By Randy Gregory, Michigan Sports Radio,
Photo by Miles Postema
Rockford built a 30-13 lead over Detroit Cass Tech going into the final quarter to appear to have the game firmly in hand before a huge throng at Carlson-Munger Stadium on Thursday, August 29. But a series of penalties and mistakes helped the Technicians get to within 30-23 and eventually drive down to the Rockford eight-yard line with less than a minute left to play. But three consecutive incomplete passes forced a turnover on downs and Rockford held on for the 30-23 win in a matchup of a pair of teams with rich football histories and hopes of long playoff runs this year as well.
“That was what we talked about was being excited with how they came out, the energy of that group and a Thursday night here in Rockford against an incredible team,” said Rockford Coach Brent Cummings. “And we came out full of energy and capitalized on a couple of their turnovers early on and built a lead. And then they just had to hang in there. There were a lot of lessons to be learned by us and we also need to cut down on our mistakes that enabled them to make a run. But that was just a great win over a team with explosive players all over the field. It doesn’t get much better than that with a win in front of the home crowd. We are just incredibly proud of the stand we made defensively on that final drive.”
Rockford took the opening drive of the game inside of the Cass Tech 10 before fumbling the ball away on their first turnover of the evening. The Ram defense however forced a quick punt from the end zone that was shanked out of bounds at the eight-yard line that set up the first score of the night for Rockford when junior quarterback Brayden Daniels hooked up with senior tight end Blake Linsley for a six-yard touchdown pass that made it a 7-0 Ram lead at the 4:14 mark of the opening quarter. Jack Ahonen made the first of his three successful extra points to add the seventh point and the only unsuccessful conversion of the night came on a botched snap.
The second quarter was nearly all Rockford as first Ahonen nailed a 37-yard field goal to make it a 10-0 game. Then senior middle linebacker Logan Haglund cut in front of a Technician wide receiver and went unscathed for a 45-yard interception return for a touchdown that made it 17-0 with 7:22 left in the opening half. It appeared as if the rout may be on but Cass Tech then showed the depth of their talent as they took only three plays to march 88 yards and make it a 17-7 contest. Cass Tech then got to the Rockford 22 on their following drive before turning the ball over on downs. That set the stage for one of the biggest drives of the game as Rockford marched 78 yards in ten plays to make it 23-7 with only 28 seconds left in the half. Daniels did the honors himself for Rockford on a bruising 15-yard run up the right side for the score.
The second half opened with a bang for Cass Tech as one of their myriad weapons went 75 yards on a bubble screen for a TD on the third play of the half. They returned the favor on a missed PAT with a botched exchange on the snap and the score held at 23-13. The Rams then suffered an interception of their own and watched the Technicians proceed to march down to the Rockford 10-yard line before senior Kade Friesen made the first of his two huge second half plays as he scooped up a fumble and rambled all the way down to the Tech 24 before an unsportsmanlike penalty moved the Rams back to the 39. The Rams were briefly unable to capitalize however and turned the ball over on downs. That merely set the stage for the encore of Friesen’s heroics as he deftly stepped in front of a Technician receiver for an interception and proceeded to sprint 52 yards for the TD that made it a 30-13 contest with only two minutes left in the third quarter.
That set the stage for the frantic final quarter for both teams. The Rams had several uncharacteristic mistakes that enabled the comeback for Cass Tech. First, after missing a 39-yard field goal Cas Tech got a second chance when the Rams were guilty of roughing the kicker. The second opportunity resulted in a made 24 yarder that made it 30-16. The Rams then had a third and one at their own 44 before a false start and a botched snap gave Cass Tech the ball back at their own 39. Rockford was then flagged for roughing the passer on the subsequent drive and Cass Tech scored on a 32-yard TD pass with 3:20 left in the game to make it 30-23 and cause some anxious moments for the huge Ram crowd.
The Rams were then forced to quickly punt and a facemask penalty on the return set Cass Tech up at the Ram 35 for a potential game tying or winning drive. The first two Cass Tech plays got them all the way down to the Rockford eight to set the stage for the game-ending heroics. Junior cornerback Chase Pitsch made the big play on the final pass to secure the win for Rockford and set off a huge celebration.
“We got big plays from several of our defensive players today at key times and that was a big part of our win,” said Cummings. “We thought we could control the line of scrimmage a little bit in the second half with our offensive line but you saw just how great a team Cass Tech is tonight. We just want to enjoy this win tonight and have a great film session in the morning and get ready for another great team in Muskegon next week.”
The Rams will step out of the frying pan and into the fire next Friday, September 6 when they host the defending state champions from Muskegon in what is sure to be another great game between two powerful teams. Kickoff is slated for 7:00 P.M.
