Corinth, Miss. — For a few fleeting seconds Friday, North Pontotoc thought it had shifted momentum. After the Vikings finally crossed the goal line on a 33‑yard pass early in the third quarter, the deficit was down to 24‑6 and the visiting crowd stirred. One snap later, all hope was gone. Corinth tailback Pat Crump took a handoff, cut off tackle and sprinted 56 yards to the end zone, restoring a four‑score lead and launching a 52‑6 dismantling of what had been an unbeaten rival.
The third‑quarter knockout typified a night of dominance for the Warriors. Crump, who rushed for 128 yards, powered a ground attack that piled up well over 400 yards. Jamir Barton added 96 yards and a touchdown, Preston Young contributed 86 yards and a 35‑yard scoring run, and C.J. Roby chipped in 61 yards with two trips to the end zone. Sophomore kicker Griffin Carmichiel capped the first half with a 30‑yard field goal and went 7‑for‑7 on extra points. His leg consistently flipped the field; nine kickoffs traveled 510 yards with eight touchbacks.
Corinth’s Jamir Barton goes up for the interception, Pic Credit: Mary Raye Gooch
While the offense was lighting up the scoreboard, Corinth’s defense set the tone. The Warriors limited a potent North Pontotoc offense to just 50 rushing yards and 306 total yards. Senior defensive back Preston Crump and junior Jamir Barton each intercepted a pass, and senior Xavier Young pounced on a loose ball as Corinth forced three turnovers.
North Pontotoc Quarterback Drew Winfun threw for 256 yards but was sacked five times and constantly harassed by a defensive front that controlled the line of scrimmage. North Pontotoc’s lone touchdown came on that third‑quarter pass; it managed only six points after averaging more than 30 in its first five games.
By the time Roby and Barton broke long touchdown runs in the fourth quarter, most of the second string was on the field and both bands were playing. Corinth improved to 4‑2 overall and 2‑0 in Region 1‑4A. After knocking off a previously unbeaten opponent by 46 points, the Warriors will try to avoid a letdown when they visit Tishomingo County next week.
North Pontotoc will look to try and regroup against West Bolivar next week.
