ROCKDALE HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS
FEB 6
(ROCKDALE)–THE ROCKDALE VARSITY BASKETBALL
TEAMS BOTH WON THRILLERS AS THEY SWEPT TROY ON
THE ROAD FRIDAY NIGHT.
THE ROCKDALE LADY TIGERS PUT THEMSELVES
IN A PRIME SPOT FOR PLAYOFF POSITIONING AS THEY
WON A THRILLER, 51 TO 50 AT TROY FRIDAY.
THE LADY TIGERS HELD A 7 POINT LEAD GOING
INTO THE 4TH QUARTER, BUT THAT LEAD VANISHED AS
TROY MOUNTED A COMEBACK. TROY’S KAYCEE
CAVANAUGH SCORED A BUCKET TO GIVE TROY A
46 TO 45 LEAD WITH 1:23 TO GO IN THE GAME.
IN THE CLOSING MOMENTS, ROCKDALE’S T’NIYAH
MILES FOULED CAVANAUGH WITH :17 SECONDS REMAINING
IN THE GAME, WITH THE GAME TIED AT 49. CAVANAUGH
HIT ONE OF 2 FREE THROWS TO GIVE TROY A 50 TO 49
LEAD, THEN THE TROJANNETTES TIED UP THE BALL IN ORDER
GET POSSESSION WITH JUST UNDER 5 SECONDS REMAINING.
BUT, AS TROY TRIED TO INBOUND THE BALL,
CIARA MILES GOT THE STEAL, DROVE DOWN THE COURT,
AND LAID IT UP FOR THE GAME WINNER AS THE BUZZER
SOUNDED.
ROCKDALE LADY TIGER HEAD COACH DANIELLE
FROGGATT SAYS THE CHAOS AND EXCITEMENT OF THE
MOMENT WAS ALMOST TOO MUCH…(DFROG4)
“WE WERE EXCITED. I THINK FOR A MOMENT,
I WAS LIKE, ‘WHAT JUST HAPPENED?’ I THINK WE ALL
WERE. AND SO, I WAS TRYING TO PREVENT THE
BENCH FROM BEING ON THE COURT. THAT’S ONE
THING, I DIDN’T WANT A TECH, BECAUSE YOU NEVER
KNOW. I DIDN’T WANT THAT TO LOSE IT FOR US RIGHT
THERE. BUT AT THE SAME TIME, IT WENT IN, WE’RE
EXCITED. WE DIDN’T EVEN KNOW THE BUZZER WENT
OFF. THAT’S HOW EXCITED WE WERE. WE WERE
JUMPING UP AND DOWN. I MEAN, UNTIL WE SAW
ALL THE GIRLS GOING, AND THEN SOME FANS GOING,
WE WERE LIKE, ‘THE GAME’S OVER?’ WE WERE
STANDING THERE. I DON’T KNOW.”
THE LADY TIGERS PUT THEMSELVES IN POSITION
TO BATTLE FOR 3RD PLACE IN DISTRICT.
THE ROCKDALE TIGERS WON BACK TO BACK
DISTRICT GAMES FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 8 YEARS
AS THEY BEAT TROY ON THE ROAD 31 TO 29 FRIDAY
NIGHT.
CHANDLER MILTON’S STEAL AND BASKET GAVE
TROY A 29 TO 26 LEAD WITH 2:59 TO GO IN THE GAME.
MOMENTS LATER, DE ANDRE STEPHENS HIT A 3 POINTER
TO TIE THE GAME AT 29 ALL WITH 1:55 LEFT. IN THE
FINAL MINUTE, TROY HAD POSSESSION TIED AT 29 BUT
CAME UP EMPTY. THE TIGERS GOT THE BALL BACK
WITH 14 SECONDS LEFT, AND CONSUMED THE LAST SEVERAL
SECONDS OF THE CLOCK. A TIGER SHOT MISSED, AND
DE ANDRE STEPHENS GOT THE REBOUND AND THE
PUTBACK AT THE BUZZER TO WIN IT, 31 TO 29. STEPHENS
AND CHRIS PEREZ EACH HAD 9 POINTS FOR THE TIGERS.
ROCKDALE TIGER HEAD COACH SEAN LEXIMA
EXPLAINS HIS REACTION WHEN HE SAW STEPHENS’
PUTBACK GO IN…
“I WANTED TO SEE IF THE OFFICIALS WERE
GOING TO SAY THAT IT WAS GOOD OR NOT, BEFORE
I GOT TOO EXCITED. SO, I THOUGHT IT WAS, I
FIGURED IT WAS, BUT I WANTED TO MAKE SURE THEY
COUNTED THAT BASKET.”
THIS WAS THE 2ND CONSECUTIVE DISTRICT WIN
FOR THE TIGERS, AFTER THEY BEAT MCGREGOR 73 TO 62
AT TIGER GYM LAST FRIDAY.
THE TIGERS HAVE WON BACK TO BACK DISTRICT
GAMES. IT’S THE FIRST TIME THE TIGERS HAVE WON
BACK TO BACK DISTRICT GAMES SINCE 2015–THAT
OF COURSE WAS THE YEAR THE TIGERS WENT UNDEFEATED
IN DISTRICT AND ADVANCED TO THE REGIONAL SEMIFINALS.
SATURDAY DID NOT GO AS WELL FOR THE TIGERS
AND LADY TIGERS. THE TEAMS TRAVELED TO LORENA
SATURDAY MORNING IN A MAKE UP GAME RESCHEDULED
FROM TUESDAY DUE TO WEATHER. BOTH LORENA TEAMS
ARE RANKED IN THE TOP 10 IN THE TEXAS ASSOCIATION
OF BASKETBALL COACHES POLLS.
THE LADY TIGERS FELL HARD TO 8TH RANKED
LORENA 58 TO 29 ON THE ROAD SATURDAY. LORENA
LED 31 TO 14 AT HALFTIME, THEN EXPANDED THE LEAD
TO 51 TO 20 AT THE END OF THE 3RD QUARTER, OUTSCORING
ROCKDALE 20 TO 6 TO PUT THE GAME AWAY.
THE ROCKDALE TIGER BOYS FELL HARD TO
NUMBER 4 RANKED LORENA 72 TO 33 AT LORENA SATURDAY.
LORENA LED 21 TO 4 AFTER ONE QUARTER, AND LED
37 TO 15 AT HALFTIME. LORENA TOOK COMPLETE CONTROL
IN THE 3RD QUARTER, OUTSCORING THE TIGERS 21 TO 2
TO TAKE A 58 TO 17 LEAD AFTER 3 QUARTERS. THE TIGERS
WERE LED BY ROBERT OWENS WITH 10 POINTS. THE
LEOPARDS WERE LED BY CAMDEN BROCK WITH 16,
AND KEEGAN ROWELL AND KHI RITCHIE SCORED 11 EACH.
THE TIGERS AND LADY TIGERS ARE BACK IN ACTION
TUESDAY AS THEY HOST ROGERS IN DOUBLEHEADER
ACTION.
THE ROCKDALE TIGER SOCCER TEAM LOST TO
SMITHVILLE FRIDAY NIGHT 3 TO NIL.