Brock football secures revenge vs. Graham with triple overtime, regional final victory
In the Texas high school football regular season, Graham handed Brock a 38-0 shutout loss.
The District 3-4A Division Two rivals had a second meeting, this time in the regional finals, on Friday, Dec. 6 at Tarleton Memorial Stadium. Not only did Brock score points in this meeting, but the Eagles also got enough to escape with a 12-10 triple-overtime victory.
The Eagles move onto the semifinals on a 5-game winning streak, which started after the loss to Graham on Nov. 1 that gave the Steers a district title.
“We just to give God all the glory; he kept us in it and allowed us to keep fighting,” said Brock quarterback Brody Woods, who scored his team’s only touchdown on the first possession. “We knew last time we played them it was a fluke. We knew that wasn’t us. We had to come out and fight and show them who we really are.”
Graham (12-2) gave Brock its first shutout since the season opener in 2019 for the Eagles. Since then, Brock has played 84 games without at least 6 points.
The rematch victory for the Eagles was the lowest point total in a win since a 13-6 triumph on Halloween in the 2019 season.
It took a little more than 3 minutes in this game to ensure there was no shutout as Woods scored on a 5-yard keeper. That came after Wade Doherty picked up a fumble by Graham on the kickoff.
On the Steers first possession, Graham got an 11-yard touchdown pass from McDonald to Rylan Monsey.
The game was tied at 10 going into overtime, thanks to a field goal from each team.
On the very first play, Woods went for the end zone, but Ryder Taylor intercepted it for the Steers.
Graham got a run by quarterback Ty Thompson to the 14-yard line, but the drive stalled. Kicker Ozzy Trejo went out for a 32-yard, game-winning field goal attempt. Earlier in the game, Trejo drilled a 45-yard field goal.
This kicked miss, and the game went into double overtime. The Steers got the ball first, going toward the south end zone, and Trejo tried another field goal. This one was blocked.
Brock had a 4th-and-8 situation and sent junior Brayden Hamel out — who earlier kicked a 27-yard field goal. The 33-yard attempt was just short of the crossbar.
The teams stayed in the south end zone for the third session — which was a 2-point conversion play.
Woods got the snap and handed it off to Bryer McDonald, and the sophomore went to his left and fell into the end zone, breaking the 10-10 tie.
Graham had a chance to tie it.
Thompson dropped back and threw it in the end zone, and Brock senior Jesse Rusinek nearly picked it off but lost the handle as rain pelted down to the turf. The incompletion, however, was just as good as an interception, and the Eagles secured the victory.
“We came into this game knowing they had everything to lose, and we had nothing to lose,” Rusinek said. “The amount of confidence our leaders had and talking to everyone up all week. Every single one of us had a chip on our shoulder. It was all about grit and coming out and firing on all cylinders. The amount of adrenaline running through my body right now is insane.”
Brock faces Carthage -- 53-14 winners of Vann -- in the semifinals. Brock is looking for a third trip to state in five years after back-to-back runner-up finishes in the 2021 and 2022 seasons.
