Smithville Shows Fight but Falls 53-36 to Rockdale in Season Opener

By Kristen Meriwether, Publisher

The Smithville High School football team displayed that Tiger GRIT on Friday night against Rockdale, refusing to back down in the fourth quarter before eventually succumbing to a 53-36 loss.

While the final score was lopsided, the game was close through three quarters. But penalties, turnovers, and an inability to score on two key red zone drives were the difference in the contest.

“We're going to fight to the very end,” Head Coach Layne Neumann said after the game. “We’ve just got to stop the self-inflicted wounds.”

First-Half Swings

The Tigers started the game strong with a huge run by senior Eric Thompson to get all the way down to the 27-yard line. A quarterback keeper by senior Trip Davis set up first-and-goal, before each side exchanged penalties.

The Tigers scored their first touchdown of the season on a play-action pass to junior Bodie Goertz, to give Smithville the early lead with 10:17 left in the first quarter.

Rockdale wasted no time answering, breaking a second-and-8 run down the sideline for a touchdown to tie the game at 7-7.

After Smithville turned the ball over on downs near midfield, Rockdale capitalized on two penalties and a missed tackle to punch it in again and take a 14-7 lead with 3:48 left in the first.

The Tigers pushed back with a pair of long passes and two Rockdale penalties that set up first-and-goal at the 3. But the drive stalled, and on the first play of the second quarter, Davis couldn’t handle a high snap and fumbled, leading to a Smithville turnover.

Rockdale turned that mistake into points, connecting on a deep strike for a 21-7 lead with 10:24 left in the second quarter.

Smithville swung momentum back with creativity. After a strong run from Justin Gurley, the Tigers lined up for a field goal but faked it. Davis, who was serving as the holder, nailed Caleb Magden in the end zone for a touchdown to cut the deficit to 21-14 with 8:46 left in the half.

Davis later capitalized on a Rockdale offsides penalty by hitting a touchdown pass on a free play, knotting the score at 21-all.

But Rockdale answered before the break. After a timeout chess match, Rockdale switched from kicking a field goal to going for it on fourth down. They scored, but missed the extra point, giving Rockdale a 27-21 lead at halftime.

Missed Chances in the Third

Rockdale opened the second half with a methodical drive, converting two third downs before hitting a strike over the middle to extend the lead to 33-21 with 6:26 left in the third quarter.

Smithville immediately drove back into the red zone, keyed by a screen pass to Gurley and a Davis keeper down to the 4-yard line. But a personal foul on the Tigers on a fourth-down run gave the ball back to Rockdale with 3:55 left in the third quarter.

On the ensuing possession, Caleb Magden had a huge hit in the backfield, leading to a fourth-and-17 for Rockdale, who elected to punt.

On the next drive, Gurley broke free, getting Smithville out of the end zone. The Tigers began to drive with the last minute of the third quarter. When Thompson went up for a pass, a Rockdale defender took it right out of his hands, ending the third quarter with Rockdale up 33-21.

Relentless Fourth Quarter

The “R” in GRIT stands for “relentless effort,” and in the fourth quarter, the Smithville Tigers showed those in attendance what that looks like.

Rockdale brought out some trickery of their own, connecting on a flea-flicker to make it 39-21. They then returned an interception for a touchdown to stretch the lead to 46-21 with just over eight minutes left.

The old Smithville would have given up. Hung their heads. Blamed each other.

But not this year. Not this team.

Smithville refused to fold, showcasing true GRIT. Gurley powered in a 1-yard touchdown run, then Smithville converted the two-point try to make it 46-29. The special teams unit followed with a perfectly executed onside kick recovery.

Davis capped the next drive with a short touchdown keeper, trimming the deficit to 46-36 with 4:20 remaining.

But Rockdale put the game away on the very next play, breaking a long run up the middle for a touchdown and the final 53-36 margin.

Despite the loss, Smithville showed flashes of what could be a dangerous offense, with Davis’ mobility, Gurley’s power running, and Thompson’s big-play ability giving the Tigers multiple weapons. But costly penalties, two red-zone turnovers on downs, and a pair of interceptions proved too much to overcome.

Following the game, Coach Neumann told his players it was not a season-defining loss for his program.

“It’s one loss. We are guaranteed nine more [games],” Neumann told Smithville Texas News after the game. “But we’ve got to dig down deep and fight and figure out a way to get the win.”

Smithville will travel to Giddings next Friday, Sept. 5, for their second game of the season.