[By Johnny Green, Special to ETSN.fm]

TEXARKANA — Texas High can hardly be described as road warriors, but it's a different story for the Tigers at home.

Texas High improved to 2-0 at Tiger Stadium Friday night, outscoring fumble-prone Pine Tree, 30-13. More importantly, the Tigers won their District 14-4A opener.

Pine Tree (2-3, 0-1) lost three fumbles, including one on the cusp of the goal line with the game still scoreless. Texas High recovered in the end zone, and promptly drove 80 yards in nine plays with tailback Tre Walker accounting for 76 of those on eight carries. Walker finished the game with a career-high 239 yards and two touchdowns on 31 carries.

The first of three Steve Crenshaw field goals—a 27-yarder—made it 10-0 at halftime, and the Tigers scored twice in the third quarter, Walker dashing 14 yards through the middle on fourth-and-two to complete a 59-yard scoring drive after the second-half kickoff, and quarterback Clete Norton hitting tight end Jackie Allen for six yards with 5:11 to go.

That touchdown was set up by Anthony Rhone's fumble recovery at the Pirate 27.

Pine Tree made a game of it by scoring twice in a three-minute span of the final period. Eddie Calico (14 rushes, 88 yards) capped a 13-play, 75-yard drive with a 3-yard run after quarterback Jake Oden connected with Corvell Marshall for 20 yards on third-and-21, then converted the fourth down with a run.

The other Pirate score came after a 5-play, 93-yard march, a 61-yard Oden-to-Mason Hayes completion setting up the quarterback's 6-yard keeper with 6:36 left in the quarter.

But Texas High used up nearly six minutes after the kickoff on a drive that culminated in Crenshaw's 23-yard field goal. He kicked a 24-yarder with 59 seconds left after linebacker Nick Christian intercepted Oden and returned the ball to the 14-yard line.

"It was a good win for us," Texas High coach Barry Norton said. "I thought our defense did a good job against the run, and getting the turnovers. Offensively, we weren't as balanced as I would like to be, but we ran the ball well. I was disappointed that we had to settle for field goals on those last two drives."

Texas High plays at Sulphur Springs next week.

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Texas High 30, Pine Tree 13
At Tiger Stadium at Grim Park, Texarkana
Pine Tree         0      0      0     13    —    13
Texas High       0      10   14     6    —    30
Second Quarter
TH-Tre Walker 7 run (Steve Crenshaw kick), 9:44.
TH-FG Crenshaw 27, 5:11.
Third Quarter
TH-Walker 14 run (Crenshaw kick), 9:31.
TH-Jackie Allen 6 pass from Clete Norton (Crenshaw kick), 6:46.
Fourth Quarter
PT-Eddie Calico 3 run (Abraham Martinez kick), 11:55.
PT-Jake Oden 6 run (kick failed), 8:32.
TH-FG Crenshaw 23, 2:51.
TH-FG Crenshaw 24, :59.

                                     PT            TH
First Downs                    14             17
Rushes-Yards           40-175      42-267
Passing Yards               205             52
Comp.-Att.-Int.          9-15-1      5-13-0
Punts-Avg.                2-39.0       3-36.3
Fumbles-Lost                 5-3           4-0
Penalties-Yards            8-65          5-34

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING—Pine Tree, Jake Oden 17-66, Victor Hawkins 4-4, Corvell Marshall 1-(-5), Johnathan Giddings 1-1, Quay Ward 1-2, Caleb Chumley 1-16, Eddie Calico 14-88, Mason Hayes 1-3. Texas High, Walker 31-239, Javon Thomas 8-47, Norton 2-minus 19.
PASSING—Pine Tree, Oden 9-15-1-205. Texas High, Norton 5-13-0-52.
RECEIVING—Pine Tree, Hayes 5-153, Hawkins 2-27, Marshall 1-20, Calico 1-5. Texas High, Walker 1-24, Jarion Anderson 1-11, Marquan Daniels 1-4, Thomas 1-7, Allen 1-6.

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