“This is what we’ve always wanted since we were little kids,” Campos said. “The first thing we always thought about was winning a district championship.”
Thanks to Campos’ four second-half rushing touchdowns and another big night by the Eagles’ offense, they’ll get that chance soon enough.
Rogers remained unbeaten in District 25-2A with a 49-21 win over rival Academy on Friday night at Merk Field. The win sets up a clash between Rogers (8-1 overall, 5-0 25-2A) and Salado (7-2, 5-0) for the 25-2A title next Friday at Salado’s Eagle Stadium.
The loss didn’t eliminate Academy (6-3, 2-3) from postseason contention. A win next week over Florence would keep the Bumblebees alive to sneak in on a tiebreaker.
Despite a midsummer coaching change and a complete offensive overhaul, Rogers coach Jeff Walker and the Eagles said they never doubted they’d be in this position.
“We take it one game at a time,” Walker said. “Of course, you’d like to play for a district championship, play for a state championship. We’ll do one step at a time and we’ll be OK.”
It took longer than ususal for Rogers to get its Slot-T rushing offense going, but once the Eagles did, it was too much for the Bees to stop.
Rogers had one of its best rushing games of the season, racking up 491 yards, most of it in the final three quarters, and averaged 8.2 yards per carry.
“We tried everything we could do,” Academy coach Royce McAdams said. “They outplayed us.”
Campos, who rushed for a game-high 170 yards, was one of three Eagles to break the 100-yard mark. Fullback E.J. Larkin had 136 yards and two touchdowns and tailback Jordan Sebek rushed for 130.
“All those backs are pretty dangerous,” Walker said. “We just have to get them into the open field. We were able to do that tonight.”
After a scoreless first quarter, Rogers used two methodical drives capped by scoring runs by Larkin and quarterback Chance Marek to take a 14-0 halftime lead.
But the second half is when Rogers really did its damange and especially when it mattered most. Campos rushed for 102 yards and all four of his TDs in the final two quarters.
Rogers needed those yards - and scores - from Campos, along with Larkin, who had 123 in the second half, to hold off the Bees.
Academy finally got its offense going in the second half, utilizing its wide-open offense to score quickly.
The Bees scored on back-to-back possessions in the third - a 42-yard run by running back Layton Willis and a 51-yard pass from quarterback Chase Gommert to receiver Noah Hamill - to twice cut the deficit to 14 points.
The way Academy did it had to make Walker and the Eagles cringe. The Bees’ quick-strike capablity in the passing game was exactly what they feared.
In the second half alone, Academy totaled 256 yards of total offense.
“We just went back to what we believed in,” McAdams said.
But both times, the Eagles had a quick answer.
Larkin’s 70-yard run and Campos’ 25-yard run, both into the heart of the defense, helped Rogers keep the momentum.
“Against a passing team, if you can do that and eat up the clock, it sure makes things nice,” Walker said.
In the fourth quarter, with Rogers already leading by 21 points, Campos helped turn the game into a rout. He scored his final two TDs, both times barrelling over defenders on his way to the end zone.
Gommert tossed his second TD pass of the night to Hamill midway through the fourth, but it was too late.
Gommert finished with 185 yards and two scores and completed passes to six receivers. Hamill had a team-high 82 yards. Willis finished with 89 yards on six carries.
After running their way through defenses throughout the season, the Eagles admit they aren’t intimidated by Salado, the two-time defending district champion and winner of its last 16 25-2A games.
They’re just ready to line up and fulfill a dream.
“As soon as we get going, we’re tough to stop,” Campos said.
rschneider@temple-telegram.com
