kaufman scored on their next possession to take the lead for good, as Turner went untouched 17-yards into the end zone. Batres added the extra point after putting the Lions up 14-7. Then after another Commerce drive stalled, the Lions got the ball back and Miles, the Lions leading rusher of the night, had a 97-yard run for a touchdown. Batres extra point was good again and Kaufman jumped out to a 21-7 lead.
On the Lions next possession, Miles, who was well over 100 yards rushing, scored his third rushing touchdown of the game on an 18 yard run. Batres then missed the extra point and Kaufman’s lead was 27-7. On the Lions next possession, they put the game away on Perea’s 5-yard run. Batres’ kick made it 34-7 Lions. With the end of the first half approaching, Commerce got their offense on track as Allen completed a 10-yard pass to Trey Hicks, followed by a Hicks 19-yard run.
After a Kaufman pass interference penalty, the Tigers had it’s first and goal on the Lions 10-yard line, in which Bobby Draughn scored on a 10-yard run. McCarty kicked for the extra point, to make the score 34-14 Kaufman. On the kickoff, Miles had an 80-yard kickoff return for a touchdown, ending the first half with Kaufman leading 40-14.
On the Lions first possession of the second half Miles had his fifth touchdown of the game on a 67-yard touchdown run, that put Kaufman up 46-14. Commerce then appeared to have something going offensively, but after moving deep into Kaufman territory, Allen’s pass was intercepted by Kapp. Kaufman’s Turner then had his second rushing touchdown of the night, a 27-yard run, as the Lions went up 52-14.
Commerce got a good drive going to open the fourth quarter and capped it off with an Allen touchdown pass of 16 yards to Hicks. McCarty’s kick was good and it was 52-21 Kaufman. On the ensuing kickoff, Kaufman’s Miles took the kick at his own 20 and ran it back 80 yards for the score, giving Kaufman a 59-21 lead.
Commerce’s offense had a good fourth quarter, as Hicks had a 67-yard touchdown run. McCarty’s kick was good and it was 59-27 Lions. Commerce had the final scoring run of the night as Hicks raced 97 yards to the end zone for his second touchdown of the night. McCarty’s kick made the final score Kaufman 59, Commerce 34.
The Commerce High School Tigers travel to Paris this week to take on North Lamar at 7:30 p.m. Friday.