One deep shot was all it took.

With nine minutes remaining in the first half, Cardinal quarterback Kaden Brown hit a wide open Germonie Davis deep down the middle and Davis sprinted untouched into the end zone for a 47-yard touchdown and a 14-7 lead over Navarro.

The score was still the same when the game ended 39 minutes later.

The Cardinals beat the Navarro Bulldogs Saturday afternoon for a homecoming win and improved 3-1 in SWJCFC play and into second place behind unbeaten Tyler Junior College.

"This was two very good football teams just playing it out and the defenses on both sides playing well," TVCC Coach Sherard Poteete said. "We made just enough plays offensively to find a way to get the win and obviously finished it off there with the defense making a big stop in the last two minutes of the game."

This was an old-school defensive battle in the second half, with the Cardinals fighting through tough field position most of the way. In the third quarter, TVCC's average starting spot was its own 14-yard line, while Navarro began near midfield at the 46.

The Cardinal defense never blinked. They came up with the game's only two turnovers to shut down the Bulldogs. First, Malik Ganaway intercepted Navarro quarterback Ryan Shackelton. On the next drive, Zhakius Thomas jumped on a loose ball to give the Cardinals another stop.

"We gave them some short fields in the second half," Coach Poteete said. "We actually had some good punts, and then somehow there's a penalty and boom, they get the thing moved up to the 50-yard line. Our defense made the plays when they had to."

TVCC then took over at its own 9-yard line about a minute into the fourth quarter and went to work. The Cardinals marched on a 16-play drive that reached the Navarro 1 before stalling. They didn't score, but they burned more than 10 minutes off the clock and left the Bulldogs backed up with little time to recover.

"Our O-line just started moving them and moving them," Coach Poteete said. "The tight ends were getting in the run game and moving them, and our running backs just kept coming downhill."

The defense finished it from there.

"Our defense came up big," Coach Poteete said. "Our defense came up with a big fumble and a big interception. That's caused by the pressure that our defensive line is able to put on the quarterback."

The Cardinals will be on the road Saturday to take on Kilgore., Kickoff is set for 1 p.m.

SCORING SUMMARY

- TVCC - 1Q, 5:38 - Rayshaun King 4-yard run. Reed Malphurs kick good. -- 7-0

- NAVA - 1Q, 1:50 - Isiah Nutall 1-yard run. Adrian Zamudio kick good. -- 7-7

- TVCC - 2Q, 9:08 - Kaden Brown 47-yard pass to Germonie Davis. Reed Malphurs kick good. -- 14-7

(Thanks to Michael Hannigan of Hannigan for story and scoring summary)