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Wilson High sophomore wide receiver Jordan Rocco’s track record for catching passes at practice this year has been less than impressive.
That could change after his performance Friday night.
Rocco snared an 8-yard touchdown pass – his first touchdown reception of the season – from quarterback Tre James with 20 seconds left to lift the Rams to a thrilling, come-from-behind, 21-17 win over Gig Harbor at Stadium Bowl.
“I didn’t know if (James) was going to throw it to me or not,” Rocco said. “I just put my arms out. Everything just went quiet ... and bang... I can’t speak right now. It’s exciting.”
The win lifted Wilson (5-2 overall) to 5-1 in Narrows League play and dealt a blow to the playoff chances for the Tides (3-4, 3-3 Narrows).
“Too many close games … I’m going to have a heart attack,” Wilson coach Don Clegg said with a heavy sigh. “Rocco has had some trouble catching the ball this year. He’s a tough kid … and I feel so glad for him because he dropped a touchdown against Olympia, and as a result of that, he’s been a little uptight.”
After Austin Seferian-Jenkins’ 8-yard touchdown run gave Gig Harbor a 17-14 lead with 6:57 left in the game, the Rams looked headed for defeat. But they hung tough, and Louis Davis Jr. grabbed the fourth interception of the night off quarterback Barrett Schmidtke, giving the Rams the ball on the Gig Harbor 40 with a little less than three minutes left.
Seven frenetic plays later, James hit Rocco for what proved to be the winning touchdown.
“He’s dropped at least 20 in practice, and we always get on him,” Davis Jr. said of the sophomore. “But I guess when the lights came on, he was ready.”
The teams were tied 7-7 at the half, and Wilson took a 14-7 lead after James scored on a 1-yard touchdown run with 4:20 left in the third quarter.
“I’m just real proud,” Clegg said. “These kids fought all through the game.”
Davis Jr. finished with 91 rushing yards on 16 carries and came up with the big defensive play when his team needed it.
“When they came down and scored, I’m the one who missed the tackle (on Seferian-Jenkins),” he said. “So I said if we were going to get another chance, we had to punch it in.”
The first half was played in a torrential downpour.
Gig Harbor took an early lead as quarterback Schmidtke led a 13-play, 80-yard drive on the Tides’ opening possession, capping it with a 1-yard touchdown run with 2:10 left in the first quarter.
However it would be his best work of the first half, because the senior threw three straight interceptions on the ensuing Gig Harbor possessions.
The Rams were able to cash in on the second one – a pick by Nathan Lenard. They needed just five plays to go 40 yards, ending on a 1-yard TD run by Davis Jr. with 7:11 left in the half.
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