GARLAND – For Rowlett, time of possession is not necessary.

After being shut out in the first half, the Rowlett offense exploded with a series of big plays to down Keller Fossil Ridge 28-14 on Friday night at Homer B. Johnson Stadium in Garland.

Trailing 7-0 after the first half, Rowlett started the second half by driving the ball 71 yards in less than three minutes, capped by a 30-yard run from running back Dexter Imade. That would be the most unassuming score that Rowlett would put on the board.

While Fossil Ridge grinded to another touchdown to put it back on top, quarterback Brandon Loy had a different plan, hitting Marquise Goodwin for a 73-yard touchdown strike.

Then, Loy threw a 32-yard touchdown pass to Reed Graham, and Diamonte Blake sealed the game late with a 96-yard touchdown run.

Not bad for a team that only managed 78 total yards in the first half.

"We don't plan on it," Loy said when asked whether they were trying to depend on the big play. "We didn't do much in the first half, but we got the running game going, and it opened up the passing game."

It was the defense, though, that earned most of Rowlett coach Kiff Hardin's praise.

"The defense kept us in the game," Hardin said. "We were out of synch on offense in the first half, but they gave us a chance."

Despite giving up 341 total yards, including 271 through the air to Fossil Ridge quarterback James Killion, the defense was tough inside the 20-yard-line, stuffing two quarterback draws on third and fourth downs late in the game.

Then, it was Blake's turn to break a big one.

"When I got the ball, the line was pushing and they opened up a hole," Blake said. "I broke a couple tackles and then I was off. But the offensive line was really the ones who did it."

Hardin admitted after the game that on Blake's long touchdown run, he was only looking for a first down, considering there was less than two minutes to go.

"But we'll take whatever we can get," Hardin chuckled.