Rockford rolls in Munger's milestone
By Gary Bond / The Grand Rapids Press
ROCKFORD -- For the second
consecutive season, Rockford has claimed Traverse City
West as a playoff victim. Last season it was in the second
round. Friday night, the Rams ended Traverse City West's
playoff run almost before
it was started
with a 36-14 victory in the Division 1 districts.
The win
not only sends Rockford (8-2) into a second-round showdown
against O-K Red Conference opponent Grandville (7-3)
next week
at Rockford, it was also the 200th career win for Rams
head coach Ralph Munger.
"All that means is I've been around for a long time," Munger
said. Munger, in his 26th season as a head coach, compiled
an 87-30 in 12 years at Frankenmuth before coming to Rockford,
where he has a 113-42 in his 14th season.
"
I've been blessed with outstanding players and outstanding
assistant coaches," he said. "The milestone is
a program thing, not a Ralph Munger thing." Munger
was blessed early Friday night with two first-quarter touchdowns,
the first coming on a 5-yard run by Zach Breen
followed by a 15-yard run by Mackenzie Clark.
Traverse
City West, behind the two-headed running attack of quarterback
Anthony Thompson and fullback Eric Gordon,
put
together a 12-play, 69-yard drive that ended with Gordon
blasting into the end zone from a yard out on a fourth-
and-goal.
Gordon, a 6-foot, 225-pound power runner who
has given Michigan State a verbal commitment, finished
with 121
yards on 17
carries. Thompson rushed for 109 yards on 20 attempts.
Leading 14-8 at halftime, the Rams scored twice to take a
29-8 lead early in the fourth quarter. Breen
would
score again on
a 7-yard run and receiver Callan Sherd caught a 15-yard
touchdown
pass from quarterback Jon Voneschen.
After a 53-yard
touchdown run by Gordon, Voneschen hit Breen with a 41-yard
scoring pass.
"
You can't spot a team as good as Rockford 14 points," Traverse
City West coach Matt Prisk said. "We were awfully tight
and nervous in the first quarter. Rockford didn't do anything
we didn't expect, they just executed better."
(all photos by Chris Rozema)
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