Rockford offense hits top gear in win against Kentwood
JACK PALECKI | Advance Newspapers, October 11, 2010
KENTWOOD – Whether the Rockford Rams football team makes a serious bid
to win a state title is yet to be determined, but one thing is for certain:
the Rams can score points and in bunches.
Rockford spotted the Falcons a brief 7-0 lead last Friday as Brayden Miller
returned the opening kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown just 16 seconds into
the ball game. The rest was all Rockford.
The Rams’ offense and defense were simply too much for the Falcons,
as Rockford then scored 53 unanswered points to dislodge its O-K Red conference
foe 53-7 before a decent gathering in Kentwood.
Rockford (6-1) answered the quick touchdown, as senior Zach Schmuck scored
on a 71-yard touchdown run 1.5 minutes later to tie matters quickly at 7-7.
Then, after sophomore KC Zenner returned a punt 18 yards to set the Rams up
at the East Kentwood 35-yard line, Schmuck had another score coming. After
a 26-yard gain off tackle, he scored on a nine-yard run with 7:37 left to spring
the Rams into a 15-7 lead.
Rockford then moved into an insurmountable 36-7 halftime lead, and Rams coach
Ralph Munger admitted that the win guaranteed one thing – at least at
this point in the season.
‘We have a guaranteed place in the playoffs now with our sixth win;
we still would like to win the Red title," explained Munger, in his 19th
season. "There was a lot at stake out here tonight, and we played a lot
of people."
Rockford played two quarterbacks, with junior Mark LaPrairie and sophomore
Kyle Short receiving snaps all evening long for a team that totaled 443 yards
offensively, 129 via passing and has now scored 104 points in two weeks after
besting tough Muskegon the previous week. That’s 14 touchdowns in two
weeks or one for every seven minutes of regulation play.
East Kentwood made an attempt to come back, charging from its own 5-yard line
to Rockford’s 25. Miller hauled in a 17-yard pass from quarterback Aaron
Hunt, then ran for 11 additional yards.
But Rams linebacker Colin Remtema, a senior, intercepted a pass at the 15-yard
line, returning the ball 85 yards for a touchdown with 4:39 left in the half
as the Rams’ domination continued 29-7.
"I intercepted the ball, then took off," said Remtema, taking his
first interception of the year. "I had no idea who was chasing me; I just
kept going and found the end zone."
Rockford hosts Grandville this week in its Homecoming game.
The Falcons, with 123 net yards offensively, tackle bullish Grand Haven on
the road this week, and coach Greg Hudkins likes some things that he sees on
the field.
"We never give up; this team plays hard for four quarters," said
Hudkins, whose team was led by Hunt’s 41 yards rushing, while Troy Patton
and Alan Mcelwee each garnered six tackles. "We only have 15 seniors,
but the effort is there by everyone each week."
Rockford was led by Schmuck’s 145 yards in seven attempts (20.7 average),
with Zenner and junior Max Crimp also recording interceptions.
Neil Vanderlaan (76 yards), Soloman Gant (28 yards) and Trevor Alferink (three
yards) also scored touchdowns for the Rams.
Steven Maats also booted a 37-yard field goal with 4:30 left in the third
quarter.
Kentwood had interceptions from junior Lionel Barnes as well as sophomore
Houston Glass.
Tyler Pratt, a senior, led the Rams with nine tackles, while senior Zach King
added four.
Images
courtesy of Michigan Helmet Project
