Rockford
Rams 38. Hudsonville Eagles 19
Rockford thumps rival Hudsonville in O-K Red Conference opener
Jane
Bos | The Grand Rapids Press
ROCKFORD -- Backlit by the bright orange numbers on the scoreboard
blazing his team's startling victory, Rockford coach Ralph Munger
stood on the big black-and-orange R in the middle of renovated
Ted Carlson Memorial Stadium and smiled.
The much-anticipated O-K Red Conference opener between his Rams
and their nemesis for the past seven years -- Hudsonville -- ended
with Rockford on top 38-19 in front of a crowd of almost 12,000
on Friday night.
The victory kept the Rams perfect at 3-0 this season, while Hudsonville
dropped to 1-2. It also made the seven-year series 4-3 in favor
of Hudsonville.
In the first six games, the teams never had been separated by
more than seven points. Every year, fans seem to hold their breath
until the final horn.
So, coach, did you think about that history entering this game?
"Did I think about it?" Munger asked, rattling off more
details than will be printed here. "In 2003, that first
game, we lost to them 42-34, and all the rest of the games were
decided by less than a touchdown? Did I think about that? Did
I think about the fact that we gave up 105 points and only scored
94 on them? Did I think about it?"
Obviously not. Smiling.
But with all that history, all those close games, and, except
for that first game, neither team had scored more than 18 points
in a game, what was the difference tonight?
"We love to play at home, and I think we are making progress," Munger
said. "I think the difference this time was that we really
wanted this one."
Rockford certainly showed that from the opening kickoff. Hudsonville
fumbled that first boot, and Kevin Badersnider recovered on the
Eagles' 16-yard line. Two plays later, Rams senior quarterback
Taylor Masiewicz ran in an 11-yard score.
About seven minutes later, Rockford extended its lead to 14-0
on a 10-play, 59-yard march. This time, Ryan Darby scored on an
11-yard run.
Paul Mudgett provided the only score in the second quarter when
he booted a 37-yard field goal, making the score 17-0 at halftime.
Then, on the first play of the second half, Rockford's Joe Johnson
scored on a 74-yard run, to make it 24-0 and put the game out of
reach. Johnson added a 9-yard scoring run, and Masiewicz scored
from 10 yards out.
"Defensively, we gave it our all," said Rockford senior
linebacker Joe Stefanski, who totaled seven tackles, including
one for loss. "We pitched a shutout, really."
Added Masiewicz: "This win means everything.
We came out and did what we had to do in the O-K Red."
It was not the way Hudsonville wanted to come out. But the Eagles
did get going in the second half. Cameron VanOoyen scored three
times, on runs of 9, 14 and 2 yards. It was not enough.
"We cannot say we are green any more, this is our third game," Hudsonville
coach Dave Duram said. "This was not a typical Hudsonville
performance, and there is no excuse for it. We are going to go
back to the basics, blocking and tackling, and go from there."
