Jesuit-Rockwall Clash Could Be a Shootout
Here’s an understatement: Expect a lot of points when Jesuit and Rockwall meet in the second round of the Class 6A Division II Region II playoffs on Saturday.
In yet another sign that high school football these days is about offense first, and defense somewhere down the line, the two teams average more than 100 points per game combined. So when they clash at 1 p.m. Saturday at Wylie ISD Stadium, the scoreboard could really light up.
It will be a rematch of an area-round game from last season, which the Rangers won 46-26 but might find difficult to repeat.
This year, the Yellowjackets (11-0) average 54.7 points per game, and have crossed the 70-point barrier three times, including a 70-42 win over Copperas Cove in the bi-district round last week. The Rockwall defense has allowed an average of 26.2 points.
Meanwhile, the Rangers (8-3) have allowed at least 56 points in all three of their losses, and yield 35 points per game overall. Jesuit scores an average 48.2 points, however, thanks in part to quarterback Bo Schneider, a Central Florida commit, who has passed for more than 3,000 yards this season, with 42 touchdowns and just five interceptions.
Jesuit had no difficulty last week during a 59-7 victory over Richardson Pearce in which the Rangers scored 52 points in the first half. Schneider threw four scoring passes in that game, including two to Charlie Eikenberg, while Matt Slovak and Max Loughborough ran for two touchdowns apiece.
If the Rangers want to pull the upset, they’ll have to find a way to do something nobody else has done this season — slow down the Rockwall duo of Chris Warren and Xavier Castille.
Warren has 2,257 yards rushing and 33 touchdowns, and is averaging almost 10 yards per carry with that heavy workload. The blue-chip recruit had 471 rushing yards two weeks ago against Tyler Lee. Meanwhile, the athletic Castille has caught 69 passes for 1,306 yards and 15 scores.
While Rockwall went unbeaten during the regular season for the first time in school history, Jesuit is trying to duplicate last year’s playoff run, when it advanced to the regional quarterfinals for the first time.
Other area games this week:
Parish Episcopal (10-1) vs. Grapevine Faith (9-2)
6 p.m. Saturday at Pennington Field, Bedford
The Panthers dominated Victoria St. Joseph 54-6 in the first round of the TAPPS playoffs last week. Tom Stewart threw four touchdown passes, including three to William LeMasters. The Lions held off Austin Regents 42-35 in their postseason opener. The district foes met three weeks ago, with Parish winning 69-42.
Trinity Christian (6-5) vs. Plano Prestonwood (8-3)
7:30 p.m. Friday at Pennington Field, Bedford
The Lions have won the past two meetings, last year in the TAPPS state semifinals (41-17) and in this season’s district opener (56-13). The resurgent rolled to a 70-35 win over Austin St. Michael’s last week behind seven touchdowns from Nahshon Ellerbe, while Prestonwood shut down San Antonio Christian 51-7.
