ARLINGTON — Day two of the UIL State Championships was memorable for both the Brock Eagles and the Rockdale Tigers.
Neither team was predicted to be in the final game of the year but both competed for the 3A Division I State Title. After being down early, Rockdale rallied with 45 unanswered points en route to their first State Championship since 1976 with a 45-29 victory.
“We weren’t really used to it,” quarterback Torry Locklin said about the slow start. “That’s why we started slow. But we gained our confidence and realized that we can play in this game.”
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Locklin finished with three touchdowns through the air, one on the ground, and even caught one on his way to becoming the Offensive MVP and amassing 540 total yards of offense.
Brock got off to a fast start as Dawson Littlepage took a handoff 60 yards to give the Eagles an early 7-0 lead. After forcing Rockdale to punt, Brock went to work as Tanner Patino on one play ran the ball to the Rockdale 1 yard-line. From there, Littlepage scored again to make it 14-0.
Later in the first, Rockdale appeared to be driving but a bad snap was picked up by Kaden Hendrix and returned to the Rockdale 48-yard line.
As the second quarter started, the Eagles drove down to the Tigers 2-yard line, where Littlepage scored his third touchdown of the game and pushed the Eagle lead to 21-0. On the ensuing drive, Rockdale got on the board after Torry Locklin scored on a 2-yard quarterback keeper.
From that point on, the Tigers seized control.
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After a Brock punt, Oklahoma signee Jaquayln Crawford broke through the defense and raced 41 yards to the end zone to make it a seven-point game. Crawford made magic through the air again, finding Torry Locklin to tie the game at 21 points midway through the second quarter. In the last minute of the half, that same connection — in reverse order — gave the Tigers their first lead of the game after Locklin hit Crawford deep downfield for a 74-yard touchdown pass.
Rockdale came out in the second half and immediately picked up where it left off with Locklin scoring from 40 yards out to make it 35-21. Neither team scored for the rest of the third quarter.
Brock started the fourth quarter with the ball at their own 20 but couldn’t get a drive going and Rockdale was forced to settle for a field goal.
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Brock had one last chance to mount a rally, but Tripp Jones’ pass was intercepted by Rockdale’s Jackson Perry. The near pick-6 would set up a 3-yard, game-sealing run by Locklin despite Brock’s Patino breaking a 52-yard touchdown run late in the game.
“It’s crazy. It’s really a blessing,” Crawford said about winning a state championship. “It’s really surreal and I’m glad I could go out on top.”
Crawford finished with one touchdown each through the air, on the ground, and receiving. He also had four tackles and a forced fumble. He was named the UIL 3A Division I Defensive MVP.
Both teams finish with overall records of 13-3, and Rockdale finishes a historic season as 3A Division I State Champions.
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