Tigers win finale, 46-38

McGREGOR—For the first time since the 2011 season, Tiger football entered the final week of their schedule without playoff hopes.

This was new for Bluea nd- G old coach Jacob Campsey, who has been at Rockdale since 2014. The third-year head coach said he and his staff had a unique approach coming into this past Friday’s game, when they took on McGregor.

“We planned as normal and we didn’t shave any hours because it was important for us to have fun, but also prepare them to win the game,” Campsey said. “They deserved to be prepared as if they were playing for a district championship.”

Although it was a rocky evening, with a weather delay lasting at least thirty minutes, the Tigers prevailed, winning 46-38.

RHS was the first to score mid-way through the first, when a double reverse pass ended up in the hands of junior Gerren Marrero for a 37-yard touchdown. The Tigers led 8-0 when a twopoint conversion run by linemen Lane Rickman was successful.

The next quarter was when circumstances changed for the Tigers.

Starting the second with the ball on the Rockdale 1, McGregor’s Adam Benitez crossed the goal line at the 11:58 mark. After missing the extra point kick, Rockdale led 8-6.

MHS pushed the Tigers later in the quarter, when the team’s leading rusher Sebastian Torres scored on a 13-yard run. The McGregor attempt at a two-point conversion failed, but the Bulldogs went into halftime leading, 12-8.

Unlike the f irst t wo quarters, the third was a high-scoring affair. Robert Owens caught three touchdown passes and Daniel Romero made a 34-yard field goal while McGregor scored three touchdowns of their own. Going into the final quarter of the season, Rockdale was up, just barely, 33-32.

The action continued as Owens scored on another pass from Barcak just 11 seconds into the final quarter, making it 40-32. The Bulldogs got back within reach at the 6:21 mark, when Zacharias found J.L. Singer open for a five-yard touchdown pass. The conversion was fumbled and recovered by senior Myles Grear, who ran with the ball for more than 50 yards before the Bulldog defense caught up with him.

After the Tigers fell short of the end zone on their next series, McGregor started with the ball at their fouryard line with 2:30 left in the game. Five plays later, Marrero intercepted a Bulldog pass to return the ball back to the Blue-and-Gold with 1:37 on the clock. Four yards from the goal line, Rickman scored for the Tigers after picking up a fumbled ball in the end zone. Even though the Tigers missed the extra point, they led 46-38 and were able to stop McGregor on their final drive to win the game.

After the game, Campsey said that he wanted his team to be reminded of how good they were and while they missed the post-season, they shouldn’t hang their heads too low.

“I know what their record is, but the bottom line is that I don’t think there’s a bad football team in our district,” he said. “Regardless of our record, they’re worthy of feeling good about themselves and they should, because if they were any other district in the state, they’re going to the playoff s.”

District 11-3A-I includes three teams that were ranked in the top 10 by Texas Football magazine this season, including Franklin and Lorena, who both won state championships this past December.

Campsey also said the win reflects his team’s char-acter, especially after falling to Academy the week before in a game to decide the district’s final playoff slot.

“To lose like we did last week with so much on the line and then to do this,” he said. “We have our ups and downs and have struggled, but I believe that the character is there.”

“We came here and fought when there wasn’t a lot to fight for, and they believed,” he added.

STATS— Owens had a career night in his high school farewell, catching four touchdown passes and racking up 178 yards on eight total receptions. Barcak was 14 of 23, with 280 passing yards and five touchdowns with 68 rushing yards.

SEASON— The Tigers end their year with a record of 3-7 with a 2-3 record in District 10-3A-I, earning a fifth place finish out of seven teams.

This was the final high school football game for seniors Owens, Rickman, Grear, Tristan Galvan, Colton Wallace, Robert Owens, Gabe Goodman, Jose Castillo, Levar Beckwith, Lane Bell, Ryan Luckey, Landon Pounders, Ivan Bonner, Cade Pantaleon and Austin Goodman.