JESUIT DALLAS (10-1) VS. ROCKWALL (8-3)
UIL FOOTBALL STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS - AREA ROUND
7:30 P.M. - KIMBROUGH STADIUM - MURPHY, TEXAS
Game Notes
Pre-Game Interview with Coach Hickman
Live Stats
Live Audio
Radio: KHYI 95.3 THE RANGE

Priddy's Pretty Picks Seal Bi-District Crown: Jesuit Dallas clinched its fourth consecutive trip to the University Interscholastic League (UIL) Football State Championships Area round with a 42-21 win over Mesquite Horn on Friday evening at Postell Stadium.  Senior free safety John Michael Priddy snagged two interceptions in the win, including a back-breaking, 95-yard interception return for a touchdown that swung the needle permanantly in the home team's favor and sent the Rangers into halftime leading, 21-0.  The longest touchdown play of the season for the Rangers, Priddy's 95-yard pick six is the second interception returned for a touchdown this season, while Priddy increased his season total to five picks on the season.

Ranger Offense Shines Again: Junior Jacob Palisch completed 13-of-16 passes for 262 yards and three touchdowns, adding a rushing touchdown and 59 yards on the ground.  Friday's output against Mesquite Horn saw the Rangers record the second-highest passing yardage of the season, trailing only the loss to Plano East on Sept. 4, when the Rangers threw for 280 yards.  Senior Rusty Landon snagged a team-high two receiving touchdowns while classmate Adam Holtz added a rushing and receiving score.  Senior Peyton Long tacked on a team-high 10 tackles, including five solo stops, while senior Jordan Rice picked up a critical fumble recovery in the first quarter that led to a Ranger touchdown.

The Drive to Win: The methodical Jesuit Dallas offense was on show again against Mesquite Horn, embarking upon drives of 10 and 13 plays that encapsulated 6:49 and 5:47 of gametime, respectively, keeping the ball out of the hands of an explosive Jaguar offense.  In total this season, the Rangers have recorded 14 drives of 10 plays or more and 14 drives that have spanned 75 or more yards.  The elongated drives have also been reflected in the Rangers time of possession; on average the Blue and Gold have dominated the clock, out-possessing opponents by nearly 10 minutes per game, 27:04 of possession time per game compared to 19:55 allotted to opponents.

Prime Targets: Senior wide receivers Connor Lanpher and Rusty Landon have become invaluable weapons in the Rangers arsenal.  Entering Saturday's clash with Rockwall, both Lanpher and Landon average over 40 receiving yards per game, and have combined for 61 receptions totaling 944 receiving yards and 15 touchdowns.  In Friday's win over Mesquite Horn, Landon caught a pair of touchdowns, the first a 35-yard reception followed by an incredible, 34-yard snag falling backwards into the end zone under pressure, matching Landon's season-high two touchdowns caught against Strake Jesuit on Sept. 11.

Anchor Down: Senior Peyton Long, a 2016 commit to the United States Naval Academy, has been a workhorse for the Ranger defense, posting a team-leading 57 tackles, including 57 solo stops throughout his 11 games played this season.  A captain for the Jesuit Dallas football squad, Long has additionally forced a pair of fumbles and has recorded 11.5 tackles for loss, the second highest total on the team, for 38 total yards. Most recently, Long has gained convincing momentum, logging five or more solo tackles in each of the squad's last three games.

Hickman History: Friday's win over the Jaguars gave the Rangers 10 victories on the season, the most under the tenure of current head coach Brandon Hickman.  According to available records, the 2015 season is the first to see the Jesuit Dallas football program achieve double digit wins since the 1987 campaign, when the Rangers, under the leadership of Hall of Fame coach Gary Pasqua, went an unblemished 12-0 en route to the Texas Christian Interscholastic League (TCIL) State Championship.

Rangers to Face Familiar Foe: For the third consecutive season, the Yellow Jackets and Rangers meet in the Area Round of the UIL Football State Championships, with each team picking up a win over the last two meetings.  Jesuit Dallas won the first of two matchups between the two teams with a 46-26 win over Rockwall during the 2013 season, while the Yellow Jackets struck back with a 48-27 win last year to end the Rangers' 2014 campaign.

Broach Soars Against Copperas Cove: Earning Offensive Player of the Week honors from the Dallas Morning News on Monday, Rockwall's senior runningback Caleb Broach was a key cog in the Yellow Jackets' 67-35 win over Copperas Cove, carrying the ball 26 times for 309 yards and eight touchdowns, tying the 10th highest single game output in Texas high school football history.  On the year, Broach has 169 carries for 1,347 yards and 20 touchdowns, playing his first season at runningback after spending his sophomore and junior seasons at free safety.

The Rockwall Rises Late Against Copperas Cove: Having upset ambitions on their mind, Copperas Cove, heading into the contest 3-3 in UIL District 12-6A and 3-8 overall, only trailed the Yellow Jackets, 24-21, at halftime.  Rockwall exploded out of the gate in the second half, outscoring the Bulldawgs, 43-14, en route to a convincing, 67-35 win on Nov. 13.  Broach electrified the home crowd in the third, breaking off three rushing touchdowns in the third to bolster the Rockwall lead to 45-35 heading into the fourth.

Mr. Jones: Over the last two contests, the Yellow Jackets have been without 2,000-yard passer Will Reed, utilizing junior Matthew Jones.  In two victories for Rockwall, Jones has thrown for 249 and 149 yards, respectively, completing three touchdown passes to only one interception while completing 63 percent of his passes.  By comparison, Reed recorded three games of 250 yards or more throughout the campaign with 25 touchdowns and five interceptions through nine games played.

Common Ground: The Rangers and Yellow Jackets have one common opponent, the Mesquite Horn Jaguars.  While the Rangers upended the Jaguars, 42-21, Rockwall struggled with ball security, turning the ball over four times in a 35-33 loss to the Jaguars.  Broach was limited to 151 yards on the day, and Will Reed threw for 222 yards, but was intercepted twice.

White Hot Yellow Jackets: Aiming for its ninth consecutive win on Friday, Rockwall has dominated over the last eight contests.  During that stretch, the Yellow Jackets have scored 40 or more points in each contest, the highest single-game ouput coming in a 78-0 drubbing of Naaman Forest on Oct. 1.  The Yellow Jackets have forced 15 turnovers during that stretch, while only turning the ball over five times.