Published: November 07, 2009 01:58 am      

Lions hold off Rockwall in season finale

Greenville’s Lions rolled up 489 yards of total offense but needed a big play on defense to hold off the Rockwall Yellowjackets, 34-28 in the 2009 football season finale on Friday night at T.A. “Cotton” Ford Stadium.

After Greenville running back Dakieston Williams put the Lions up 34-28 with a 3-yard touchdown run with 6:16 remaining, the Yellowjackets marched from their 28 to the Greenville 18.

But Greenville defensive end Matthew Gladden stopped Rockwall quarterback Adam Dingwell for a 7-yard loss on a fourth-and-two option keep with 1:05 remaining.

Greenville then ran off the remaining time to finish at 6-4 for its first winning season since 2003.

“I’m glad Greenville can say we’re a 6-4 team,” said Jim Phillips, the Lions’ head coach. “Any other district we’re in the playoffs. Counting McKinney in the scrimmage we played eight playoff teams. The teams that beat us were all state-ranked.”

The Lions wound up with a 3-4 district record to finish fifth in the highly-competitive District 10-4A.

Rockwall finished at 4-6 and 2-5.

Rockwall took advantage of a short Greenville punt to drive 31 yards in six plays for the game's first touchdown. Greenville punter Michael Riskey hit a high punt that took a reverse bounce and rolled backwards for a minus four yards net.

Dingwell connected with Scott Loy for a 22-yard completion before running back Josh Broach capped the drive with a 1-yard dive over right tackle.

Greenville answered with an 80-yard, 11-play drive engineered by Lion quarterbacks Jeffro Davis and Alton Dennis. Davis fired a 19-yard completion to Jarvis Bruner for one first down. N.J. Mason also ran 11 yards for another first down.

Dennis, scrambling out of trouble, connected with Mason out of the backfield for a 38-yard touchdown reception. Ryan Wilhelm's kick tied it at 7-7.

Rockwall answered with Dingwell's 45-yard touchdown pass to Reed Loftis. Travis Shinn's kick put the Yellowjackets up 14-7 with 8:23 left in the second quarter.

Greenville tied the game with a 99-yard, five-drive keyed by Williams' 87-yard run to the 'Jacket 12. Williams carried again for gains of eight and two yards before Dennis capped the drive with a 1-yard run. Wilhelm's kick tied it at 14-14 with 1:42 left before the half.

Greenville's defense forced a big stop at its 42, tackling Broach a yard short of a first down on a fourth-and-two run from the Greenville 43.

That play left the Lions with only eight seconds left before halftime. But the Lions used the time wisely as Dennis fired an 18-yard strike to Devonte Green, who then lateraled to the trailing Bruner, who raced the remaining 40 yards to complete the 58-yard touchdown play as time ran out in the first half. Wilhelm missed the extra point after the Lions were backed up 15 yards for excessive celebration following the touchdown. Greenville led 20-14 at the half.

Phillips said he got that hook-and-lateral play from watching Boise State use it in a bowl game against Oklahoma.

“I’ve run it four times in my career and scored four times with it,” he said. “It’s a great play right before the half or at the end of the game because everybody plays so deep.”

Greenville stretched its lead to 28-14 with an 83-yard, 13-play drive. Dennis ran for gains of 15 and 6 yards and threw to Green for completions of 25 and 13 yards before Williams powered in for the touchdown on a 4-yard run with 4:43 left in the third quarter. Dennis then threw to Dijoun Sheppard for the two-point conversion to make it 28-14.

Rockwall scored two touchdowns in a 1:54 span in the third quarter to tie it at 28-28. The Jackets marched 80 yards in seven plays, topped off by Dingwell’s 12-yard pass to Loy and then recovered an onside kick to cover 37 yards in five plays, topped off by Broach’s 1-yard dive. Broach finished with 159 yards on 31 carries.

Dennis was 5-of-8 passing for 173 yards for the Lions but Greenville’s 1,000-yard rusher was limited to only 26 yards rushing on nine carries.

Williams led the Lion rushers with 154 yards on 14 carries.