Rockford Rams 26. West Ottawa Panthers 13

Rockford threatened by West Ottawa but hangs on for win
Jeff Chaney | The Grand Rapids Press, October 02, 2009

ROCKFORD -- The Rockford football team has had little time to relax in its first five games this season.

With battles against state powers and nail-biting wins against O-K Red Conference rivals, Rams fans have been riding an emotional wave.

That ride continued this week in Rockford's 26-13 win against West Ottawa.

The Panthers (4-2, 2-2 O-K Red) crashed Ted Carlson Memorial Stadium on Friday night and battled the Rams (6-0, 4-0) for one half. West Ottawa was the first team to lead Rockford at halftime this year.

But Rockford, the defending state champion and top-ranked Division 1 team, seized momentum in its first series of the second half and pulled away to remain undefeated.

"They're never easy in this conference," Rockford coach Ralph Munger said. "It was win No. 6, and we are pleased with that. We still have some things to clean up."

The Rams were bottled up in the first half by a stout West Ottawa defense and entered halftime behind 7-3. But Rockford gained control on its fifth play of the second half when senior quarterback Taylor Masiewicz threw junior wide receiver Brian Fischer a 36-yard touchdown pass.

Then, on the second play of the fourth quarter, senior running back Ryan Darby broke through the West Ottawa defense for a 56-yard touchdown run to give the Rams a 19-7 lead that the damp and bundled Rockford fans could enjoy.

The teams traded touchdowns in the final minute of the game.

"They're not the No. 1 team in the state for nothing," West Ottawa coach Jim Caserta said. "I thought we played hard, but we made a couple of mistakes and they capitalized on them."

Zac Boersema's 1-yard touchdown run on a fourth-and-one play gave West Ottawa a 7-3 advantage in the second quarter.

"We played good defense in the first half and had that great drive at the end of the first half and was able to punch it in," Caserta said. "That was big because a couple of weeks ago, we had that same kind of drive and were unable to punch it in. The effort was there tonight, and I'm real proud of my kids."

Rockford senior kicker Paul Mudgett added 51- and 37-yard field goals.

"Mudgett is the real deal," Munger said. "We just need to keep him focused and rolling."

 

Images courtesy of Michigan Helmet Project