The Rockdale Tigers stopped Derick Perkins on a two-point conversion attempt to hold on for a 28-27 victory in double overtime on Thursday night at Waco ISD Stadium.
The Tigers probably shouldn’t have had the chance to win it. Perkins, who finished the game with 125 yards on 34 carries, scored from 2 yards out and Thomas Foster’s extra point easily cleared to tie the game at 28.
But Rockdale (4-0) was penalized for roughing the kicker. Midland took the score off the board and gambled to try and win with a two-point conversion.
Perkins took the handoff to the right for a dive play that had worked most of the night. This time he hit a wall, led by 300-pound Rockdale lineman Logan David, and fell inches short of the conversion, giving the Tigers an improbable victory.
Rockdale had to pull some magic out of its hat just to be in position to win it. After both teams failed to score in the first overtime, Rockdale wasn’t having much luck in the second overtime, either. A handoff to Cois Walker went for 2 yards, then quarterback Mark Drake threw twice to Joe Sanders, both of which fell incomplete, the second in the end zone.
On fourth-and-8, it seemed reasonable that Sanders, who finished the game with 11 catches for 170 yards, would get the pass his way again. Instead, Drake threw a screen to Walker, who got 9 yards and the first down on a second effort.
Two plays later, Walker ran it in from 4 yards out to give Rockdale the lead 28-21.
The Mustangs (2-2) wasted little time letting Rockdale know the game wasn’t over yet. Perkins and quarterback Bryant Burleson exchanged runs to give the Mustangs a first down at the 14. Then it was all Perkins on runs of 4, 5, 3, then finally the 2-yard touchdown run.
That’s the kind of game it was most of the night, as Rockdale’s defense, which has been shaky at best all year, was tested early on the game’s opening drive. Midland Christian’s ball-control offense took the opening drive from its 38 to the Rockdale 10 before stalling. Needing just 2 yards for a first down and 10 for a touchdown, the Mustangs opted to go for it on fourth down, but running back Perkins came up inches short and Rockdale took over at the 9.
A run and a pass, both to Walker for 2 yards each, brought up a third-and-6. Drake found Sanders open in the middle of the field for an 87-yard score as the Tigers took a 7-0 lead.
After Midland Christian tied the game in the second quarter, it was Rockdale’s turn to utilize a ball-control offense. Starting a drive on their 31 with 6:21 left in the half, the Tigers scored on a 10-yard pass to Sanders with 29 seconds left in the half, giving Rockdale a 14-7 lead.
The Mustangs answered in the second half. Midland Christian held the Tigers to a three-and-out on the opening drive, then methodically moved down field on a 13-play drive, capped by Perkins’ 2-yard run to tie the game at 14.
Sanders returned the ensuing kickoff 58 yards, giving Rockdale a short field, which it easily turned into a score. The Mustangs held onto the ball for most of the fourth quarter before tying the game on Perkin’s 4-yard run with just over 4:30 to go in regulation.
mhood@temple-telegram.com
