SAN ANTONIO, Texas – The playoffs have been smooth sailing so far for the undefeated Judson Rockets.
In this, their 12th straight postseason appearance, the Rockets have won both of their games by considerable margins -- their latest victory came against the Reagan Rattlers, who upset the previously unbeaten O’Connor Panthers in the opening round. With the game tied at 7, the Rockets erupted for 35 points in the second quarter alone and finished with a staggering 567 yards of total offense en route to a dominant 63-21 win, clinching a berth in the third round of the Class 6A playoffs for the first time in three years.
”It’s very exciting,“ Rockets senior offensive lineman Jahleel Rice said. “We were on a little hump the past two years where we were kicked out in the second round, but it’s a good feeling. It’s all ‘one love’ with this team.”
Next up, the Rockets will face the San Benito Greyhounds. It will be the third all-time meeting between these two teams. Their first two matchups came in back-to-back seasons in 2000 and 2001, and the Rockets won both games 49-0 and 49-14 respectively. Now, 17 years later, the Rockets and Greyhounds will meet again at Greyhound Stadium, and Judson expects a tough game: San Benito topped PSJA North 43-35 in double overtime to advance.
“They can put up the points,” Rice said. “They were in a dogfight with the last team they played.”
The Rockets avoided a five-hour drive to the Rio Grande Valley earlier this year. They were originally scheduled to play Harlingen for their second game of the regular season, but the game was called off due to bad weather. The long drive and road environment don’t seem to bother the Rockets.
“It’s going to be great, being on a charter bus,” Judson senior defensive end Corey Parks explained. “It’s been two years since we’ve been past the second round, so it feels good. We've got to be on our keys, do everything right, and we're going to be good.”
The Judson Rockets will put their perfect 11-0 record on the line against the 8-4 San Benito Greyhounds Friday night at 7:30 p.m.