Rockets sweep aside Red Rams, eye title game

 

By Kevin Spradlin
PeeDeePost.com

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Previous coverage

* Oct. 22: Rockets push aside Bearcats, 44-0
* Oct. 15: Rockets overwhelm Wildcat, 46-14
* Oct. 9: Rockets upend Dragons, 40-0
* Oct. 1: Rockets pull down Rebels, 26-0
* Sept. 15: Terry runs Rockets past Tigers, 40-8

ROCKINGHAM — It happened 77 seconds into the second quarter.

Bobby Terry, star all-around athlete for the Rockingham Middle School Rockets, had been instructed to take the sweep to the right. He was caught in the backfield around the 50-yard line and Hamlet’s defense was honing in on No. 1.

Kevin Spradlin | PeeDeePost.com Jahyae Stanback disrupts a Hamlet pass. There were Rockingham defenders anywhere near where the ball was headed towards a Hamlet offensive player.

Kevin Spradlin | PeeDeePost.com
Jahyae Stanback disrupts a Hamlet pass. There were Rockingham defenders anywhere near where the ball was headed towards a Hamlet offensive player.

And somehow, Terry broke loose. He jukes one defender and ran through three others, across the field to Hamlet’s sideline, then sprinted down, more than 50 yards away, to the end zone. Though the play was negated due to a Rockingham foul, it was illustrative of just how the day went.

The Rockets punished the visiting Red Rams 30-8 on Wednesday and completed their regular season with a perfect 6-0 campaign. The Rockets have outscored their opponents 226-30 in the six-game season, including three shutouts. Hamlet dropped to 1-5 with the loss.

Rockingham will host Carver Middle School, of Laurel Hill, at 4 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 5 for the conference championship. Carver has won the last two conference titles, including a win over Rockingham in the 2012 game.

As Rockingham is a feeder school for Richmond Senior, said Rockets coach Patrick Hope, Carver is a feeder for Scotland. The two varsity rivals are set to play at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 7 at Raider Stadium. Two days before that, Hope said, “we gotta set the tone.”

Kevin Spradlin | PeeDeePost.com Hamlet defender Cameron Tolbert approaches Rockingham running back Bobby Terry. Terry somehow escaped Tolbert's pursuit, and out of the clutches of three other Hamlet defenders, en route to the end zone on a touchdown run negated by a flag on the play.

Kevin Spradlin | PeeDeePost.com
Hamlet defender Cameron Tolbert approaches Rockingham running back Bobby Terry. Terry somehow escaped Tolbert’s pursuit, and out of the clutches of three other Hamlet defenders, en route to the end zone on a touchdown run negated by a flag on the play.

“One more week of focus,” Hope told the team in the post-game huddle. “Three practices. One game. Can we do it?”

The answer, of course, was a resounding yes.

The Rockets had a similar focus on Wednesday against the Red Rams. A long run by Terry put Rockingham on the board first with four minutes and 41 seconds left in the first quarter. Jahyae Stanback’s past to Terry completed a two-point conversion for an 8-0 lead.

Terry’s touchdown run early in the second quarter was called back due to a penalty and Rockingham fumbled the ball — recovered by Hamlet’s Patrick Rasheed. But the Red Rams went three-and-out. The Rockets made up for their mistake on the first place from scrimmage on their next possession, as Terry zoomed around on a sweep and gave Rockingham a 14-0 lead. Josyiah Gladden carried the ball into the end zone for a 16-0 advantage.

On the next possession, Stanback gave the Rockets fantastic field position on a big punt return. Isiah Crowder’s potential touchdown run was called back with 62 seconds to go in the half. After a couple of timeouts, Stanback connected with Terry with 17 seconds before intermission for the Rockets’ third score of the game and a 22-0 lead. The two-point conversion was unsuccessful.

Kevin Spradlin | PeeDeePost.com Bobby Terry broke away from this, and two other defenders, en route to the end zone after hauling in a pass from Jahyae Stanback.

Kevin Spradlin | PeeDeePost.com
Bobby Terry broke away from this, and two other defenders, en route to the end zone after hauling in a pass from Jahyae Stanback.

Midway through the third quarter, Hamlet went three-and-out once again and handed Rockingham great field position on its own 17-yard line. Stanback ran right and scored on the Rockets’ first play for a 28-0 gap.

Jaerail White scored Hamlet’s only touchdown of the game late in the fourth quarter. Austin Cowlick ran in the two-point conversion to pull the Red Rams to within 30-8.

Hope said Carver Middle School will present some challenges for the Rockets his team hasn’t faced all season. That’s because, he said, Carver is much like Rockingham — they can run the ball and the team’s defense is stifling.

 

 

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  • Keylyn

    Rockets suck

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