Defense helps Rockwall-Heath roll to victory over West Mesquite

By DAN GALVIS

Staff Writer Dallas Morning News

dgalvis@dallasnews.com

Published 25 August 2011 11:41 PM

Rockwall-Heath's defense was ready.Three fumble recoveries led to 17 points, and a safety added two more, helping Rockwall-Heath roll to a 19-7 victory over West Mesquite on Thursday at Wilkerson-Sanders Stadium.

Yet, it was a one possession game early in the fourth quarter before Jay Evans returned a fumble 42 yards for a touchdown with 8:59 left, giving Rockwall-Heath (1-0) a 19-7 lead and breathing room.

Of course, West Mesquite (0-1) was never given much room to breathe. Rockwall-Heath, SportsDay's 14th-ranked Class 4A area team, was often disrupting West Mesquite's young quarterbacks and clogging running lanes. West Mesquite, ranked eighth in 4A, gained 140 yards but only 31 on the ground while losing four fumbles.

Jeremy Armstrong (53 rushing yards) and Cody Court (47) led Rockwall-Heath, which finished 202 yards, though it wasn't able to sustain many drives.

Then again, it didn't need to the way the defense was playing.

After a mistake-filled start, Rockwall-Heath finally capitalized, getting an 11-yard touchdown run by Jovan Hernandez, who went up the middle untouched. That drive started at the West Mesquite 20 following a fumble recovery.

Rockwall-Heath set itself up for its next score with a good punt, which was downed at the 1. On the next play, Kevin Barron burst into the backfield, bottling up the ball carrier for the safety and a 9-0 Rockwall-Heath lead.

West Mesquite finally got its offense moving late in the first quarter and into the second, mixing the run and pass. Courtland Smith completed the 80-yard drive with a 1-yard touchdown run, cutting the lead to 9-7 with 9:09 left in the half.

Early in the third quarter, Parker Swenson converted a 27-yard field goal attempt. Again, a fumble recovery set up Rockwall-Heath in West Mesquite territory.

Except for the touchdown drive, Rockwall-Heath kept West Mesquite on its side of the 50 in the first half. A 33-yard completion from Shateek Nasir to Tallie Cooper was West Mesquite's biggest play, but nothing came from the third-quarter drive following a holding penalty.

Rockwall-Heath's defense was just that tough.

INDIVIDUAL LEADERS

Rushing — RH: Jeremy Armstrong 9-53, Cody Court 6-47, Jovan Hernandez 8-40, Rico Henderson 8-36, Ray Todd 4-19, Amaris Fields 2-10, Alex Erebia 1-2, Alan Wilcoxson 2 — 1, Stat Team 2 — 4, WM: Courtland Smith 16-28, Shateek Nasir 2-14, Tallie Cooper 1-9, Raashaan Reason 3 — 4, Chason Virgil 8 — 16.

Passing — RH: Cody Court 4-16-2-36, WM: Chason Virgil 10-18-0-76, Shateek Nasir 1-4-0-33.

Receiving — RH: Jovan Hernandez 1-23, Amaris Fields 1-14, Hunter Seales 1-3, Shyon Motlagh 1 — 4, WM: Tallie Cooper 3-49, Raashaan Reason 5-41, Courtland Smith 2-14, Kameron Miles 1-5.