After a hot 4-0 start to their 2019 season, the Rockdale Tigers had the opportunity to stay off their feet last week before opening the District 10-3A schedule.
That happen at 7:30 p.m. Friday against Manor New Tech in the Manor ISD Athletic Complex, 14832 FM
973. (Not at Manor New Tech High School.)
“We took one day off, and other than that it was pretty much normal,” said Jeff Miller, Rockdale High School football coach and athletic director. “We hit the weight room pretty hard and did some extra conditioning.
“We obviously weren’t working on a lot of scheming, just getting back to the basics. It was a pretty simple week.”
Miller also sees his team as lucky for getting a bye week right before their district opener.
“We were pretty fortunate that we got our bye week at the beginning,“ He said. “Playing in a seven-team district, there’s a possibility of drawing any week (during district) as your bye week.
“Honestly when you’ve been on a roll like we’ve been you don’t want a break. You’d rather just play through so you can keep the momentum. But due to all this extreme heat, I’m glad we got the week off.”
The Tigers started off the year on Aug. 30, when they took down the highly-touted Giddings Buffaloes 48-24. Quarterback Jace Robinson threw for 441 yards during the GHS game, the second most yards thrown in a single game ever by a RHS QB.
The Tigers struggled the following week with a 44-36 week over Caldwell, in a game that Miller referred to as a win, but just about nothing else.
Since the game with the Hornets, the blue-and-gold have demolished their competition outscoring opponents Lexington and Austin-Hyde Park by a total of 111-20.
Although the Tigers have enjoyed recent success and face 1-4 Manor New Tech, the Tigers have a tough schedule for the remainder of October facing 4-1 Lago Vista for the RHS homecoming, before playing a lava-hot Troy team that upset Cameron 59-41 this past week in their district opener before taking on the Yoemen on Friday, Oct. 25, in the Battle of the Bell.
“Our guys know what to expect and what they’re up against in this district,” Miller said. “I don’t have to tell them anything.
“They’re fully aware of what they have to do in order to come out on top.”
MANOR NEW TECH–
Rockdale opens their district schedule on the road this week against Manor New Tech, a second-year program that was made up mostly of kids that had never played football prior to the 2018 season. Head coach Quincy Williams told the Reporter last year that he was basically starting from pop-warner with most of his players teaching kids things like lining up but that this year guys know what to expect and are much more comfortable on the field and in game situations.
“We have most of our guys out from last year playing for us this year,” Williams said. “It’s still a learning experience, but they’ve learned so much and they’ve really put in the time.”
The Titans lost their season opener to Weimar 43-0 but got their second win in program history in week two with a 52-0 win over Austin’s Eastside Memorial.
Since the victory, they’ve had three losses to Austin-Crockett 48-6, Burnet 52-8 and Academy 57-7 in their district opener.
New Tech has 18 starters returning from last year’s team including sophomore quarterback Jackson Williams whose freshmen season was cut short after breaking his collarbone against Crockett in week three.
Williams is one of nine sophomores that were freshmen during the Titans’ inaugural season.
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