Judson’s Chauncey Harris (33) cuts behind a block during Friday’s 49-13 blowout win over Highlands on Homecoming at D.W. Rutledge Stadium. Photo by L.D. Franklin

By Jeff B. Flinn
Editor

While winning never gets old, sometimes it loses its luster.

District realignment left the Judson Rockets in unfamiliar territory, District 27-5A, facing teams that have seldom crossed the Rockets path in years past.

Last Friday’s opponent, the Highlands Owls, went 0-10 in 27-5A last season and despite notching two wins this year, proved no match for the Rockets, who rolled to a 49-13 win before a Homecoming crowd of 4,000 in D.W. Rutledge Stadium.

Judson’s Chauncey Harris carried the ball just 12 times but scored six touchdowns — five rushing, one receiving — in leading the Rocket onslaught, including three TDs in the first quarter alone, when Judson raced out to a 28-0 lead.

While his first two runs were 3-yard bursts into and around the line, Harris later put up scoring runs of 62, 63 and 60 yards, running through and past every Owl defender en route to the end zone. He tallied 237 yards on the night, 191 of it on scoring runs.

Up 7-0 after just four plays, the Judson defense forced Highlands into a turnover on its first play from scrimmage. A throw into double coverage resulted in a tipped pass that safety Luke Boswell caught and returned inside the Highlands 20. Harris then tacked on his second TD and Judson led 14-0 just 4:38 into the game.

After Judson forced the Owls to punt, Harris went right back to work, scoring from 62 yards out. A diving interception by linebacker Chris McAlister gave Judson the ball one last time in the quarter and the Rocket offense did not disappoint. Quarterback Chris Patton snuck in from 1 yard out and with 3:52 still remaining in the first quarter, Judson led 28-0.

While substitutes flowed freely the rest of the game, Coach Jim Rackley kept Harris on the field, in light of an injury to backup Gabriel Hilliard. Harris tacked on another 60-yard scoring run in the third and caught a pass from quarterback Cody Boswell and raced 25 yards for a touchdown to boost the score to 49-7 minutes before the end of the third quarter.

This weekend, the Rockets make their first of two trips to the coast for a 7:30 p.m. kick-off against Corpus Christ King at Cabiness Field. King lost to East Central, 29-21 Friday, dropping to 2-4 overall, 0-3 in 27-5A.