Oakland Defeats Rockvale (Game Recap/Top Performers)

<p>To kick off week seven of high school football action in Tennessee, I stopped by Murfreesboro to watch Rockvale take on Oakland in a district battle. After watching the Patriots claim a 35-14 victory over the Rockets, here's my full game recap as well as my top performers.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Top Performers</h2>    <p class="text-gray-700">In the first place spot on my list is [player_tooltip player_id='424644' first='Kam' last='Morton'], a quarterback at Oakland High School. Morton was extremely explosive at the helm of the Patriots' offense, proving his ability to make the clutch pass on third-down and find wide open receivers deep in the backfield. Morton's ability to quickly scan the backfield and stay composed under pressure also caught my attention.</p>     <p class="text-gray-700">I was additionally impressed with [player_tooltip player_id='1281472' first='Joel' last='Wyatt'], a wide receiver/edge at Oakland High School. Wyatt made a huge difference on both sides of the ball. Offensively, Wyatt stood out in the first half, hauling in a 42-yard touchdown pass. Wyatt's defensive performance came in the second half when he elevated off the ground to pick off Rockvale's offense in a crucial offensive drive for the Rockets.</p>     <p class="text-gray-700">Claiming the number three spot on my list is [player_tooltip player_id='1219648' first='Rayene' last='Chiha'], an athlete at Rockvale High School. Chiha was impossible to lock down on the offensive end as he made a number of impressive catches on the night, including a clutch touchdown pass on fourth down. Chiha's electric speed off the snap made him very difficult to contain for Oakland's defense as he could outrun the opposition as well as juke out defenders to get open for the pass.</p>     <p class="text-gray-700">Another playmaker to establish himself was [player_tooltip player_id='1603958' first='Justis' last='Haggard'], a linebacker at Oakland High School. Haggard was the biggest playmaker of the night for the Patriots, recording three rushing touchdowns. What impressed me the most about Haggard's playstyle was his ability to juke out the defense with his strong footwork and shake tackles on the run. Haggard also caught my attention with his ability to find space in the pocket to break free into the backfield.</p>     <p class="text-gray-700">Coming in at number five on my list is [player_tooltip player_id='1030094' first='JaVonni' last='Malone'], a wide receiver at Oakland High School. Malone made a huge impact offensively for the Patriots, scoring off the opening kick. Malone's outstanding speed and ability to break tackles on the run made a huge difference down the stretch as he was able to juke out the defense and fight for those extra yards.</p>    <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Game Recap</h2>   <p>Oakland would score in the first few seconds of the contest as [player_tooltip player_id='1030094' first='JaVonni' last='Malone'] took the opening kick all the way to the house for the touchdown, giving the Patriots an early 7-0 lead over the Rockets. The Patriots went on to extend their lead with 6:51 remaining in the first quarter as [player_tooltip player_id='424644' first='Kam' last='Morton'] connected with [player_tooltip player_id='1281472' first='Joel' last='Wyatt'] for the impressive touchdown pass. Rockvale would lock in offensively as [player_tooltip player_id='1207773' first='Jonathan' last='Hamby'] connected with [player_tooltip player_id='1219648' first='Rayene' last='Chiha'] for the touchdown. The field goal was no good as Rockvale trailed Oakland 14-6 with 1:40 left in the first quarter. The Patriots locked in on the offensive end at the start of the second quarter as [player_tooltip player_id='1603958' first='Justis' last='Haggard'] found his way into the endzone to extend the lead to 21-6. Haggard would punch into the house for his second rushing touchdown at 7:15 in the second quarter as Oakland took a 28-6 lead over Rockvale. The Rockets went on to cut the lead before the end of the first half as Malachi Hemphill muscled his way past the defense and took it into the endzone for the touchdown. Hamby and the offense decided to go for two, successfully completing the pass to trail Oakland 28-14 at the half. Both Oakland and Rockvale were locked in defensively in the second half as the Rockets' offense spent nearly the entire third quarter on their first drive of the second half. After making it dangerously close to the endzone, a deep pass from Hamby was picked off by [player_tooltip player_id='1281472' first='Joel' last='Wyatt'] with a few seconds left in the third quarter. Oakland's offense found the endzone one more time in the fourth quarter as Haggard punched his way into the house for his third touchdown of the night. Oakland went on to defeat Rockvale 35-14.</p>

To kick off week seven of high school football action in Tennessee, I stopped by Murfreesboro to watch Rockvale take on Oakland in a district battle. After watching the Patriots claim a 35-14 victory over the Rockets, here's my full game recap as well as my top performers.