Rockwall High School Texas State Championships

In today’s sports climate everyone talks about winning a state title.  However, many high school programs don’t even make the playoffs.  This is very common especially when you identify schools at the 5A and 6A classification.  Rockwall High School is currently classified in the 6A Level which means it competes with many schools that have a larger student body than more than a handful of small colleges.  What many residents of Rockwall doesn’t know is that Rockwall High School actually has 11 Team Texas State Titles and have had 13 athletes named Texas State Champion.

The story starts in 1963 a month after President John F. Kennedy was shot in Dallas, Texas.  Even though the Nation was mourning the loss; the world doesn’t just stand still.  High School was still in session and during the chaos; football seemed like a great way for teenagers not to have to think about the craziness life has to offer.  Enter, Rockwall High Schools 1963 Team.  They were having a great season with only one loss to a very tough Lake Highlands football team.  However, once they entered the playoffs the Jackets speed was too much for their opponents to handle.  Rockwall outscored opponents 123 to 19 which consist of their rivals Lake Highland in Bi-District, Jacksoboro in Regionals, Pewitt in Quarterfinals and favorite Dalhart in the Semi-Finals.  The biggest stage was set for the Yellowjackets to play Dulles Vikings at Baylor Stadium in Waco, Texas on Saturday, December 21, 1963.

Rockwall faithful traveled the 2 ½ hour trip by bus, car and train to see their boys play their first ever trip to the Texas State Championship Game.  Their hopes were high and looked forward to an exciting high powered offensive show.  Unfortuneately, for the Jackets, the Texas December weather froze the field which put the quick footed Jackets at a disadvantage against a larger and stronger Viking team.  The first score of the game didn’t come until there was only 117 seconds left in the game.  Dulles had taken a 6-0 lead with very little time left on the clock.  They missed the extra point, but Rockwall was called for an offsides penalty.  Dulles decided to take the opportunity and go for 2 extra points, but the Jackets swarmed to the ball holding the pigskin out of the endzone.  Thus giving the Jackets one last opportunity to drive the field.

With several Rockwall fans too nervous to watch leaving the game and Dulles fans roaming the sidelines in preperation for a great celebration; Quarterback Kenny Terry hit his receiver to tie the game with 23 seconds left.  Kicker Jackie Anderson was called to kick the extra point in which he split the uprights down the middle giving Rockwall High School its first State Championship and currently the only one football has.

In 1986 Chris Gartel and Kirk Windhal each earned individual medals at State for Boys Gymnastics in Parallel Bars and Vault respectively.  It wasn’t until 1996 that the Rockwall Boys Golf Team earned another team State Title to add to the High School’s Trophy Case led by Edward Loar III, Professional Golfer and former Oklahoma State University alum.  By then Julie Marak, Girls Gymnastics Bars in 1991 and Michale Widlund Boys Gymnastics Vault added two individual state championship medal for the Rockwall High School Gymnastics Teams.

Starting in 1997 the Girls Gymnastics Team would win their first of 6 Texas State Titles capturing the honors in 1998, 2000, 2011, 2012 and 2017.  In addition for holding the most State Championships out of all of Rockwall High Schools Athletic Programs, they have also earned another 10 Individual State Champions after Julie Marak.  In 1998, Christy Gerard earned the top spot in Bars and then the next year she added Beam, Floor and All-Around titles to her accomplishments.  In 2000, Jennifer Bolli who is now the Heath High School Gymnastics Coach earned a title in Floor.  In 2013 Kailea Coles took home a Gold in Beam where Kaitlynn Scott took her Beam Gold Medal in 2017.  Last year in 2018, Kat Rodriguez was the State Champion in Beam, Floor and All-Around to continue the success for Rockwall’s Girls Gymnastics Program.  The Boys Gymnastics Program added another individual title for Rings by Craig Brannon in 2010.  

Both Boys Track and Girls Track each earned an individual state title a decade apart.  Ryan Glaze won the 110 meters High Hurdles in 1994 and in 2004 SMU alumni Illyssa Pettigrew captured her state championship in the Girls 800 meters.


The Year 2001 and 2002 allowed Jacket Nation to see a repeat of State Championships with the High School’s Boys Wrestling Team and then in 2012 Rockwall’s Swimming Team’s MVP and Texas A&M University number 7 rated recruit won a State Title in the 50 yard Freestyle for the Jackets.

The only perfect season Rockwall High School has ever had while winning a State Championship was with the 2007 Girls Basketball Team where the Lady Jackets finished 40-0 beating Houston Cypress Fairbanks 59-54 becoming only the third squad to go undefeated joining 1980 South Oak Cliff and Duncanville’s 1997 teams.  This was such an accomplishment that the Honorable Ralph Hall stated on the House Floor, “Madam Speaker, I want to congratulate the Rockwall Lady Jackets for their tremendous success, not only in tournament play but also throughout the entire season. Through their hard work and dedication they have made Rockwall very proud. I ask each of my colleagues to join me in honoring Rockwall High School.”  He went on to mention the players and managers by name, “I'd like to congratulate each of the talented players on the 2007 Championship Lady jacket team: Shelby Adamson, Emily McCallum, Arielle Andres, Haley Day, Peyton Adamson, Samantha Shaw, Meredith Gordon, Sunny Satery, Brittany Coleman, Kayla Kimmons, Ariel Coleman, Genevieve Campbell, Lindsay Wack, and Kiara Slayton. I'd also like to honor Ashlie Strange, Rebekah Jones, Lauren Hurt, Nichole Schueneman, and Taylor Whitehead who all served as managers for the team.”  Ultimately, Congressman Hall described what winning a State Championship is all about for Rockwall High School with these final words, “Girls, coaches, parents, faculty, and student body--you made Rockwall, Texas, smallest county of 254 counties, very proud. God bless all of you and thank you again! As we close and leave this floor of Congress on this 23rd day of March, let us do so in respect and recognition that the Rockwall Girls Basketball team is the champion of the largest State in the union--the State of Texas.”

Although Rockwall Schools have been around since the 1840’s Rockwall High School as we know it now has been serving our student athletes since 1925.  Each year as student’s prepare to face the challenges of being a student and athlete, play for the honor of their community and fellow classmates and join the ranks of thousands before them wearing the “Rockin ‘R’” be sure to encourage them to “Leave their story better than they found it.” Remind them that Jacket Fight Never Dies!

To find out what Rockwall High School Athletes are doing now visit the Jacket Backers website at: https://www.jacketboosters.com/alumni-news--video.html