Rockford senior running back
Bradd Vanderveen knew the Jenison football team had plenty
of intangibles working for it Friday night.
Not only were the Wildcats
celebrating their homecoming, but they were playing their first
game in the beautifully remodeled David McKenzie Field.
But the Rams spoiled the party,
beating Jenison 27-24 on a fourth-quarter touchdown run by
Vanderveen, and a solid defensive stand late in the game.
"We knew they had a nice stadium
here, and it was their first game here and homecoming, so this
is a very satisfying win," Vanderveen said. "We had a very
poor week of practice, and whether it was the disappointing
loss to East Kentwood last week, our heads weren't in it this
week. And we just came together at the right time."
After a touchdown pass from
quarterback B.J. Wells to wide receiver Steve Boss gave Jenison
a 24-20 lead late in the third quarter, the Rams got the ball
on their own 34-yard line to start what would be the game-winning
drive.
The drive was aided by some
trickery from Rockford coach Ralph Munger, as the Rams were
facing a fourth-and-six from the 50-yard line, when Munger
called an incredible guard reverse.
Guard Luke Biemers took the
ball and went 12 yards for the first down to keep the drive
alive.
Three plays later, Vanderveen
went in from 31 yards out, and after a Drew Campanelli kick,
the Rams had a 27-24 lead.
"You know the old saying, every
once in a while the blind squirrel finds a nut," said Munger
about his gutsy call to use a lineman to get possibly the biggest
first down of the game.
"Coming into this game we didn't
prepare well. Our focus was not where it is supposed to
be. But to the guys' credit, we took advantage of things that
came our way, and we made some things happen."
It was the defense's turn to
make things happen with the game on the line and less than
five minutes to play.
With Jenison driving in Rockford's
red zone, the Rams' defense held on a fourth-and-one from the
Rockford 10-yard line. Jenison running back John Sheeran was
stopped inches short of the first down, giving the ball to
the Rams.
Rockford went on to run out
the final 3:40 for the important O-K Red Metro win.
"Our major intent is to improve
each game, and we might have taken a step back tonight," Munger
said. "But they might have had something to do with that, they
played well and hard. Still, it was a huge win for us."
Jenison coach Dave Larkin really
wanted a win for his team and the community on a special night.
"We had our chances," Larkin
said. "We just made far too many mistakes, and we have to eliminate
those mistakes when you play a good team like Rockford.
"But I am proud of the way
my kids played," he added. "They just executed better than
we did tonight."