BY MIKE MONTFORT

CISCO -- Navarro Football found a starting point Saturday toward a new normal.

The Bulldogs made their 2021 debut with a thorough 35-14 victory over the reigning conference champion Wranglers as Isaiah Robinson rushed for three touchdowns, quarterback Qua Gray passed for two more, and an improved defense set the pace as NC claimed its second straight season-opening win.

Navarro scored touchdowns after its first three possessions and cruised to a big first-period lead it never relinquished. Gray completed eight of his first 10 passes for 90 yards, with scoring strikes of 34 to Karl Reynolds and 13 to Zavion Taylor.  Sandiwiched between the TD passes was Robinson's untouched, nine-yard scoring burst that sealed an eight-play, 48-yard drive.

NC's blazing offensive start cooled, but coordinator Fred Tate's defense took center stage and responded with five sacks, four tackles for losses, three fumble recoveries, an interception and a 113-yard rushing yield. A fourth-quarter fumble recovery and C.J. Bosket's interception directly set up short-field scoring drives that accounted for the Bulldogs' final 14 points.  All told, Navarro denied Cisco points in four of five red-zone trips through slightly more than three quarters of the contest.

In the process of rushing for more than 100 yards for the seventh time during his 16-game career, Robinson totaled 162  from 22 carries and tallied touchdowns on runs of nine, five and 43 yards.

Gray cooled considerably after a torrid start and finished 15-of-31 for 135 yards  -- Navarro's lowest single-game, pass-yardage total since Parr returned to Navarro and installed the Air Raid. 

"We found a diffeent way to win," head coach Scott Parr said.  "Sure, we have some things we will need to clean up, but we got off to a good start in so many ways.  I'm proud that we played smart.  And that defense, man!"

Cisco used four players at quarterback.  Starter Mehki Hagen's nine-yard run less than four minutes before halftime accounted for the Wranglers' first touchdown.  With under six minutes left in the game, fourth quarrterback Isaiah Marks found Caden Ashlock on an 80-yard streak for Cisco's final TD. 

With its 13th win in its last 14 games against Cisco, the Bulldogs won their 50th in the series against the Wranglers in their 70th all-time meeting.

Navarro opens SWJCFC play at 7 pm Saturday against TJC's Apaches on Earl Campbell Field at CHRISTUS Trinity Mother Frances Rose Stadium at Tyler. 

NOTES: Navarro averaged 7.6 yards rushng behind an offensive line that included Philip Houston, Kamon Bradford, Jawuan Singletary, Donovan Ford and Elijah Bowser....Quentin Lee now is five receptions from becoming the fourth Navarro player to total 100 or more catches during a career....Freshman running back KeAmodre Horace's five second-half carries resulted in 85 yards, including a game-best, 61-yard spurt....

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