BILL MARTIN
Football playoffs: at least there’s no 1-9 team this time around
W
hile the University Interscholastic League ignores the pleas of serious football fans everywhere when they keep adding teams to the playoffs, Friday night, 508 teams begin the quest for the 12 available state championships. In our yearly examination of the football playoff brackets, there are 52 teams with losing records in the playoffs, up significantly from 33 a year ago, but still down from the high of 61 in 2010. While this year’s crop has spared us the indignation of a 1-9 team, there are a four two win teams in the fray. In Class 3A, Burkburnett and Charlotte out of Class A are Dallas Madison and Bonham in Class 3A (see below). And from the living right department, Seagraves— despite its 4-6 record and while 10-0 district champions play on—received a bye in the first round in Class A. Just remember, it’s only going to get worse. Class 3A will soon be sending four teams from each district to the playoffs. Don’t miss this first round game: In Class 4A, No. 5 Nederland against No. 15 Dayton in Beaumont. Both teams are 9-1. Nederland’s lone loss was to No. 16 Angleton. Dayton’s only loss was to No. 9 Humble Summer Creek in the regular season finale in district. First round game to skip: Out of Class 3A, Dallas Madison vs. Bonham in Little Elm. Both teams are 2-8. Should either one of these teams win the state championship (which would include knocking off No. 1 Navasota), their record would be 8-8. Blowout of the week: The No. 1 team in Class 5A and possibly the nation, Katy, versus 3-7 Houston Westbury, who started the season 0-6. The Rebels first win came against Houston Math, Science and Tech High School. Looking ahead to a possible area contest between Class 2A No. 1 Refugio and Rogers. Predicted score: Refugio 112, Rogers 100. Refugio’s Travis Quintanilla becomes the first quarterback throw for 1,000 yards in a game. Before you scoff, the defending state champions are averaging 64 points a game and scored over 70 points in six of their 10 games, including an 84-0 thrashing of Skidmore-Tynann in the regular season finale. Neighbor Rogers is putting up 52 points per outing, including an 84-56 victory over Mart. —bm– Here’s wishing Buckholts good luck in the 6-Man bracket. Led by Rockdale native Chad Satcher, the 7-3 Badgers secured the District 16 championship and take on 5-5 Aquilla in the first round of the playoffs in Penelope Thursday. Buckholts has not won a playoff game since 1965, but has made three straight post-season trips, but had the misfortune of facing twotime state champion Richland Springs in the first round in 2010-11. —bm— Would love to see Texas A&M wunderkind Johnny Manziel bring home the Heisman Trophy for no other reason than that would make two straight winners who were told by the University of Texas that they weren’t good enough to play for the Longhorns.
The 5ive
Speaking of Johnny Football, here are the five best football player nicknames: 1. Dick “Night Train” Lane— This Austin product still holds the NFL record for interceptions with 14—set in 1952. 2. “Broadway” Joe Namath— This playboy’s lifestyle earned him his moniker. 3. “Mean” Joe Greene— Another Texan. Simple and to the point. 4. Ed “Too Tall” Jones—AllPro defensive end was 6-9. 5. Ken “The Snake” Stabler— Oiler quarterback was awfully elusive.
Sports
country crossed
Rockdale’s Juan Rubio and Thorndale’s Keon Mays fought off opponents, high winds at state cross country meet, page 3C.
SECTION
C
November 15 2012
Stop Lorena? Stop Coleman Leopards’ junior quarterback has amassed 2,800 total yards, 38 TDs this season You can do all the analyzing, scouting, and film breakdown you want. But if you want to beat Lorena, it’s pretty simple: stop Harris Coleman. The 6-foot-3, 230-pound junior has been dubbed the “human battering ram” and has accrued some impressive numbers in leading the Leopards to the District 17-3A co-championship and the playoffs.
Think probable Heisman Trophy winner Colin Klein of Kansas St. “He’s something else,” said Rockdale Coach Jef f Miller. “Obviously, to beat them, you have to stop him. He makes the whole thing go.” Coleman has rushed for 1,434 yards that has resulted in 25 touchdowns and through the air he has accounted for 1,380 yards and 13 scores on just 98 completions. “The nights when (Coleman) is on, we’re a pretty good football team,” said coach Ray Biles, who has been at Lorena for 21 years. “The nights when he’s struggled a little bit, we’ve struggled a little bit. “I think the thing he’s done since the beginning of the year in Madisonville, he’s a more delib-
rockdale 43
The “human battering ram”, Lorena quarterback Harris Colemen, has his helmet knocked off in the Leopards’ victory over China Spring Friday to claim a piece of the District 17-3A crown.
There will be a city wide pep rally and bonfire on Thursday at 7 p.m. at 813 Mill Street, hosted by Brady’s Pest Control. erate thrower. He’s doing a good job of putting the ball where it needs to be.” Coleman—who provides 281 yards of offense for the Leopards per game—works his magic out of the shotgun and employs a spread offense. “Technically, it’s the wildcat formation every play,” Miller said. “We just have to treat him as the tailback in a two-back set.” Just in case he gets bored, Coleman is also Lorena’s kicker. Like Rockdale, Lorena was
Jose Yau/Waco Tribune-Herald
See LORENA, page 5C
caldwell 12
Bonus Round
rockdale vs. lorena
Big Blue crushes Caldwell to move into post season BY BILL MARTIN
Reporter Sports Editor
Reporter/Cliff Dungan
TWO TO TANGO. Rockdale assistant Clay Cox and Tiger linebacker Austin Caffey celebrate after Caffey recovered a fumble to set up a touchdown at the end of the first half.
The Rockdale football team was uncharacteristically flagged twice for unsportsmanlike conduct Friday, both times for excessive celebration on the field. Tiger coach Jeff Miller—who is a stickler for doing things the right way—says that just this once, it’s okay. “Heck, I think one of them was on me, I was leading them down the sideline.” A spirited Big Blue team earned a spot in the state playoffs by crushing Caldwell 43-12 in the regular season finale at Tigerland Field in a win-or-stay-home situation. The 5-5 Tigers finished in a tie for second with Taylor at 2-2 behind Navasota (10-0, 4-0), the No. 1 ranked team in Class 3A. Rockdale will tackle District 17-3A c0-champion Lorena (8-2) in Region III bi-district action Friday at Leo Buckley Stadium in Killeen (see story above). The Tigers have now won their last regular season game six seasons in a row and five of those have been for a playoff slot. Ta k ing a yea r of f a f ter a school-record four straight trips to the post season, the Tigers are back in the post season—so you’ll have to excuse them for being a little pumped. And according to Miller, the See BONUS, page 5C
What: Rockdale Tigers (5-5) vs. Lorena Leopards (8-2). Division II, Region III bi-district playoff. Where: Leo Buckley Stadium, Killeen (7,600 capacity, Astroplay surface). When: Friday, 7:30 p.m. Favorite: Lorena by 10. Last week: Rockdale 43, Caldwell 12; Lorena 52, China Spring 35. Series: Tied 3-3. Last meeting: 2005, Lorena 31-26. Enrollment: Rockdale 474; Lorena 514. Playoff history: Rockdale 22 trips (19-20); Lorena 13 trips (22-11). Last playoff apperance: Rockdale 2010; Lorena 2011. Last playoff victory: Rockdale def. Cleveland in 2008; Lorena def. Rusk in 2011. State championships: Rockdale 1976, Lorena 1987. District outlook: Rockdale was second (2-2) in District 18-3A to Navasota; Lorena tied for first (4-1) with Waco La Vega in 17-3A. Common opponents: Rockdale def. Madisonville 46-13, def. Salado 35-21; Lorena lost to Madisonville 24-18, def. salado 43-6. Streaking: Lorena has won four straight and eight of nine. Rockdale has won two of three. Leopard to watch: No. 19, Jr. QB Harris Coleman (2,814 total yards, 38 touchdowns). Coaches: Jeff Miller, 7th year at Rockdale (37-38, 72-59 in 13 years); Ray Biles, 123-100 in 21 years, all at Lorena. If you go: Take Hwy 36 to Temple, IH 35 to Belton and 190 to Killeen. Take Jasper Road exit. Merge onto Central Texas expressway. Turn right on Trimmier. Turn left onto Jasper. Turn right onto Florence and Buckley Stadium is on the left. 70 mile trip Best place to eat: Henderson’s Family Restaurant, 425 E. Ave. A. Tickets: $7 for adults, $4 for students. $7 at the gate. Radio: KRXT 98.5.
‘12 Hall of Honor inductees site community for success Three more Rockdale athletes join elite club While Friday night’s Hall of Honor ceremony is steeped in sports performance, there was so much talk of community, it could have been a chamber of commerce meeting. Leigh Shepard, Insenell Richards, Angela White and the late O.E. Wilhite were the sixth class to be inducted into
HALL OF HONOR
the Rockdale Sports Hall of Honor Friday evening. There are now 70 members of the Hall, which honors athletes and contributors from Rockdale and Aycock schools. The newest members were introduced at a banquet in their honor at the high school and then recognized again at halftime of the Rockdale-Caldwell football game.
The Class of 2012 was joined this year by the Tigers’ 1962 state finalist football team, which was celebrating the 50th anniversary of the state championship game. Also in attendance was the coach who led them, 83-year-old Ray Birchfield. Fred Johnson and Lew Simmonds, coaches of the 1976 state championship team, were also Reporter/Bill Martin at the banquet to see a couple All-State linebacker L.B. Kubiak (right), a member of the Tigers’ of their players off that team— 1962 state finalist team, shares a story with current Tigers MarShepard and Richards—placed co Hernandez (22), Austin Caffey (back), Pete Heintze (middle) See HONOR, page 6C and Dillan Ford (50). The ‘62 team was recognized at the Hall of Honor banquet and at the Rockdale-Caldwell football game.
Page 2c
November 15, 2012
area football
Dawgs hang out Holland; Brackettville playoff foe After two-year absence, Thorndale glad to be back in the playoff mix
Reporter/Holly Jentsch
Milano’s Dominique Messer (right), using a block from Mik Mader (44), scored on a 44-yard pass.
Eagles end their season on a high note despite missing the playoffs Milano rips off 37 unanswered points to shake Snook BY MARIE BAKKEN Reporter Staff Writer
BRYAN—It was all about pride for Milano on Friday night as they took down Snook in the season finale for both squads 37-7 at Stephen F. Austin Middle School. The Eagles (6-4, 2-3) missed out on a third straight trip to the post-season, finishing fourth in the final District 13A-II standings. Snook was fifth. Burton went undefeated in league play and are district champions. Bartlett and Granger hammered it out on Friday night for seeding and Bartlett will go as the second place team and Granger third as Bartlett won 18-7 in that match up. The Blue Jays (1-9, 1-4) jumped out to a 7-0 lead in the first quarter on a 45 yard sprint by Deon Hamilton and kick by Robert Lewis. “I thought we came out very sluggish and were just going through the motions when they scored,” Eagles head coach Craig Jentsch said. “It woke us up. It was difficult with the heartbreak losses and some of our starters being out. In their final game, the Eagles were without five starters. Justin Grimes was out with a foot injury and Trent Ellison was on crutches with a leg injury. Chance Pack, Tyler Prazak and David Jentsch did not play due to disciplinary issues. Once Milano got on the board, things finally started to roll. The Eagle defense had held the Blue Jays deep in their own territory and forced a punt. The snap on that punt went high over Lewis’ head and Milano got a safety and on the board with 8:18 left in the second. It was the first safety for the Eagles this season. With less than two minutes left in the half, Jordan Millar, playing with a broken thumb, scored from six yards out and then on the next possession, Toby Sanders would run it in from the one. A Millar conversion run after the Sanders score put Milano up 16-7 at the half. “We took advantage of good field position before the end of the first half,” Jentsch said. “We finally scored when handed the opportunities, something we had struggled with throughout the season.” In the third quarter, the senior duo of quarterback Sanders and receiver Dominique Messer teamed up for the last time in their high school career for a 44 yard touchdown. Messer has scored at least one touchdown (on either offense or defense) in every game this season. Millar found pay dirt for the second time four seconds into
13a-II Standings MILANO 37, SNOOK 7 Milano Snook 11 First downs 4 39-181 Rushing 28-37 5-14-0 Passing 4-14-1 89 Passing yards 45 270 Total yards 82 4-34 Punts-average 3-24.3 3-1 Fumbles 4-2 7-60 Penalties 9-90 Milano Snook
Score by quarters 0 16 6 15—37 7 0 0 0—7
Scoring summary First quarter SNOOK — Deon Hamilton 45 run (Robert Lewis kick) 4:59 Second quarter MIL ANO —Safet y (bad snap on punt attempt) 8:18 MILANO —Jordan Millar 6 run (kick failed) 1:52 MILANO —Toby Sanders 1 run (Millar run) 0:01 Third quarter MILANO—Dominique Messer 44 pass from Sanders (run failed) 3:26 Fourth quarter MILANO—Millar 3 run (Millar run) 11:56 MILANO—Junior Gallarado 37 run (Mik Mader kick) 4:58 Leaders RUSHING—Milano: Millar 14-68 2TD; Sanders 18-59 TD; Gallarado 4-45 TD; Messer 3-9. Snook: Hamilton 8-59 TD; Lewis 9-(-22); Austin Jackson 11-0. PASSING—Milano: Sanders 5-13-0 89 yards TD; Millar 0-1-0 0 yards. Snook: Lewis 4-14-1 45 yards. RECEIVING—Milano: Messer 3-62 TD; Rhett Endsley 2-27. Snook: Darien Swayne 3-26; Jackson 1-19. TACKLES—Milano: Messer 12, Makenan Hairston 8, Millar 4, Endsley 4, Mitchell Henson 3, Jonathan Reyes 3.
the fourth quarter on a three yard run. Milano’s last touchdown of the year came from Junior Gallarado with 4:58 left in the game. He scampered in from 37 yards out. Mik Mader hit the extra point kick for the final 37-7 score. “We finally came around and our defense did a really good job of stopping the run and we did a little better with our pass defense,” Jentsch said. “I was pleased with our overall team effort.” By the numbers Millar was Milano’s top rusher in the game with 68 yards on 14 carries. Sanders carried the ball 18 times for 59 yards. Sanders threw the ball 13 times, connecting on five of them. Messer snagged three passes for 62 yards and Rhett Endsley had two catches for 27 yards. Messer was also the Eagles top defender with 12 tackles and a fumble recovery. Makenan Hairston had eight tackles and a fumble recovery, with Sanders adding an interception. Seniors Milano’s senior class this year is small, with just four 12th graders on its roster, but they will be big shoes to fill next year. Those four are Dominique Messer, Toby Sanders, Micheal Elston and Rhett Endsley. “This class is special because
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District Season W L W L Pts Opp x-Burton 5 0 9 1 366 126 y-Bartlett 4 1 6 4 195 194 z-Granger 3 2 5 5 199 210 Milano 2 3 6 4 298 139 Snook 1 4 1 9 134 251 Somerville 0 5 1 9 51 426 (x-Clinched district title; y-second place team; z-third place team.) This week—Bartlett vs. Woodsboro at New Braunfels Canyon; Granger vs. Runge at Fischer Canyon Lake. Burton has a bye. Last week—Milano 37, Snook 7; Burton 76, Somerville 7; Bartlett 18, Granger 7.
MILANO SEASON LEADERS RUSHING—Millar 105-721 9TD; Sanders 99-446 8TD; Pack 44-225 TD; Gallarado 25-188 4TD; Walton 33-84 TD; Neal 10-63 TD. PASSING—Sanders 34-94-4 686 yards 10TD; Millar 8-24-0 159 yards 3TD; Walton 1-2-0 36 yards; Jentsch 1-3-0 27 yards TD. RECEIVING—Messer 27-735 12TD; Millar 4-54 TD; Mader 6-65 TD; Endsley 2-27; Grimes 3-18. TACKLES—Messer 133, Millar 71, Trent Ellison 57, Hairston 49, Tyler Prazak 45, David Jentsch 44, Alex Ferrara 37, Rowan 34, Derek Walton 31.
I have been their head coach for four years. Those kids are dependable and consistently came out to play for me,” Jentsch said. “Dominique will be irreplaceable and Toby has become an excellent quarterback,” Jentsch said. “Micheal was steady at both offensive and defensive lineman and Rhett, although he didn’t come out for football until his junior year, was key for us on special teams and in our secondary.” Messer has been the team’s tackle leader for the past three seasons and had totaled 403 tackles in his high school career. The 6-4 receiver also snagged 55 catches totaling 1,430 yards and 22 touchdowns. Sanders f inished his high school career with 1,712 yards passing, completing 84 of 209 passes, with 14 interceptions and 25 touchdowns. He was also over the 1,000 mark in rushing, toting the ball 236 times for 1,084 yards and 17 touchdowns. Playoff picture Burton (9-1, 5-0) will have a bye in the first round of the playoffs with the district title. Bartlett, 6-4 on the season and 4-1 in league play will play Woodsboro at New Braunfels Canyon on Friday night. Granger, 5-5 and 3-2, will play Runge at Fischer Canyon Lake on Friday as well. Sub-varsity The Eagles junior varsity squad members suited up and played with the varsity on Friday night. The team was able to play seven games this season as a JV and went 3-4. Milano’s junior high team defeated Snook 16-0 Thursday at Pruett Field. The junior high Eagles ended up 5-3 on the season and 3-2 in district play.
THORNDALE—Having already secured a playoff spot, Thorndale just wanted to make sure it turned in a solid performance in the regular season finale against Holland. Mission accomplished. The Bulldogs leapt out to a 31-18 halftime lead en route to a commanding 45-25 victory over playoff hopeful Holland. Thorndale ends the season at 8-2 overall and 3-1 in District 13A, Division I behind champion Weimar (6-4, 4-0). The last time the Bulldogs won as many as eight games was in 2009 when they went 8-3. The Bulldogs will now battle Brackettville (7-3), which finished third in District 14A behind defending state champion and No. 2 ranked Mason (led by former Thorndale coach Kade Burns) and Ozona. The game will be played at San Antonio’s venerable Alamo Stadium at 7:30 p.m. Friday. The winner will take on La Villa (9-1) in the area round. This playoff trip is especially sweet after the Bulldogs went 7-3 the past two seasons in Class 2A and missed out on the post season. It’s been six years since the Bulldogs posted a playoff victory, 18-14 over LaVilla in 2006 in the quarterfinals when the Bulldogs went 10-4. In their last playoff appearance, they lost to eventual state champion Goldthwaite 34-32 in bi-district in 2009. In the finale, Thorndale used a balanced attack to dispose of the Hornets (5-5, 1-3) who actually slipped in the post season back door and will face Ozona (8-2) in Marble Falls Friday. There was a three-way tie for third between Holland, Thrall and Flatonia, which all stood 1-3 in district. As champion, Weimar drew a bye. In his second game back from injury, Darius Brooks churned out 129 yards on just 16 carries. The sophomore needs just 115 yards to reach 1,000 for the season. The last Bulldog to crack the barrier was Marcus Guest in 2006. The game marked the return of two-way starter Price Miller who had not played since the third week of the season. Miller gained 21 yards on seven carries. Thorndale coach Brent Brevard welcomed Miller’s return. “We are not at full strength, but getting close,” said Brevard. “Getting the injured guys back has been nice, but they are having to get back into the swing of things.” Quarterback Riley Schaefer was 10-of-20 for 162 yards and tied a school record with four touchdown passes. A pair went to Sam Stockton (4 catches, 94 yards) from 23 and 45 yards out and two to Colton Austin (4 for 59) from 16 and 12 yards away. The junior quarterback has now thrown for 1,444 yards and 17 touchdown passes, both school records, eclipsing marks set by Tyler Miller last season. The Bulldogs shut down the Hornets’ passing game, so Reece Nicholson rolled up 124 yards on the ground but was shut out of the end zone. Linebacker Lorenzo Llana sparked the defense by returning an interception 38 yards for a touchdown in the second quarter to push Thorndale in front 24-7. Scouting Brackettville The Tigers enter the playoffs on a two-game losing skid after falling to the top two teams in District 14A, Mason and Ozona, by a combined score of 89-20. Brackettville had the luxury of returning all 11 starters on offense and another nine on defense off a 4-7 area finalist in
Reporter/Teresa Ging
Senior Sam Stockton snagged his first two touchdown passes of the season from 23 and 45 yards out from quarterback Riley Schaefer and led the Bulldogs with four catches for 94 yards.
thorndale 45, holland 25 Thorndale vs. brackettville Who: Thorndale Bulldogs (8-2) vs. Brackettville Tigers (7-3) What: Class A, Division I, Region IV, bi-district playoff. When: Friday, 7:30 p.m. Where: Alamo Stadium, San Antonio (23,000 capacity, Nex Turf, opened in 1940). Last week: Thorndale 49, Holland 25; Ozona 42, Brackettville 14. District: Thorndale was second in District 13A; Brackettville was third in 14A behind Mason and Ozona. Last playoff appearance: Thorndale 2009; Brackettville 2011. Playoff history: Thorndale has 32 wins in 23 appearances (.656 winning percentage). Last playoff win: 18-14 over LaVilla in 2006. Tiger to watch: No. 51, Sr. LB Daniel Falcon (96 tackles, 15 sacks). Road map: Brackettville is located 32 miles east of Del Rio and is 252 miles from Thorndale. It is where the John Wayne movie The Alamo was filmed.
Holland Thorndale 17 First downs 17 42-256 Rushing 36-148 4-16-3 Passing 10-20-0 40 Passing yards 162 296 Total yards 310 5-30 Punts-average 4-28 0-0 Fumbles 1-1 9-72 Penalties 12-94 Score by quarters Holland 7 11 7 0—25 Thorndale 10 21 7 7—45 Scoring summary First quarter THORNDALE—Colton Austin 23 FG 8:24 THORNDALE—Darius Brooks 8 run (Austin kick) 6:22 HOLLAND—Alex Coleman 2 run (Rion Gibson) 1:19 Second quarter THORNDALE—Sam Stockton 23 pass from Riley Schaefer (Austin kick) 9:32 THORNDALE—Lorenzo Llana 38 INT return (Austin kick) 9:16 HOLLAND—Gibson 23 FG 3:58 HOLLAND—Jacob Cantu 48 run (Cantu pass from Coleman) 3:36 THORNDALE—Stockton 45 pass from Schaefer (Austin kick) 3:24 Third quarter THORNDALE—Austin 16 pass from Schaefer (Austin kick) 6:44 HOLLAND–cantu 1 run (Gibson kick) :49 Fourth quarter THORNDALE—Austin 12 pass from Schaefer (Austin kick) 5:38 Leaders RUSHING—THORNDALE: Brooks 16-129 TD, Austin 5-24, Miller 7-21, McCoy 1-6, Miller, J. 1-(-2), Schaefer 5-(-12), Salinas 1-(-18). PASSING—THORNDALE: Schaefer 10-200, 162 yards, 4 TD. RECEIVING —THORNDALE: Stock ton 4-94 2 TD, Austin 4-59 2 TD, Mays 1-11, Brooks 1-(-2).
SEASON LEADERS
Rushing—Brooks 130-885 12TD, McCoy 51-276 TD, Austin 36-250 4TD, Barker 46-243 4TD, Miller 32-226 3TD, Mays 26-152 2TD, Guzman 11-102 TD, Schaefer 41-166 4TD, Miller, J. 15-27, Salinas 1-(-5), Bigan 1-(-7). Passing—Schaefer 95-170-3, 1,444 yards 17 TD; Miller, J. 5-13-1, 95 ya rds TD; Mays 3-8-0, 36 yards, Stockton 1-1-0. Receiving—Mays 29-450 4TD, Austin 18-344 5TD, Stockton 13-262 2TD, Guzman 5-120 2TD, Miller, J. 5-109 2TD, Gomez 8-85, Salinas 9-82 2TD, Miller 5-67 TD, Hafley 5-41, Bigan 1-6, Brooks 3-6, McCoy 2-3.
2011. The Tigers are almost split perfectly down the middle when it comes to offense; 177 yards on the ground, 171 yards through the air. Running back David Ortega, who started last season as a freshman, has stepped off 1,241 yards and 15 touchdowns and averages almost seven yards per carry. Ortega ran for 150 yards and both scores in the Tigers’ loss to Ozona Friday.
final 13A-I Standings
District Season W L W L Pts Opp
Weimar
6 4
4 0
271
Thorndale
8 2
3 1
312 167
195
Thrall
4 6
1 3 177
Holland
5 5
1 3 306 282
276
Flatonia
4 6
1 3 216 191
This week—Thorndale vs. Brackettville; Holland vs. Ozona; Weimar is idle.
Last week—Thorndale 45, Holland 25; Flatonia 24, Thrall 5; Van Vleck. 29, Weimar 22.
Quarterback Coltan Stephenson, a lso a sophomore, has thrown for 1,273 yards and 15 touchdowns, but has also been picked off 13 times. Four Tigers have at least 14 receptions. On defense, the Tigers are led by district most valuable player Daniel Falcon who despite standing 5-foot-7 and 205 pounds, has made 96 stops and stacked up 15 sacks for 120 yards worth of losses.
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November 15, 2012
Page 3c
Eighth grade Tigers capture district title in comeback win Junior varsity quarterback John David Mendoza looks for running room in the Tigers’ loss to Caldwell to end the season.
THURSDAY TIGERS SEASON REPORT CARD Team Record Tiger JV/Frosh 1-9 8th grade 5-4* 7th grade 6-2 RJH B team 2-5 *District champions
Reporter/Bill Martin
Rockdale’s Juan Rubio heads for the finish line at the UIL state cross country meet Saturday.
Rubio improves position; Mays makes impression Runners fight off wicked win at state cross country meet
Thorndale’s Keon Mays (right) was impressive in his first trip to state with a 20th place finish.
BY BILL MARTIN
Reporter Sports Editor
ROUND ROCK—The one thing you can always count on at the state cross country meet is wind— and plenty of it. Battling swirling winds of up to 40 miles per hour, Rockdale’s Juan Rubio improved his previous position and Thorndale’s Keon Mays made a great first impression at the 40th annual University Interscholastic League’s state cross country meet held at Old Settler’s Park Saturday. The demanding 5,000-meter course features hills and valleys that present a unique challenge for the runners—not to mention the wind. Rubio crossed the finish line in 39th place out of 103 competitors, bettering his 47th place finish at the 2011 state meet. His 17 minute, 44.59 second clocking Saturday was actually slower than his 2011 time of 17:32.05. Rubio’s average pace was 5:41 and while he normally jumps out ahead at the start of the race, he settled for blending in the middle of the pack to begin with. Cesar Gonzalez of Lytle easily glided to the 3A title with a time of 16:01.35, over 18 seconds ahead of second place Christo-
Rogers 55, Rockdale 34 ROCKDALE (0-1)—Visha Henderson 7, De’Jhoria Robertson 7, Ikeria Green 5, Taylor Pickett 4, Edricka Burns 4, Ansley Jenkins 4, Samantha Muston 2, Emily Norris 1. JV: Rogers 43-12—Carpenter 8, Sandles 2, Contreras 2. FROSH: Rockdale 18-10—Carpenter 10, Juarez 6, Parsley 2. Milano 39, Franklin 36 MILANO (1-0)—Keely LaGrone 4, Amber O’Gilvie 4, Stonie Guthrie 14, Myka Morehead 5, Halle McManess 8, Raighley Shaw 2, Hayleigh LaGrone 2. Milano 7 11 9 12—39 Franklin 3 13 10 10—36 Highlights: Guthrie 14 reb., O’Gilvie 3 stls., Morehead 11 reb., McManess 5 stls. Shaw 4 rebs. JV: Franklin 46-27. Thorndale 74, Austin Lanier 9 THORNDALE (3-0)— Charity
Reporter/ Cliff Dungan
24-8 at intermission. Matthew Vreeland caused a fumble that Crawford pounced on that Springer turned into a 20-yard score followed by J.R. Hinojosa’s onside kick recovery that was parlayed into a 50-yard breakoff for Crawford’s third score of the game and a 38-8 lead. Crawford ended this season with 26 touchdowns. Rey Vega opened the fourth quarter with a five-yard burst and then Hinojosa scooped up a loose ball that had been caused by Jim Meraz and trotted 50 yards for a touchdown that made the final 50-14. Coaches said Patrick Dean, Jason Wilson, Tyler Lehmkuhl, Dylan David, Walker Crane and Robert Whitehead turned in outstanding efforts. R JH B team—Trailing at intermission, the junior high B team erupted for 20 points in a 26-8 season ending victory. The Tigers (2-5) methodically drove down the field on their first score as Brajon Ayala’s 25-yard run and Dylan Kurz’ 15-yard pass to Jack Ingram allowed Kurz to
dance over from the five for a score. After a scoreless second quarter, Cesar Gonzalez pushed the Tigers ahead for good with a 28-yard run in the third quarter for a 12-8 lead. Kurz scored for the second time from 12 yards out for a 20-8 lead. Marcos Guiterrez closed out the scoring in the fourth quarter on a 10-yard burst. Ingram, Zavion Burgess, Chaz Caywood, Saul Salazar, James Weller, Kevin Cloer and Julian Burks were the standouts. Junior varsity A late game flurry fell short as the Tiger junior varsity were tripped up by Caldwell 40-17. Tailback Mario Buentello got the Tigers (1-9) on the scoreboard in the first quarter on a five-yard dive. Trailing by double-digits in the final quarter, quarterback John David Mendoza tossed a 15-yard touchdown pass and Adolfo Chavira booted a 32-yard field goal. Tailback Chase Pickett and linebacker Jon Hines stood out for the Tigers.
Reporter/ Teresa Ging
state cross country pher Speaks of Coldsprings, who was the Region III winner. Decatur, fifth last year, captured the team title by 21 points over Lytle. “I think he knows that this season saw his times slower than last year,” said Rockdale Cross Country coach Liz Galloway-McQuitter. “He also knows that he still made it to state. That is a testament to the talent he possesses. He still has a track season ahead of him.” Rubio—a three-time district champion—was the first Rockdale runner to make consecutive appearances at the state cross
scoreboard girls
The Rockdale sub -varsit y teams took three out of four from Caldwell to close out the season. Trailing 14-8, the Tiger eighth grade team rallied for a 22-14 victory over the Hornets to capture the district championship. Fol low i ng D av ion For d’s 15-yard outburst in the first quarter, the Tigers (5-4) did not cross the goal line again until the third quarter. David Franklin’s 13-yard run knotted the game at 14-14 heading into the final period. The Tigers pulled out all the stops, using a flea-flicker as running back Braxton Moore took the handoff, passed back to quarterback Franklin who then found Josh Barker for a 35-yard connection and the game winning score. According to coaches, Moore, Daniel Banda, Luke Elliston and Alex Guzman were the offensive standouts. Turning in outstanding games on defense were Braden Hartley, Quentin White, Zach Montelongo and Jessie Vega. Seventh grade The sevent h grade Tigers kept up a steady scoring pace in scorching Caldwell 50-14. Josh Springer opened the flood gates with a 50-yard sprint in the first quarter to make it 8-0. Touchdown machine Jaqualyn Crawford returned a kickoff 90 yards for a score to open the second quarter and also accounted for the conversion to make it 16-8 and then quickly reeled off a 43-yard run that made the score
Tatroe 2, Kristen Butterworth 6, Heather Butterworth 2, Shelby Pausewant 2, Alix Hoffman 8, Olivia Atkins 24, Iris Leyendecker 12, Lizzie Marr 4, Tamicka Cook 11, Marlene Hall 3. LANIER—Tran 3, Chaparro 2, Adamn 4. Lanier 0 5 0 4— 9 Tdale 21 23 12 18—74 Highlights: H. Butterworth 5 reb., Leyendecker 8 stls., Cook 6 stls. JV: Thorndale 54-2. 9th: Thorndale 38-0. Thorndale 48, Schulenburg 21 THORNDALE (2-0)—Kristen Butterworth 3, Alix Hoffman 10, Olivia Atkins 14, Lizzie Marr 6, Tamicka Cook 11, Marlene Hall 4. Schulenburg 0 10 7 4—21 Thorndale 9 9 10 20—48 Highlights: Atkins 16 reb, 3 stl; Hoffman 7 reb; Hall 4 ast.
boys
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country meet since Lee Nichols and Leonard Garza in 1984-85. Nichols was a spectator at this year’s meet, cheering Rubio on. “I am proud of Juan’s accomplishments in cross country,” McQuitter said, “not just this year, but in the three years I have had the privilege of coaching him. He has had a great cross country career at RHS.” The senior also earned a trip to the state track meet in 2011 in the 3,200-meter run. Making his first appearance at the state meet, the Bulldogs’ Mays surged to 20th place in the Class A field of 108 runners with a time of 17:47.13. Kade Cowan of Buckholts was sixth at 17:23.74. The appropriately named Dallas Rushing of Axtell captured the Class A crown with a time of Football JV Blue team—The boys won the Tri-County Super Bowl on Nov. 3. They had an undefeated 16:40.14. Forsan grabbed the team title. season with 265 points scored and only 6 points allowed. Back row (L-R) are coach Raymond McBride, Tim Mitchell and Head Coach Eric Robinson; next row, Anthony Dansby, Jace Robinson, Kobe Mitchell, Enrique Rivera, Kesean Raven, Christopher Vargas, Jamarr Zamora, Xavier Matchett, Bryce Govan, Brian Bell, Jakob Waxler and Christian Briggs; third row, Trevor Everage, Cam’Ron Valdez Alcorn, Maddox Rubio, Raymond McBride and water-girl Kyndal Robinson; cheerleaders are Makaila Jackson, Layla Barrera, Cady Barcak, Emma Dodge and Kennedy Robinson. MUMFORD (1-0)—Hyson 23, King 17, Smitherman 8, Haynes 6, Pompa 4, Mack 4, Shannon 2, Sustaita 2.
where they play
junior high
7B: lost 11-8—Alissa Mayberry 3, Nicole Smith 2, Carlee Morgan 2, Ta’Shon Chamblee 1. 7A lost 24-22—Francis King 10, Faith Rickman 8, Avery Willis 3, Sharice Boyd 1. 8B: lost 13-11—Corissa Moreno 6, Kaylee Maloy 4, Abbi Moreland 1, Da’Vana Sterling 1 ast. 8 A : l o s t 4 0 -1 1— E r i n Blanchard 5, Lauryn Locklin 4, Kaitlyn Deary 2.
TIGER FOOTBALL
Tuesday—at Brazos Christian
Friday—Lorena at Leo Buckley
MILANO GIRLS BASKETBALL
Stadium in Killeen, 7:30 p.m.
Tuesday—at Brazos Christian
Region III Bi-district
THORNDALE FOOTBALL
TIGER BASKETBALL
Friday—Bracketville at Alamo
Tuesday—Cameron
Stadium in San Antonio
LADY TIGER BASKETBALL
Region IV Bi-district
Tuesday—Lexington, 4 p.m.
THORNDALE BASKETBALL
Monday—Cameron, 5:15 p.m.
Tuesday—at Anderson-Shiro
Tuesday—at Austin Lanier, TBA
LADY DOG BASKETBALL
MILANO BASKETBALL
Friday—Salado, JV-V, 5-6
Friday—at Rosebud-Lott
Monday—at Hays, V, 6 p.m.
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Page 4c
November 15, 2012
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November 15, 2012
Page 5c
ROCKDALE 43, caldwell 12
Clockwise from left, LaDontice Coates (11) and Noe Zelaya (99) celebrate after Zelaya’s bone-crunching, touchdown-saving tackle on Caldwell’s C.J. Bills (left middle). Top left, Caldwell’s Jake Payonk can’t quite get a grip on Austin Caffey after a reception. Top middle, injured All-State linebacker James David enters the field on crutches prior to knee surgery. Top right, to the victors goes the Gatorade as Josh Pelzel (72) and teammates douse an unsuspecting Coach Jeff Miller at the end of the game. Middle right, Darius Ford goes airborne to snag an 11-yard touchdown pass late in the fourth quarter, his first of the season. Bottom right, Elijah Brooks darted through the Caldwell defense for 138 yards.
Photography by Cliff Dungan and Bill Martin
Lorena
Bonus
Continued from page 1c in must-win mode in its 52-35 victory over China Spring to claim a share of the district title with LaVega. The Leopards constructed a 45-7 lead in the third quarter and then stemmed the Cougars’ tide. In the victory Friday, Coleman ran the ball 26 times for 171 yards and five touchdowns and added 163 through the air with two more scores for a total of seven on the evening. Defensively, the Leopards are led by senior safety Reggie Davis, who has made 150 stops. Lorena—which was tabbed fifth in pre-season district polls—will be riding the crest of a four-game winning streak and have taken eight of nine games. Rockdale and Lorena do have a recent history, last playing in 2005, with the Leopards winning 31-26. In 2002-03, the two teams played in the same district, with the Tigers taking both league games. In six games, the series is tied 3-3. TIGER TRACKS • In other District 18-3A playoff action, Taylor (4-6) faces La Vega (7-3) at Leo Buckley Stadium on Thursday and No. 1 Navasota (100) takes on China Spring (6-4) at Bryan High School. The Ducks are 7-14 in the past two seasons with two post season trips. • Navasota did not allow a single point in district play, outscoring opponents 191-0. The Rattlers posted five shutouts on the season, while outscoring the opposition 461-43. • Miller has now led the Tigers to the playoffs five times, tying him for second on the coaching list with Fred Johnson (1973-80) and behind Casey Creghan’s (19942003) six trips in 10 seasons. • This season marks the 14th time the Tigers have finished second in league play in their history and the fifth time in seven years under Miller. • After being ranked 20th in the pre-season and picked as the district frontrunner, Liberty Hill did not make the playoffs, falling to Gatesville 48-25 Friday to finish 6-4 overall and 2-3 in District 8-3A
Continued from page 1c
the starting lineups ROCKDALE OFFENSE
No. Pos. Player, Ht.-Wt. Class 8 QB Ethan Brinkley, 6-3, 210 Sr 32 TB Elijah Brooks, 5-9, 200 Jr. 6 X Pearce Loth, 6-4, 175 So 33 H Austin Caffey, 6-0, 180 Jr 1 Y Devante Burgess, 5-7, 150 Jr 7 Z Clayton Gibbs, 6-0, 185 Jr 57 LT Pedro Ibares, 6-4, 225 Sr 72 LG Josh Pelzel, 6-6, 300 Jr 65 C Ramsey Zinn, 6-0, 260 Jr 55 RG Gabriel McQuinn 6-2, 275 Sr 68 RT Dedrick Page, 5-8, 220 Jr 55 48 32 59 33 9 34 12 5 7 11
ROCKDALE DEFENSE
RT LE NG LB LB LB LB CB CB S S
Gabriel McQuinn 6-2, 275 Patric Trejo, 6-2, 225 Elijah Brooks, 5-9, 200 Pete Heintze, 6-0, 200 Austin Caffey, 6-0, 180 Kris Baldavia, 5-8, 150 Markus Hayes, 5-10, 215 Hayden Offield, 5-11, 150 Ed Dansby, 5-8, 140 Clayton Gibbs, 6-0, 185 LaDontice Coats, 5-10, 180
Sr Sr Jr Jr Jr Sr Sr So So Jr Jr
after losing three of its last four games. The Panthers started the season at 5-1. • The combined records of all nine teams the Tigers faced this year was 49-50. Four opponents made the playoffs (Burnet, Cameron, Taylor, Navasota). • In the absence of All-State linebacker James David, Markus Hayes led the team in tackles with eight. Hayes has 127 on the season. • Speaking of tackles, placekicker Noe Zelaya ignited the Tiger bench with his touchdown-saving tackle on C.J. Bills. It was his fourth stop of the season. “He’s one of the team favorites,” Miller said. “To see him step up that way was great. It was a big play.” • Ethan Brinkley now has 4,468 yards passing to extend his school record. He also has 35 touchdown passes to also extend that record. • Elijah Brooks needs just 66 yards to cross the 1,000-yard rushing plateau and become the 12th Tiger in history to do so. • Rockdale is 4-2 in Hall of Honor games. • The Tigers led District 18-3A in fumble recoveries with 15. They also picked off 11 passes, led by Hayes’ 3.
LORENA DEFENSE
No. Pos. Player, Ht.-Wt. Class 57 RT Kyle Perlowski, 5-11, 215 Jr 55 NG Trevor Beard, 5-8, 175 Jr 70 LT Tyler Atkinson, 6-2, 190 Sr 59 LB Matthew Barnard, 5-9, 175 Sr 32 LB Chase Campbell, 5-10, 172 Jr 51 LB Spencer Smith, 6-2, 190 Sr 4 LB Bobby Strahan, 5-11, 215 Jr 5 CB Taylor Glenn, 5-8, 150 Sr 2 S Reggie Davis, 5-9, 168 Sr 7 S Tyler Wilson, 5-8, 160 Jr 20 CB Mat Groh, 5-9, 150 Sr 19 25 84 10 15 18 72 74 54 68 71
QB TB X H Z Y LT LG C RG RT
LORENA OFFENSE
Harris Coleman, 6-3, 230 Jr Duggan Burch 5-9, 195 Jr Brian Bays, 5-8, 160 Sr Tyler Ellis, 6-0, 170 Sr Cole Channon, 5-10, 172 Sr Cooper Cox, 5-8, 150 Sr Jared Walton, 5-11, 215 Sr Aaron Zambrano, 6-1, 280 Sr Roberto Rodriguez,5-11,215 Sr Luke Ballard, 5-11, 200 Sr Austin Allsup, 6-0, 234 Jr
lineman of the week Junior center Ramsey Zinn graded out highest against Navasota.
LORENA RESULTS (8-2)
Madisonville 24, Lorena 18 Lorena 43, Salado 6 Lorena 30, Lampasas 12 Lorena 42, Grandview 34 Lorena 22, Groesbeck 20 Connally 29, Lorena 19 Lorena 32, La Vega 20 Lorena 35, Robinson 28 Lorena 56, West 3 Lorena 52, China Spring 35
LORENA SEASON LEADERS
Rushing—Coleman 242-1,434, 25 TD; Whiteside 77-520, 3TD; Burch 104-504, 4TD; Passing— Coleman 93-158-7, 1,380 yards, 13 TD. Receiving—Channon 20-408 7 TD; Cox 15-164 TD. Tackles—Davis 150, Campbell 125, Strahan 98, Smith 68, Stewart 60, Groh 52, Mays 46.
enthusiasm was encouraged. “They understood the importance of the game,” he said. “We spent a lot of time as coaches last week dealing in motivation. “They’ve been pretty excited all week and we came out of the dressing room just floating. “It goes back to what we had been preaching all week. We had to have that intensity. We had to have that enthusiasm.” Even when Caldwell mounted an early goal line stand and the Tigers found themselves trailing 6-2 in the second quarter, their confidence never waned and they reeled off 35 straight points, including 27 in the second quarter to put the game out of reach. The turning point came late in the second quarter when already leading 15-6, Big Blue took advantage of two Caldwell blunders in the final minutes. Facing fourth-and-seven with 3 minutes, 56 seconds left in the first half at its own 47-yard line, the Hornets tried a fake punt, handing the ball to lineman Austin Grimes who was smothered by the swarming Tiger defense. Eight plays later, Brinkley pushed over from the two to make it 22-6. Then, on the Hornets’ first play from scrimmage after the kickoff, receiver Colton Lilie fumbled and Austin Caffey came up with the ball to set up another quick score. With a plan to just complete a short pass, call a timeout and attempt a field goal, Clayton Gibbs threw a monkey wrench into those conservative plans. Gibbs hauled in a short pass from Brinkley alright, but dodged and pushed his way towards the end zone, carrying several Caldwell players on his back as he crossed the goal line to complete the 40-yard scoring play and leave the halftime score 29-6. Gibbs was mauled by his teammates on the field, thus drawing the first of two celebration penalties. “That sequence f lipped the game,” Miller said. “Once he started breaking tackles and decided he was going to score, he had to score because the clock was running out. “What an outstanding individ-
ual effort.” The Tigers added on a 10-yard Brinkley to Caffey connection in the third quarter for a 36-6 lead and then Brinkley logged his fourth touchdown pass of the evening when he found Darius Ford in the corner of the end zone in the fourth quarter to make the final 43-12. Brinkley finished with 222 yards on 19-of-29 accuracy, while Gibbs grabbed five passes for 75 yards and two scores. Almost forgotten in all the pass catching exploits, Elijah Brooks broke free for 138 yards on 20 carries and a touchdown. Playing their first game without injured All-State linebacker James David in the middle, the Big Blue responded by stuffing the Hornet running game with just 35 yards on 27 attempts. Caldwell quarterback tried to make up for the lack of a running attack, completing 19-of-29 passes for 199 yards and two touchdowns, but the sophomore was also picked off twice. Caldwell completes its second straight one-win season at 1-8 and 1-3 in district play. “Obviously we’re excited, just to watch these young kids compete,” Miller said. “After what we’ve been through this year, we earned everything we got and these kids deserve it.”
18-3A Standings Season District W L W L Pts Opp Navasota 10 0 4 0 461 43 Rockdale 5 5 2 2 237 292 Taylor 4 6 2 2 185 260 Madisonville 5 5 1 3 247 196 Caldwell 1 8 1 3 169 466 This week—Rockdale vs. Lorena; Navasota vs. China Spring at Bryan High; Taylor vs. LaVega in Killeen, Thursday. Last week—Rockdale 43, Caldwell 12; Navasota 53, Taylor 0; Madisonville was idle.
TIGER SEASON RESULTS (5-5)
Rockdale 35, Salado 21 Rockdale 24, Burnet 17 Cameron 34, Rockdale 0 Liberty Hill 76, Rockdale 35 Smithville 27, Rockdale 0 Rockdale 27, Hillsboro 15 Taylor 34, Rockdale 38 (3 OTs) Rockdale 45, Madisonville 13 Navasota 43, Rockdale 0 Rockdale 43, Caldwell 12
Caldwell Rockdale 14 First downs 27 27-35 Rushing yards 38-258 17-29-2 Passes 19-29-0 199 Passing yards 222 234 Total offense 462 2-35 Punts 2-42 3-20 Penalties 4-45 Score by quarters Caldwell 0 6 0 6—12 Rockdale 2 27 7 7—43 Scoring summary First quarter ROCKDALE—Safety, Caelin Goss tackled in end zone Second quarter CALDWELL—Antwan Heath 6 pass from Brett Gilchrist (run failed) ROCKDALE—Clayton Gibbs 16 pass from Ethan Brinkley (kick failed) ROCKDALE—Elijah Brooks 7 run (Noe Zelaya kick) ROCKDALE—Brinkley 2 run (Zelaya kick) ROCKDALE—Gibbs 40 pass from Brinkley (Zelaya kick) :00 Third quarter ROCKDALE—Austin Caffey 10 pass from Brinkley (Zelaya kick) Fourth quarter CALDWELL—Johnathon Jackson 27 pass from Gilchrist (pass failed) ROCKDALE—Darius Ford 11 pass from Brinkley (Zelaya kick)
The Leaders
RUSHING—ROCKDALE: Brooks 20-138 TD, Ramey 16-85, Baldavia 1-12, Brinkley 3-5. CALDWELL: Heath 4-19. PASSING—ROCKDALE: Brinkley 19-290, 222 yards, 4TD. CALDWELL: Gilchrist 17-29-2, 199 yards, 2TD. RECEIVING—ROCKDALE: Gibbs 5-75 2TD, Trejo 3-44, Caffey 3-40 TD, Walton 2-22, Loth 1-18, Burton 1-13, Hernandez, 1-8, Ford 1-8, Burgess 1-0, Ramey 1-(-6).. CALDWELL: Jackson 10-138. TACKLES—Hayes 8, Baldavia 7, Gibbs 6, Caffey 6, Trejo 6, Hernandez 5.
TIGER SEASON LEADERS
Rushing—Brooks 149-934 13 TD, Ramey 72-305, Hayes 26-148 TD, Coats 6-36, Dansby 8-24, David 1-5, Burgess 2-6, Castilleja 2-3, Gibbs 8-(-8), Brinkley 28-(-45) 3TD, Baldivia 2-32. Passing—Brinkley 113-201-11, 1,531 yards, 12 TD; Gibbs 26-64-2, 381 yards, 4TD. Receiving—Caffey 30-348 4TD, Loth 26-398 4TD, Gibbs 22-390 4TD, Burgess 17-148, Baldavia 6-138 TD, Walton 7-187 TD, Ramey 5-21, Ford 3-49 TD, Trejo 6-102 TD, Burton 4-37, Dean 1-16, Brooks 2-24, Whitsel 2-23, Gates 1-12, David 2-18, Hernandez 1-9, Hayes 1-7. Tackles—Hayes 127, David 119, Coates 88, Caffey 75, Trejo 50, Ehler 43, Dansby 44, Gibbs 43, Baldavia 32, Hernandez 29, Heintze 28.
Page 6c
November 15, 2012
2012 HALLOFHONOR Honor Continued from page 1c in the Hall. All three recipients deflected credit for their achievements to the people who influenced them— and the town of Rockdale itself. “When I was a kid, I was raised by the whole community,” said Shepard, a 1978 graduate and an All-State football player for the Tigers who played football at LSU. “Lee Ida Hairston, Harold Parsley, the Kovar family, the Heintze family—there were a lot of special people hanging on that fence on Friday nights. “My village is still sitting in here tonight. “What drove our success is that we never wanted to let each other down,” Shepard added. “We never wanted to fail our assignments. But if we did fail our assignments, someone had our backs.” Richards, a 1977 graduate who also played on the state championship team, noted the symbiotic relationship between three close graduating classes. “The 1975, 1976 and 1977 classes were just like one big class.
There was no difference. We were all in it together.” Simmonds call the outstanding athletic ability and the success the teams enjoyed during the period “the perfect storm.” An emotional White echoed the previous speakers sentiments, when explaining her success. “Coach June Owens, Dr. Laura Petty-Burrell, Barbara Hargrove, Walter Pond. They all had a hand in guiding me.” White—a 1980 graduate who still owns several track and basketball marks—also related a story about how Coach Johnson worked with her on her left handed layups and then eventually she made a left handed layup to beat Cameron at the buzzer. White, who joins her late broth- Members of the 1962 Rockdale Tiger football team were celebrating 50 years since they played in the state championship game. er Garry and sister Theresa in the Hall, also thanked “my mom, my role model.” W i l h ite —t he pr i ncipa l at Aycock for 33 years— was elected as a honorary Hall of Honor member and was represented at the game by granddaughter Kenya Wilhite and great-granddaughter Saige Robertson.
Current Hall of Honor Members
Class of 2012—Insenell Richards, Leigh Shepard, Angela White, O.E. Wilhite. Class of 2011—Fred Johnson, Mike Korth, Kerry Locklin, Robert Luetge, Randy J. Morgan, James Russell, Lew Simmonds, Jackie Thompson, Don Wesley, Theresa White, Dick Wiegend. Class of 2010—Gerald Adams, Tom Black, Rainey Eanes, Ronnie Laurence, Liz Galloway, Ray Locklin, Odis Mack, Sammie Moore, Susie Piper, Bob Roberson, Martin Stroman, Garry White, Ted Weems. Class of 2009—Samaji Akili (Sammy C. Williams), Sue Jean Bennett, Bill Cooke, Glenn Chmelar, Edward Grubbs, Veron Guest, Ronnie Heflin, Barbara Young Kastner, Richard Kubiak, Ernie Wayne Laurence, H. Earl Marion, Art “Copie” Perry, Mike Speer. Class of 2008—Ray Birchfield, Ernie Laurence, Duane Vincent, Matthew “Doc” Cook, Flora Mack, Annie Bell Wesley, Donnie Laurence, Ronny Menn, L. B. Kubiak, Lee Earl Gadison, Zelma Dykes, Gary Holliman, Dick Summers, Billie Jean Washington, Rufus Wolridge, Dan Yezak. Class of 2007—Weldon Alford, Louise Barnes Ohnesorge, T. A. Weems, Billy Ray Locklin, Leroy Wright, Ralph Johnson, Kirby Owens Wright, Jack Kyle, Hal Stanislaw, Clyde Luetge, William Moultrie, Eural Davis Sr.
Photography by Bill Martin
Inductees Leigh Shepard (above), Angela White (top right) and Insenell Richards (right) shared stories of growing up in Rockdale and how it affected their lives and the success they had on the playing field.
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This offer may be used only if your medical insurance does not cover screening mammograms as preventative care.