Rockford
Rams 21. West Ottawa 00
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Rockford joins O-K Red title parade
By Steve Vedder / The Grand Rapids Press
HOLLAND -- Rockford
may have entered its regular-season finale timidly, but for the
second
consecutive year the Rams were a key
player in another frantic finish to the O-K Red Conference season.
Rockford overcame a slow start to knock off West Ottawa 21-0
Friday in
a win that, for the moment, enabled it to remain in
the hunt
for at least a share of the title.
Then, as the Rams
trooped out of West Ottawa's stadium, word came that once-beaten
Grandville
had upended unbeaten Hudsonville
to
create tri-champions with Rockford, the Bulldogs and Eagles.
Those three teams, plus West Ottawa, shared last year's O-K
Red title
with 5-2 records.
Rockford running back
Zach Breen, who sparked the win over West Ottawa with a pair
of touchdowns,
said the players
wouldn't let
themselves think of gaining at least a share of a championship. Particularly
after the Rams (6-1, 8-1) nursed only a 7-0 lead until the game's
final nine minutes against a Panthers team (4-3,
5-4)
that entered the contest on a four-game winning streak and with
playoff hopes.
"
We came out timid," Breen said. "But we let loose in
the second half and had fun. That's what it's about, isn't it?
But we came in on our heels.
" We had (a title)
in the back of our minds, but we were talking more about this
game." Breen's 62-yard run on the Rams' first play gave them
a 7-0 lead, but they didn't score again until Michael Mudgett's
10-yard
run
with 9:04 left in the game. That score capped a 13-play, 64-yard
strike that ate up more than 6 1/2 minutes.
Breen scored the Rams' final touchdown on a 1-yard run with
2:17 to go.
Rockford coach Ralph
Munger agreed with Breen that the focus was on beating West Ottawa
and letting the chips fall
where
they may. "
Our interest was in our own game," he said. "I was
pleased with our last couple drives. By then we were playing
football.
All of a sudden we found a different gear."
Rockford
has qualified for the state playoffs for the 12th year
in a row and the 13th time in the last 15 seasons. West Ottawa
coach Jim Caserta, whose team managed just 52 rushing and 110
total yards, said the offense had one
consistent
problem. "Field position," he said. "We
had bad field position and couldn't do what we wanted.
So we had to play more conservative.
But, outside of that first play, we shut them out until
late."
Rockford finished
with 249 yards on the ground, while quarterback Tom Fusee hit
7-of-11 passes for 97 yards.
Breen finished
with 126 yards on 18 carries. "West Ottawa is a physical, tough team who has some hitters," Munger
said. "They had a lot of things to play for, like
making the playoffs, being the seniors' last game, and
they had an emotional
advantage.
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