4100 Kroes
Rockford, MI 49341
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Rockford
Rams 28. East Kentwood 21
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Rockford gets small scare
By Gary BondThe
Grand Rapids Press
KENTWOOD -- Unbeaten and two-time
defending state champ Rockford earned another win and should
not lose its
lofty No. 1 ranking
in the Associated Press' state poll. But the Rams did receive
a scare Friday night against East Kentwood.
It was a little scare, but a scare all the same.
With 2.9 seconds left in the O-K Red Conference game at East
Kentwood High School, the Falcons got within a touchdown after
quarterback Jovanti Hood plunged into
the end zone from a yard out, but an on-side kick recovery by Rockford sealed
a 28-21 victory.
"
It was a hard-fought game on both sides," Rockford coach Ralph Munger said. "The
game plan was to take away their big plays, but they had the ball quite a bit
-- running 66 offensive plays to Rockford's 46 --which means they had 20 more
opportunities.
" Our defense can play better, but we will learn from this game. This is
the kind
of competition that makes you better."
Special teams were huge for the Rams early when Michael Mudgett blocked a Kentwood
punt late in the first quarter that was recovered on the Falcons' 14-yard line.
Two plays later, Zach Breen, who finished with 107 rushing yards on 17 carries,
scored the first of his three touchdowns.
Kentwood, behind the running of junior tailback Ezekiel Crossley and the arm
of Hood, answered with a touchdown on the ensuing possession that ended with
receiver Aric Geerling spliting two Rockford defenders on a slant pattern that
covered 40-yards for a score.
But the Rams answered back with a Breen 4-yard touchdown run on the next drive.
Then late in the first half, Derek Beemer's interception helped set up Breen's
next score from 35-yards out, giving the Rams a 21-7 lead at halftime.
"
We made some critical mistakes at key times, and you can't get behind a team
like Rockford the way we did and expect to win,' Kentwood coach Eddie Ostipow
said. "I'm proud of the way our kids played tonight, and I thought we played
a good game, but Rockford made the big plays when they needed them."
The Rams increased their lead to 28-7 when Kyle Lienesch hauled in a 13-yard
pass from quarterback Tom Fusee late in the third quarter.
Crossley, who carried the football 26 times for 146 yards, scored on a 40-yard
split in the fourth quarter with 9:12 left in the game. The Rams' ball control
offense took five minutes off the clock before failing on a fourth-down situation
at the Kentwood 30-yard line.
The Falcons moved the football and finally scored, but time wasn't on their
side.
Hood, who rushed for 47 yards on 16 carries, completed 13-of-24 passes for
148 yards. Fusee connected on 6-of-13 passes for 101 yards.
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Scoreboard
RHS 16, Mac 38
Musk 32, Warr 30
ZWest 22, Coop 00
EGR 42, FHH 17
MCC 35, GrLk 7
OK-Red Standings
RHS
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6
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1
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H'ville
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6
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1
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G'ville
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6
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1
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W
Ott
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4
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3
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G
Haven
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3
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4
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EK
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3
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4
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Jenison
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2
|
4
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Holland
|
0
|
7
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News
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