Grandville defense key in knocking off No. 1
Rockford
By Jane Bos / The Grand Rapids Press
GRANDVILLE -- With time
running out and Grandville's Aaron Szarowicz rushing the quarterback,
Jon VonEschen got off a deep, wobbly
pass.
Then Nate Duemler swatted it away. And Jordan Richardson grabbed
it, sealing Grandville's 13-10 upset of Rockford, the top-ranked
team in the state, at Bulldog Stadium before 8,000 fans Friday.
The rush, swat and grab not only typified a strong defensive
effort by the host Bulldogs -- they held the previously unbeaten
Rams to 34 points below their season average -- it helped make
a mess of the O-K Red Conference standings.
Four teams -- Grandville,
Hudsonville, Jenison and Rockford -- are bunched at the top with
one conference loss each. A year
ago, Rockford finished third in the league behind Hudsonville
and Grandville, then went on to win the Division 1 state championship.
The win, which snapped Rockford's 11-game winning
streak, meant plenty to the Bulldogs, who had been 0-2 at home.
"
We were ready to play and defend our house," said Richardson,
a junior linebacker. "This is a big confidence booster to
us." Added Szarowicz: "This is huge. We all just did
our thing. Coach told me to do my thing. I pass rush." While
the defense was the difference, the Grandville offense did its
thing.
Trailing 10-6 after giving up a 23-yard
field goal with 5:29 left, the Bulldogs got help on their final
drive, thanks to a
personal foul on the ensuing kickoff and a pass interference
call. That put Grandville on the Rams' 30-yard line. Two plays
later, one of the Grandville rotating quarterbacks, R.C. Thompson,
connected with Travis Carter in the end zone.
Jeo Pantoja booted the extra point, giving the Bulldogs a 13-10
lead with 1:53 on the clock.
Rockford used six plays to move
the ball to the Grandville 43. But Sam Russell, another of the
rotating quarterbacks and a free
safety, swatted away a deep pass on second down with 15.8 seconds
left.
Two plays later, with 8.7 on the clock, the Bulldogs posted the
final rush, swat and grab. "
We did not want to give up enough for a first down; we did not
want his field-goal kicker out there," Grandville coach
Scot Shaw said. "Our defensive coaches are great. They put
kids in the right spots. This win just means a lot to our kids.
They had a lot of unfair criticisms (from fans) about their courage,
and how good a team they could be." They clearly answered
doubters Friday.
"
Grandville kids showed a lot more heart than our kids did," Rockford
coach Ralph Munger said. "They tried to get it going, but
Grandville played awful, awful well. They just ate up our offense." Neither
team moved the ball much in the first half. And it was Grandville's
defense which posted the first score, a 30-yard
fumble return by DeKetrick Harris, late in the first quarter.
The extra point was blocked. About a minute later, VonEschen
raced in a 75-yard touchdown, for the 7-6 halftime score.
(photo by Chris Rozema)
(photo by Chris Rozema)
(photo by Chris Rozema)
(photo by Paul L. Newby, II, GRPress)
(photo by Paul L. Newby, II, GRPress)
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