Grandville controls ball, Rockford
By Bob Becker / Grand Rapids Press Sports Editor

Rockford stunned Grandville with a gadget-play touchdown on the opening kickoff of Saturday's Division 1 district final.

But visiting Grandville collected itself, controlling the ball for most of the rest of the game and wound up with a 14-7 victory.

Rockford's Spencer Klukowski took that opening kickoff at his own 5-yard line, then turned his back on the Bulldogs charging down the field at him.

In a "starburst explosion" formation, three players sprinted past Klukowski in different direction, each available for a potential handoff. The ball wound up in the hands of Steve Kik, who raced 95 yards down the right sideline for the score, stepping through two tackles on the way.

"That caught us by surprise," said Grandville quarterback Buddy Rivera, who passed for 191 yards, spread out among seven receivers. "But all that meant to us was that we had to pick it up a little more and come back at them. You have to be able to handle challenges when you get into the playoffs."

Grandville (8-3) went 68 yards on its second possession of the game, Rivera calling his own number from the 1-yard line to tie the game at 7-7. That's the way things stood until the last play of the third quarter, when Grandville capped a 58-yard, six play drive.

This time big Andrew Hawken got the call, bulling up the middle on a fourth-and-18 call from Rockford's 35, bowling over two defenders at about the 20 and going all the way in for the score and a 14-7 lead.

"To come into their house and beat them is an unbelievable accomplishment," said Grandville coach Irv Sigler, whose team faces East Kentwood next week in the regional finals.

"I don't care who it is, I'm just glad we are still playing," Sigler said. "We played against a team today that did a tremendous job against us. We were lucky we were able to take the little we could get from them."

East Kentwood, like Grandville and Rockford, is in the O-K Red Metro Conference.

"If we ever get the opportunity to not play somebody in our conference I'd be a happy guy," Sigler said. "It is amazing how deep the conference is, how much talent there is. It gives us a competitive edge, but first we have to get past the competition with other teams in the league."

Grandville has a potent offense, led by Rivera and Hawken, who rushed for 147 yards Saturday.

But it was Grandville's defense that really stood out, limiting the Rams to 44 rushing yards and 80 through the air.

In the first quarter Rockford had six plays from scrimmage and two punts, holding the ball on offense for just over three minutes. The Rams had the ball for just over five minutes in the second quarter and less than three minutes each in the third and fourth.

"The defense was outstanding," Rivera said. "They held Rockford until we could get something going on offense."

Rockford had 24 running and 19 passing plays, compared to Grandville's 37 rushes and 36 passes.

"Our defense hasn't gotten the spotlight like they've deserved," Sigler said. "They pitched a shutout today, except for that special teams touchdown to open the game."

Rockford coach Ralph Munger said his team accomplished part of their game plan by holding Grandville to 14 points.

"But offensively, I don't remember the last time we've been controlled the way Grandville did today," Munger said. "They are one of the best teams in the state, but I felt we'd be able to do some things on offense, produce some first downs and points. ...

"It was just a great effort from Grandville. ... Playing in our conference brings the best out of everybody."

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