Rockwall-Heath keeps Lions' offense in check
September 26, 2009

By DAVID CLAYBOURN
Herald-Banner Staff

	Photo By Laurie White King/ Herald-Banner Staff N.J. Mason hurdles a defender for more yardage as Rockwall-Heath defender Drew Baxter closes in during the Greenville Lions’ 38-12 loss on Friday night at Wilkerson-Sanders Memorial Stadium in Rockwall.

ROCKWALL -- Rockwall-Heath kept Greenville’s explosive offense in check for most of the game on the way to a 38-12 victory over the Lions in the District 10-4A football opener on Friday night at Wilkerson-Sanders Memorial Stadium.

Greenville, which had been averaging 41.6 points and 450.6 yards per game, was shut out for three quarters by the hustling Hawk defense to suffer its first loss of the season in four outings.

Greenville senior running back Dakieston Williams broke up the shutout when he rambled 55 yards for a touchdown with 11:19 remaining. Williams broke several attempted tackles on his way to the end zone. By then the Lions were trailing 24-6.

Williams finished with a game-high 110 yards on 15 carries.

The Lions scored their final touchdown with 3:26 remaining after covering 64 yards in just two plays, a 32-yard completion from quarterback Alton Dennis to Devonte Green followed by a 32-yard touchdown strike to Dijoun Sheppard.

Dennis wound up 11-of-19 passing for 151 yards but was held to only 16 yards rushing on 15 carries. He was averaging 163 yards rushing per game.

The Lions, who had been averaging 450 yards on offense, finished with 325.

Greenville coach Jim Phillips said every team has a bad game during the long season. He said the Hawks didn’t play very well last week in their 10-6 victory over Dallas Hillcrest. This was the Lions’ bad game.

“We just didn’t execute,” he said. “Defensively, we looked timid.”

Rockwall-Heath, which improved to 3-1 for the season, set the tone early by covering 65 yards in just two plays with the game’s first possession. Quarterback Kevin Rodgers kept for 34 yards on the first play and then found wide receiver Cameron Wilson wide open for a 31-yard touchdown pass on the next play.

Greenville answered with a drive from its 35 to the Hawk 18, mixing the running of Dennis, Williams and N.J. Mason with completions of 12 and 10 yards from Dennis to wide receivers Sheppard and Green. But after Mason ran for nine yards to give the Lions a first and 10 at the Hawk 18, the Lions lost a fumble recovered by the Hawks’ David Tanner at his 31.

The Hawks then drove from their 31 to the Greenville 7 on the passing of Rodgers to receivers Amaris Fields (20), Wilson (16) and Clark Pope (10). But the drive stalled at that point and Rockwall-Heath had to settle for Pinkston’s 24-yard field goal.

Greenville moved from its 35 to the Hawk 36 mostly on power runs by Williams. But the Hawks forced an incompletion on third and five and stopped the punter Mason two yards short of a first down on a fake punt run to the Hawk 33.

Greenville drove again from its 28 to the Hawk seven later in the second quarter. Williams powered ahead for a pair of 10-yard gains and Mason ran 10 yards for another first down. But the drive stalled at the Hawk 11 and Ryan Wilhelm’s 29-yard field goal attempt sailed wide right.

The Hawks added another score before the half, marching 80 yards in 10 plays topped off by Rodgers’ 35-yard touchdown strike to Ryan Peterson with 11 seconds left before the half as Rockwall-Heath went into halftime leading 17-0.

Rockwall-Heath upped the count to 24-6 with a 37-yard, five-play drive that started with 2:26 left in the third period. Dorian Lawry ran 11 yards for the touchdown.

Lawry added a 3-yard touchdown run with 3:45 and Rodgers snuck a yard for the game’s final touchdown with 50 seconds remaining.

Rockwall-Heath’s quarterback went 14-of-24 passing for 183 yards and ran nine times for 50 yards.