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E-mail This StoryIn the world of sports, two of the most popular subjects are history and tradition.
Neither is something that develops overnight, but rather, are things that take time to build and develop.
Years from now, when people look at the Rowlett athletic program, they could point to the 2007-2008 school year as one of the pivotal points in laying the foundation for the school’s athletic history and tradition.
In the dozen years that the school has been open, the Eagles have had their share of highlights in a variety of different sports. But during the past 10 months, Rowlett has opened eyes around the state, and sometimes, the nation, on more than one occasion.
It has been a little over a month since the Rowlett boys track and field team captured the school’s first state championship in athletics, but the signs that this could be a special year first appeared back in the fall.
The Eagle football team had its share of rough times during its inaugural decade before finally breaking through and making the playoffs in the program’s 10th season. While that 2005 season included their first playoff victory, a 28-10 win over Mesquite, and while the team returned to the postseason a year ago, it was not the kind of eye-opening run that forges a reputation.
Rowlett flew beneath the radar for much of this past season, posting a .500 record and slipping into the playoffs as the district’s fourth and final team.
The Eagles were not given much of a chance—if any—in their opening round game against Allen, which was coming off a perfect 10-0 regular season, was ranked third in the state and was regarded as one of the favorites to win the state championship.
Rowlett, which fell to Allen 45-26 earlier in the season and had lost to them three times in the previous two years, refused to listen to anybody outside of its own locker room.
The Eagles stormed out of the gates behind Dexter Imade and a dominating rushing game, and mixed in with some opportunistic defense, raced to a 30-0 lead in the first half.
Around the state, press boxes began to hum and message boards heated up as word spread. Allen made a desperate charge, but Rowlett held on down the stretch for a 37-32 victory.
Even after the playoffs were over, many around the state referred to the win as the biggest upset of the postseason and people from outside of the Dallas area who had never heard of Rowlett now knew exactly who they were.
The Eagles would fall to Skyline in the following round, but their defining victory over Allen will be remembered for years to come.
In the spring, Rowlett’s name was again a popular topic as baseball season got going. Prior to the season, the Eagles had established themselves as one of the top programs here locally, having made the playoffs in six consecutive seasons and having advanced at least two rounds deep for the last four years, but state recognition was hard to come by.
This year, Rowlett got off to a hot start and did not look back, rolling to an undefeated regular season. Along the way, more and more people took notice, as the Eagles climbed up the ranks in the state polls and even earned a national ranking.
Rowlett would match its deepest playoff run, advancing to the Class 5A Region II semifinals before falling to Georgetown.
And while the dream of a state championship fell short, finishing the regular season without a loss is a rarity, and as head coach Paul Carmon said, nobody can ever take that away from this year’s team.
They set a standard for future squads to follow, and as the players said after defeating Naaman Forest in the regular season finale, they put Rowlett on the map.
There were several other highlights along the way during the course of the year.
The volleyball team reclaimed its perch atop the district standings by capturing the 10-5A title. The boys cross country team won the 10-5A championship for the fourth consecutive year, the boys soccer team made its deepest journey into the playoffs in the program’s history, the girls soccer team matched its longest postseason run and the softball team returned to the playoffs after another successful year.
But the crowning moment of the year came during the second weekend of May when the boys track and field team did something no other Rowlett athletic team had ever accomplished when it captured the school’s first athletic state championship.
Led by Marquise Goodwin’s five medals, the Eagles held off Lewisville to raise the trophy as the boys team champions.
Despite entering the meet as the reigning state champion in the long jump, the soft-spoken Goodwin was still relatively unknown outside of local circles.
That all changed over the course of that weekend, as coaches and fans from around not only the state of Texas, but all over the country, suddenly took notice. In the weeks since the meet, scholarship offers came pouring in from all over and Goodwin, who has given an oral commitment to Texas, had his name all over state and national track and field message boards.
Although it was Goodwin, the Gatorade Texas Boys Track and Field Athlete of the Year, who led the way, he got plenty of help.
In fact, it was actually Kyle Clemons’ victory in the 400 meters that proved to be the difference between winning the state title and being the runner-up.
The 400 relay team of Goodwin, Clemons, Nick Smith and Jared Jackson posted a winning time of 40.26 seconds, which at the time was the fastest in the nation by a high school team this year.
After realizing they had won, the team celebrated with fellow coaches, students, teachers and administrators who had made the trip to Austin. Upon returning home, there was much of the same, as the school and community showed their support and appreciation.
Although it was just a handful of young athletes who were on the track competing, the common bond of sharing the Rowlett name on the front of the shirt made the achievement something everyone involved could take pride in.
As coaches from throughout the athletic department said, this raises the bar for everybody. Athletes in all sports now know that the dream of a state championship is attainable.
Time will tell what kind of history and tradition Rowlett will have years from now. But one thing is for certain and that is no matter what kind of accomplishments the athletic program achieves in the future, the 2007-2008 year will certainly be one to remember.
