PITTSBURG, TX—The Commerce Tigers secured their first playoff victory since 2017, dominating the Jefferson Bulldogs in the Bi-District round of the playoffs with a final score of 40-14. The game, played at Pirate Stadium in Pittsburg, marked just the second historical meeting between the two teams, with Commerce evening the score after a 1994 loss. The win sets up an Area round matchup for the Tigers next week against the Pilot Point Bearcats.
Game Summary and Key Performances
Jefferson won the toss and struck first, driving 75 yards in seven plays, capped by a 32-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Chance Washington to Travis Gray Jr. to take an early 7-0 lead.
The Tigers were quick to answer, as quarterback Aiden Brown connected with Donovan Maria for a 32-yard touchdown strike, tying the game at 7. Maria finished the night with 3 receptions for 34 yards and a score.
Commerce quickly seized momentum through turnovers. Lukah Selvaggi intercepted Washington, returning it 38 yards to set the Tigers up at the Jefferson seven-yard line. After a penalty pushed them back, Brown found Brandon Anderson for an 11-yard tipped-ball touchdown catch, putting Commerce up 14-7 with 3:30 left in the first quarter. Selvaggi later added to the offensive production with one catch for 9 yards and a touchdown and recovered a fumble in the second half.
Jefferson's offense struggled after Washington left the game late in the first quarter, replaced by backup Korbin Tomlinson. Maria snared another interception for Commerce with under two minutes remaining in the half. This set up a 27-yard touchdown run by Ky'Mani Graham, though the extra point was short, making it 20-7. Graham was an unstoppable force on the ground, racking up 74 yards rushing and one score on 12 carries.
The turnover trend continued as Brandon Anderson picked off Tomlinson on the ensuing drive, giving Commerce a short field. Brown then hit Malik Garcia on a 12-yard strike for a touchdown. Garcia contributed 2 catches for 26 yards and a touchdown in the win, and also threw an interception to Tomlinson later in the game. A blocked extra point left the halftime score at 26-7.
Commerce kept rolling in the second half with a one-yard touchdown plunge by Brown and the nine-yard catch by Selvaggi. Tomlinson scored for Jefferson on a two-yard plunge, but the damage was done.
Player Spotlight: Aiden Brown
Quarterback Aiden Brown was a dual-threat menace for the Tigers. Through the air, he was 7-of-16 passing for 84 yards and 4 touchdowns. On the ground, he added 97 yards on 15 carries, though he lost one fumble.
Despite being out-gained in total offense (Jefferson had 339 yards to Commerce's 252 yards), the Tigers' defense was opportunistic, forcing critical turnovers that ultimately proved too much for the Jefferson Bulldogs to overcome.
The Commerce Tigers now advance to face the Pilot Point Bearcats, who defeated West 45-13 on Thursday. Location and time for the Area round game are to be determined.
