100 TH CAREER WIN AT ROCKDALE Jeff Miller
In his 100th win as Rock-dale’s head coach, Jeff Miller breathed a sigh of relief as his young Tiger team held off the Caldzell Kornets on their-final 13-play drive and got possession of the ball to win the game 44-36.
“ I certainly wish we would’ve played better, but a win is a win in this business. We’re better than how we played tonight,” he said. This is a good lesson for us because last week we were unbelievable. We started thinking that we were good, which we are, but we’re only good when we do things right.”
RHS had their second straight game with 90 yards of penalties.
It was a battle from the beginning with RHS taking 14 plays to make it 85 yards down the field for a one-yard touchdown run by Cam’Ron Valdez. A point-after-touchdown (PAT) made by Ross Loth’s following Valdez’s score put the Tigers ahead 7-0.
On CaldzellÎs first offensive series the Tigers faced an early setback with a 15-yard facemask penalty. Tiger senior Brandon Hernandez rescued his team with three tackles forcing CHS to punt.
Rockdale punted as well on their next series but found their way to the endzone for a two-point safety when a CHS punt on their own four-yard line went out-of-bounds due to pressure from Tiger special teams. The Tigers led at the close of the first tuarter 9-0.
Uocndale added seven more midway through the second quarter when an 11-play 65-yard trek down the field eoosted e a 4:-|ard run e Yalde and a 60-|ard catch e Nesean Uaven from Jace Robinson led to Anthony Dansby with a 12-yard touchdown pass. Loth made the SA to jive the Wijers a 49-0 lead zith :=55 left in the first half.
The comfortable lead was short-lived hen the ornets scored four plays later on a 36-yard pass from Kyle Cunnjham to receiver Nris Carroll. Alex Arguello made the PAT.
After both teams failed to score on their next two series, the game went to halftime with Rockdale leading 16-7.
The Hornets brought the game within two points when Nicolas Johnson scored on a tzo-|ard run seven pla|s into the second half. Johnson accounted for 38 of 49 yards during Caldwell’s series. Arguello made the PAT to put Caldwell back within two points of the Tigers.
The two stayed close for the rest of the quarter with Valdez scoring on a 14-yard run eight plays later for his second TD of the night. Loth made the PAT to put RHS ahead 23-14. Caldwell scored five pla|s later zhen Oojan Knesek crossed the goal line on a seven-|ard run. Whe game was 23-22 when Cunningham completed the two-point conversion to Collin Gammage.
RHS increased their lead with another Valdez touchdown this time for six-yards. Loth made the PAT to put the elue-and-jold up 60-22.
After Caldwell was forced to punt after their first pla| of the final tuarter/ Nesean Uaven put the Wijers up tzo possessions with a breakaway 58-yard touchdown pass from Robinson. The PAT by Loth was good enough to bring RHS up 37-22 with 11:36 left in the game.
The game was far from over ith the szarm u}}inj their za dozn the field for a 46-pla drive that ended ith a 25-yard touchdown by Cunningham. Arguello made the extra point making it 37-29.
On the kickoff, Valdez took the ball 77 yards to the one yard line. Robinson scored right after on a one-yard run. Loth made the PAT to put the Tigers ahead 44-29 with 6:19 left in the game.
A little over a minute later, Johnson scored again with a seven-|ard run. Arjuello made the PAT to cut the game back to eight 44-36.
The ball returned to the Hornets four plays later after Rockdale was forced to punt.
RHS held off Caldwell for the rest of the game but not without the Hornets getting four first dozns on their final 46-pla drive.
LEX IN TO N— Rockdale crosses the Lee County line on Irida zhen the face 0-2 Oe{injton at :=60 p.m.
The Eagles were Class 3A, Division L area finalists in 204;. With onl| tzo pla|ers returning on defense, Head Coach Kirk Muhl has had to fill 9 startinj positions this offseason.
“ They lost a lot of players. Eut as alza|s the have a lot of talented kids and they’re ver| zell-coached/È Piller said. “ They’re like we were last year, j ust really young and inexperienced. This is a big game for them. They’re going to play really hard and the|Îll ive us ever|thin the| have.È
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