Some of the biggest moments that athletes never forget are the times when someone told them they couldn't but they did anyway. In week three of Texas High School Football, there were plenty of naysayers for the state-ranked Prosper vs. Rockwall pairing; those that believed Rockwall didn't have the fight that it took to take down the Eagles. The Yellowjackets showcased tremendous talent as they posted a stunning 47-41 victory over Prosper.
Combining for 240 total passing yards, Landyn Locke and Mason Marshall helped lead the Yellowjackets to victory on Friday night. Setting the tone early in the game, Marshall completed a 61-yard pass to Triston Gooch and kicked off the scoring. Prosper was quick to respon with two touchdowns of their own: a 9-yard rush from Nathan TenBarge followed by a 20-yarder to the house from Lathan Latiolais. As Prosper held Rockwall to field goals for their next two scores while scoring a touchdown between the two, it looked as though the Eagles' defense had picked up everything they needed to know about this Yellowjackets' offense. Marshall took it into his own hands as he rushed for a touchdown and went for the two-point conversion tying the game at 21-a-piece with a minute left in the first half. Stepping up on the defensive end of the ball, the Yellowjackets forced Prosper to punt allowing Rockwall to take back over just before halftime. Finding excellent field position, a field goal was up and good leaving Rockwall ahead of Prosper 24-21 headed into halftime.
Back-and-forth big plays adorned the second half of action for these two DFW-area powerhouse squads. Prosper scoring early in the third quarter with a 5-yard rush from Bryce Robinson to regain the lead despite a failed two-point conversion. Answering Prosper's score with a field goal followed by another Prosper touchdown, Rockwall's offense knew it needed big plays for the rest of the game if they were to secure an upset over a state-ranked team. Ashten Emory closed out the third quarter scoring with an 8-yard rush for a touchdown allowing Rockwall to regain a 34-33 lead.
Entering the fourth quarter with posession, Prosper scored on a 6-yard Peyton Hulett rush. Rockwall was quick to answer with a touchdown from Marshall. Momentum started to shift as the Rockwall defense gained the energy and determination to force Prosper's offense to work for it. Holding the Eagles to a Punt, Rockwall's next drive saw another touchdown from Emory followed with a completed two-point conversion to take the lead once more; 47-41 with less than 30 seconds remaining in the game. Prosper fumbled the kick-off return and the Yellowjackets came up with the recovery sealing their victory.
Rockwall advances to a 2-1 recor as they enter the fourth week of the season. The team will play in their final non-district game of the year against an 0-3 South Grand Prairie squad on Thursday night at 7 pm in front of a home crowd. Prosper (2-1) is set to host their first district matchup on Friday against a tough Denton Guyer (2-1) at 7 pm.
