Rockford
Rams 10. Grandville 07
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'Vintage' catches push Rockford to next round
By Jane Bos / The Grand Rapids Press
ROCKFORD -- Rockford
senior Callan Sherd -- unsure what to think of the adjective
coach
Ralph Munger used to describe his receptions
-- smiled, shrugged and said he could look it up in the dictionary.
But first, he would enjoy the win. Behind a pair of "vintage" Sherd
catches, including one for the eventual game-deciding touchdown
late in the third quarter,
Rockford edged visiting Grandville 10-7 in a Division 1 district
opener.
Leading 10-0 early,
the two-time defending state champion Rams held off a late Bulldogs
rally. Rockford (9-1) advances
to Friday's
7 p.m. game at Holt, which
beat Traverse City West 10-7. "
I have no idea what that means, but it really doesn't matter," said
Sherd, who caught six passes for 109 yards. "Tom (Fusee) just lays the
balls out there, and I time the routes, and if I am in a position to go for
it, I do." He did just that three times in the critical third-quarter
drive. The first was an 11-yard catch on third down deep in Rams territory.
The second was
a diving
19-yard catch. The third was a 24-yard touchdown. "
That was vintage Callan," Munger said. "He is as good a high school
football player in the state as you can find. He is an unbelievable competitor,
a tremendous talent."
Rockford, which tied
Grandville (7-3) for the O-K Red title the past two seasons,
needed all that Friday. And after the Bulldogs scored on a tough
drive with 45 seconds left -- highlighted by an 8-yard touchdown
pass from RC Thompson to Chris Blik
-- the Rams recovered
the onside kick to seal the win. "
The thing I am most proud of is that my kids did not quit. They stayed in, they
battled, and I am proud of them," Grandville coach Scot Shaw said. "Rockford
is a good team. I wish them the best. I hope they win it all again." If
that is going to happen, Munger said his team needs to stop making mistakes and
penalties. Both teams were flagged often and both had big plays called back.
Mistake-filled game
"
The positive vein of this whole deal is the fact that this football team
was able to overcome numerous, numerous -- I mean numerous -- things," Munger
said. "That is remarkable. We just cannot do that, though. We have
to get better at that." Rockford took advantage of an interception
by Jeremy Jones late in the first quarter -- and a 15-yard Grandville
penalty -- to march its second
possession
inside the 10-yard line.
But the Bulldogs defense held, forcing Rockford to settle for a 20-yard
field goal by Mark Schlaudt. Rockford led 3-0 at halftime. Then in the
third quarter, the Rams used a little vintage Sherd to post the win.
Vintage, meaning, representative of the best.
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