Rockdale, which lost 43-18 at China Spring in non-district and dropped six of its first seven games before winning the next three to take second place in District 18-3A, finished with a 4-7 record. China Spring (10-1), the 17-3A runner-up, will play Palestine Westwood (7-4) in an area-round game.
Cois Walker led the Tigers with 112 rushing yards on 17 carries. After Dustin Eskew’s 58-yard touchdown pass to Jared Welch and Eskew’s two-point run with 7½ minutes left gave the Cougars a 27-20 lead, Walker’s 63-yard TD run and Joe Sanders’ extra point created a 27-27 tie at the 4:21 mark.
But Eskew’s 37-yard pass to Mike Hicks moved China Spring to Rockdale’s 4-yard line in the final minute, and with one second on the clock French’s third short field goal of the evening won it for the Cougars.
Kortlin White rushed for 77 yards for the Tigers, who completed only one pass. Eskew passed for 271 yards, including a 61-yard touchdown to Hicks (eight catches, 143 yards) and a 32-yard score to Taylor Higdon.
Derek Evans returned a first-quarter interception of Eskew 30 yards for Rockdale’s first touchdown, and Dustin Elliott picked off Eskew’s attempt at a two-point pass late in the third and returned it for two points - keeping Rockdale in the lead at 20-16 before the Cougars rallied.
