By Terry Cookston
Herald-Banner Sports
Rockwall's Jackets were outgunned in a 63-42 Homecoming shootout by District 10-4A leader Highland Park on Friday at Wilkerson-Sanders Stadium.
Rockwall left nothing on the table in a must-win game for any playoff possibility, with Josh Broach rambling for 358 yards on the ground and four touchdowns, Del Myles racking up 99 yards and one TD and Adam Dingwell throwing for 59 yards and one TD, before a packed Homecoming crowd.
In pre-game festivities, injured wide receiver Will Beasley was named Homecoming King and Paris Sibley was crowned Homecoming Queen.
Rockwall's defense held high-scoring Highland Park (57.9 points per game) on its first and last possessions of the first half, but the Scots scored on six straight drives and on a 90-yard kickoff return on their other possessions.
The Jackets hit the end zone first on a 24-yard TD pass from Dingwell to Reed Loftis off a 4th-and-3 attempt. Highland Park answered quickly with a 4-play, 73-yard drive with QB Luke Woodley drilling Chris Hipps for a 5-yard score.
Rockwall came right back with a 90-yard TD run by Broach on the Jackets second play, only to see the Scots follow with a 2-yard TD run by RB Brookes McIlhenny to tie the score at 14-14 with 3:26 left in the opening quarter.
HP scored again on a Woodley-to-Austin Miller 13-yard strike to take a 21-14 lead into the second period.
HP and RHS matched TDs once again with the Scots scoring through the air on a 16-yard TD from Woodley to Josh Francis and Broach tallying a TD on a 43-yard run.
But, Highland Park then put up three unanswered touchdowns on a 92-yard kickoff return by Hipps, a 22-yard pass from Woodley to Miller and a 23-yard reception by Hipps from Woodley to carry a 49-21 score into the halftime break.
The Scots scored two more TDs in the second half on a 7-yard run by Jake Howeth and a 10-yarder by Preston Miller.
Rockwall posted scores on a 27-yard run by Del Myles and two TD dashes of 28 and 60 yards by Broach to close out the game.
Highland Park had no answer for the RHS running game, with Broach rushing for 358 yards on 21 carries and Myles putting up 99 yards on 12 carries.
But, Rockwall's defense also couldn't hold HP's offense out of the end zone. Woodley completed 24-of-29 passes for 443 yards and five touchdowns, with the area's leading receiver Hipps burning the Jackets secondary for 180 yards and two TDs on six catches. He also recorded a 92-yard kickoff return for a TD.
In this matchup the HP passing game proved too productive for Rockwall's high-powered rushing attack, but the 105 combined points fueled fast-paced viewing for the Homecoming crowd.
Rockwall closes out its 2009 season tonight at Greenville.
The Lions are coming off a 43-22 loss to Richardson Pearce, after building a 22-0 lead before Pearce stormed back with 43 unanswered points.
Devonte Green rushed for 114 yards on 16 carries to lead the Lions and went 6-for-15 passing for 54 yards. RB Dakieston Williams added 77 yards on 18 carries.
Greenville's loss to Pearce and Rockwall's defeat by Highland Park eliminated both schools from the playoff picture. The winner of tonight's game will finish in fourth place, with the loser claiming fifth.
