Rodrigo’s national TV debut an All-American winner in San Antonio
Individual game summaries, season at a glance listed below
Updated through Jan. 10, 2015
Rodrigo was as cool as usual in the nationally televised U.S. Army All-American Bowl on Jan. 3 in San Antonio’s Alamodome as he performed excellently in his fifth and final game at his favorite indoor venue.
Even though his East team eventually lost 39-36 after trailing by 30 points in the first half, Rodrigo executed his duties to near-perfection.
His 35-yard field goal on the East’s first possession gave his team a 3-0 lead, only to have the West score five touchdowns in a row, three on blown secondary assignments and two on interceptions returned to the end zone for a 33-3 lead in the second quarter.
The East stormed back to close within 39-36. That included three extra points in three attempts by Rodrigo; the East coach went for two-point conversions after the first two East scores and both failed.
In the first half, Rodrigo launched a trio of excellent kickoffs. A 72-yarder into the left corner of the end zone to start the national telecast earned him a touchback. Following his field goal, Rodrigo drove a 73-yarder into the end zone; the West return man decided to run it out and was tackled at the 10-yard line. Rodrigo’s third kickoff was a 69-yarder with a 4.27-second hang time; the West returner was brought down at the 13-yard line. His kickoffs averaged 71.3 yards and averaged 4.13 seconds for hang time.
In the fourth quarter Rodrigo attempted four successive onside kicks. The first one, a conventional kangaroo hop, was recovered by the East, which then scored a touchdown.
The second one, a left-footed try, was nearly recovered but a West player fell on it just in time. The third one, back to conventional, was smothered by a West player. The fourth one, also conventional, was recovered by the East initially and then given to the West after the referees consulted.
The East got a final chance at moving into field goal range in the final seconds, but ran out of downs at its own 40, about 15-18 yards short of Rodrigo’s range.
Rodrigo played five times in the Alamodome, competing in the FBU/Eastbay All-American series in the seventh, eighth and ninth grades, appearing in two games in the eighth grade. In his five games in the Alamodome, he was 3-for-3 in field goals and 17-for-18 in extra points for a total of 26 points.
Season at a glance
Kickoffs – 60 for 4229 yards, 70.5 average, 57 touchbacks (95 percent). Return yards – 47. Avg. field position – 19.9-yard line. Pooch – 1. Onside kicks – 0 for 2.
Punts – 30 for 1390 yards, 46.3 average. Return yards – 66. Avg. return – 2.2 yards. Inside the 20 – 14. Avg. field position – 19.8-yard line. Non-returned – 24.
PATs – 47 for 48.
FGs – 10 for 15. Points – 77.
Rushes – 2 for 19 yards, 1 first down.
Game One: N. Paulding 28, Sprayberry 24 (scrimmage)
Kickoffs – 5 for 349 yards, 69.8 average, 5 touchbacks. Distances/hang times – 74 (3.77), 64 (4.24), 67 (4.19), 72 (4.00), 72 (4.32). Return yards – 0. Avg. field position – 20.
Punts – 5 for 230 yards, 46.0 average. Return yards – 41. Distances/hang times – 39 (x), 49 (4.27), 51 (4.84), 45 (x), 46 (x). Inside the 20 – 3. Non-returned – 2. Avg. field position – 22.8. Avg. return – 8.2.
PATs – 3 for 3.
FGs – 1 for 3 (59 miss, 51 miss, 25 make).
Game Two: S. Paulding 24, Sprayberry 19
Kickoffs – 2 for 140 yards, 2 touchbacks, 70.0 avg. Distances/hang times – 73 (4.13), 67 (4.03). Return yds. – 0. Avg. field position – 20.0. Onside kickoffs – 0 for 1. Pooch kickoffs – 1.
Punts – 2 for 91 yards, 45.5 avg. Return yards – 8. Non-returned – 1. Avg. field position – 12. Inside the 20 – 2.
PATs – 2 for 2.
FGs – 1 for 1 (31 yards).
Game Three: Kennesaw Mountain 28, Sprayberry 23
Kickoffs – 4 for 291 yards, 72.8 avg., 4 touchbacks. Distances/hang times – 73 (3.97), 70 (4.00), 73 (4.26), 75 (4.15). Return yds. – 0. Avg. field position – 20. Onside kickoffs – 0 for 1.
Punts – 3 for 144 yards, 48.0 avg. Return yards – 0. Non-returned – 3. Avg. field position – 18.7-yard line. Inside the 20 – 2.
PATs — 2 for 2.
FGs — 1 for 1 (27 yards).
Rushing — 1 for 0 yards.
Game Four: Sprayberry 58, Woodland 0
Kickoffs – 10 for 702 yards, 70.2 avg., 9 touchbacks. Distances/hang times – 70 (4.09), 74 (4.01), 67 (3.91), 78 (3.97), 69 (4.15), 70 (4.16), 72 (3.90), 74 (4.01), 58 (4.20), 71 (4.03). Return yards – 14. Avg. field position – 19.6.
Punts – 1 for 62 yards. Inside the 20 – 0.
PATs – 7 for 8.
FGs – 1 for 1 (27 yards)
Game Five: Sprayberry 44, North Springs 6
Kickoffs – 7 for 475 yards, 67.9 average, 6 touchbacks. Distances/hang times – 69 (4.10), 59 (4.41), 57tb (4.33), 69 (4.17), 71 (4.21), 79 (4.12), 71 (4.05). Return yards – 19. Avg. field position – 19.9.
Punts – 2 for 101 yards, 50.5 avg. Return yards – 0. Avg. field position – 24.5.
PATs – 6 for 6.
FGs – 0 for 1 (37 wide left)
Rushes – 1 for 19 yards, first down.
Game Six: Sprayberry 45, North Atlanta 7
Kickoffs – 8 for 574 yards, 71.75 average, 8 touchbacks. Distances/hang times – 70 (4.05), 70 (4.13), 73 (4.01), 72 (3.89), 73 (3.83), 75 (3.88), 71 (4.07), 70 (x). Return yards – 0. Avg. field position – 20.
Punts – 1 for 51 yards. Return yards – minus-2. Avg. field position – 13. Inside the 20 – 1.
PATs – 6 for 6.
FGs – 1 for 1 (42 make)
Game Seven: Sprayberry 31, Riverwood 24, 2 OT
Kickoffs – 4 for 287 yards, 71.75 average, 4 touchbacks. Distances/hang times – 69 (3.85), 68 (2.92), 77 (4.24), 73 (4.27). Return yards – 0. Avg. field position – 20.
Punts – 3 for 109 yards, 36.3 average. Return yards – 0. Avg. field position – 22.3-yard line. Inside the 20 – 1.
PATs – 4 for 4.
FGs – 1 for 1 (33 make)
Game Eight: Sprayberry 31, Cambridge 7
Kickoffs – 6 for 434 yards, 72.3 average, 6 touchbacks. Distances/hang times – 73 (4.08), 70 (4.18), 73 (4.20), 70 (4.23), 75 (4.22), 73 (4.29). Return yards – 0. Avg. field position – 20.
Punts – 4 for 160 yards, 40.0 average. Return yards – 0. Avg. field position – 18.0-yard line. Inside the 20 – 2.
PATs – 4 for 4.
FGs – 1 for 1 (51 make)
Game Nine: Sprayberry 34, Forsyth Central 7
Kickoffs — 6 for 416 yards, 69.3 average, 5 touchbacks. Distances/hang times — 61 (3.94), 74 (4.16), 65 (4.44), 69 (4.23), 77 (3.90), 70 (4.34). Return yards — 15. Avg. field position — 20.8-yard line.
Punts — 3 for 140 yards, 46.7 average. Return yards — 13. Avg. field position — 21.7-yard line.
PATs — 4 for 4.
FGs — 0 for 1 (46 wide right).
Game Ten: Kell 14, Sprayberry 10
Kickoffs – 3 for 217 yards, 72.3 average, 3 touchbacks. Distances/hang times – 68 (3.77), 70 (3.10), 79 (4.12). Return yards – 0. Avg. field position – 20.
Punts – 4 for 212 yards, 53.0 average. Return yards – 0. Avg. field position – 18.2-yard line. Inside the 20 – 2.
PATs – 1 for 1.
FGs – 1 for 2 (54 miss WL, 56 make).
Game Eleven: Sequoyah 42, Sprayberry 28
Kickoffs – 5 for 345 yards, 69.0 average, 5 touchbacks. Distances/hang times – 70 (4.05), 72 (4.20), 62 (4.25), 66 (4.15), 75 (4.35). Return yards – 0. Avg. field position – 20.
Punts – 2 for 88 yards, 44.0 average. Return yards – 6. Avg. field position – 23.0. Inside the 20 – 1.
PATs – 4 for 4.
FGs – none attempted.