ROCKFORD TOPS BRIGHTON IN HEART-STOPPER, 42-35
By Jeff Chaney / The Grand Rapids Press
LANSING -- All year long
Callan Sherd has been making plays for the Rockford football
team. The 6-foot-1, 175-pound junior defensive back may
have made his biggest with the Rams' season on the line Saturday
afternoon. With his team up by a touchdown over Brighton
in the third overtime of their Division 1 semifinal game, Sherd
dove in
front of a
T.J. VanDoren pass attempt on a fourth down play and knocked
the ball to the ground.
The stop helped preserve an exciting
42-35 win for Rockford over the Bulldogs at Lansing Everett
High School, and sends the
Rams to Ford Field where they will try to defend their state
title against Canton High School of Plymouth on Saturday at
1 p.m. Canton beat Macomb Dakota 35-21 in the other semifinal
game Saturday.
"
I saw (their wide receiver) break free, and then I saw the (VanDoren's)
eyes move to him and I dove," Sherd said. "That
is all I could do." The tight nail-biter Saturday was
a strong contrast of the game the two teams played in the
first of the season. That
night Rockford
crushed Brighton 43-6. This day the Bulldogs came to play
with a swarming defense and a potent passing attack led by
VanDoren and receiver
Zach Nichols.
VanDoren finished with 306 yards and five touchdowns, three
to Nichols. Nichols had 12 caches for 131 yards.
And the
Brighton defense held Rockford's offense off the scoreboard
for the first three quarters. But a few adjustments, and a
strong wind at their back, put the Rams on a roll. On the first
play of the fourth quarter, Rockford quarterback Jon VonEschen
found running back Zach Breen for a 48-yard
scoring strike. That gave the Rams their first lead of
the game at 7-6, and began an offensive onslaught that had
players, coaches
and
the fans
at Lansing Everett gasping for air.
The Rams scored on
two rushing plays to combine with the long scoring strike
in the fourth, while VanDoren had two
passing
touchdowns, including a 20-yard lob to Nichols with under
a minute to play to send the game into overtime. Both
of those passing touchdowns were right into that strong wind.
The rushing theme continued for the Rams in overtime, as Mack
Clark scored on a pair of 3-yard runs in the
first
two overtimes,
and Von Eschen plunged over from 1 yard out for the Rams'
final score.
VanDoren hit Nichols and Joe Stetor
in the first two overtimes, before having Sherd come up with
his big
play
in the third
overtime for the Rockford win.
"
I haven't had time to catch my breath," Rockford coach Ralph
Munger said right after the game. "I am very
proud of our effort. The kids could have given up
a couple of times, but kept
coming back. Momentum was with Brighton heading into
overtime, but the guys got it done."
Special
special teams
Besides long scores on offense and big stops on
defense, Rockford got two blocked field goals by
defensive
back Jeremy Jones. "
Our special teams were outstanding today," Munger said. "It
was a great team win."
Brighton coach Bill Murray was pleased with the
ways his team stood up to a team that had handled
it at
the beginning
of the
year.
"
We came to play today," said Murray, whose team completes
its year with a 10-3 record. "I am proud
of my players. They left everything they had
on the field today."
Von Eschen completed
the game throwing for 114 yards, while Clark
led the Rams in rushing with
80 yards
on 12 carries.
(photo by Delbridge Langdon/Grand Rapids Press)
(photo by Delbridge Langdon/Grand
Rapids Press)
(photo by Delbridge Langdon/Grand
Rapids Press)
(photo by Delbridge Langdon/Grand
Rapids Press)
(photo by Delbridge Langdon/Grand
Rapids Press)
(photo by Scott / RamFan)
(photo by Adam Burkholder)
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