Rockford joins west-side winners club
By Jane Bos | The Grand Rapids Press
YPSILANTI -- Going on a long bus ride, check. Playing in the
heat of the day, check. Taking on one of the state's top Division
1 teams the past few years, check.
None of it seemed to bother Jordan Morren, a new face with really
quick feet in Rockford's backfield, in Friday afternoon's season
opener. None of it seemed to bother any of the Rams.
Rockford traveled to Eastern Michigan University's Rynearson
Stadium and took on Lake Orion -- a team that has reached at
least the third round of the playoffs the past three years --
and posted a 17-7 victory in part of the Big Day Prep Showdown
IV.
Not that the win was a surprise. Rockford also is a top team,
reaching the state finals three times in 2004-06. There is just
this east-side-of-the-state mystique.
Morren, named the MVP for the Rams, scored two touchdowns to
help erase some of that.
"The east side, they play great football, this was a really
good team," said Morren, a senior who was sidelined last
season with an ankle injury. "We thought this was a good
chance to come out and support the west and show them what we've
got."
Rockford, which took a 10-7 lead with four seconds left in the
first half after Paul Mudgett booted a 21-yard field goal, joined
The Club, which is west siders who have beaten east siders this
week.
Others include East Grand Rapids, which beat Orchard Lake St.
Mary's 49-14; Lowell, which bettered Davison 42-7; and Muskegon,
which shut out defending state champion Detroit Martin Luther
King 35-0.
Zeeland West almost joined The Club, too, but missed out when
Division I talent-loaded Inkster scored late to post a 27-22
win.
Rams coach Ralph Munger was pleased to become a member
"This was a nice experience, a nice venue, good competition,
without question," he said. "We are pleased to take
our program to the east side and see how we match up with what
is going on over here."
Lake Orion, a young team on offense, was hurt by penalties (eight
for 68 yards) and turnovers (two). Rockford took advantage.
Late in the first quarter, after punting on its first possession,
the Rams recovered a Dragons punt-snap miscue on the Lake Orion
3-yard line. Morren needed one play to put the Rams up 7-0
Morren helped seal the win early in the fourth quarter on a
1-yard touchdown romp.
"I worked hard, but I have a great team, a great line.
I would not want to be anywhere else," Morren said. "This
was just an awesome atmosphere, and we will enjoy the win for
a little while."
Lake Orion coach Chris Bell said Rockford looked fundamentally
solid.
"They are well-coached, they have a lot of offensive weapons,
they are exactly what we thought they would be," Bell said. "We
thought we would go toe to toe with them and slug it out, and
we did.
"I would love to see them again in the playoffs. That would
mean things are coming along well."
