By Randy Gregory, Michigan Sports Radio
Photo courtesy of Miles Postema
As has been the case frequently of late for Rockford, the Rams fell into a quick 7-0 hole against Muskegon Mona Shores necessitating a quick timeout from Head Coach Kyle Clough. Clough may want to bottle up whatever he discussed with his team as the Rams responded with a 42-15 run over the balance of the first half as they stormed to an 80-53 win over Muskegon Mona Shores at Muskegon Reeths Puffer High School on Wednesday, February 26. The district semifinal win (coupled with Muskegon’s 66-43 win over Greenville) sets up an epic showdown at Reeths Puffer on Friday, February 28 at 7:00 P.M. between the 21-2 Rams and the 20-2 Big Reds. Both teams have been ranked well within the top ten in Division 1 all season long. They have also been ranked as the top two teams in West Michigan for the entire season.
Leading the way for Rockford in the Mona Shores game were freshmen Eli Wolfe and Josh Bascom. Wolfe exploded for ten points in the opening quarter and Bascom matched that total for Rockford in the second quarter. Wolfe ended the game with 22 points as he flashed his three-point prowess and added a pair of spectacular drives for a pair of and ones. Bascom is listed at 6’3″ but his explosive vertical allowed him to continuously soar above the crowd and score around the hoop time after time.
“It really all started with Eli (Wolfe) tonight,” said Clough. “He started to get some advantages on the drive after he drew them out with his shooting and we really picked up the pace defensively from that point forward. Josh was great as well and showed what he is capable of too. They are not freshmen anymore and they are very experienced now. We know what they are capable of and no lights are too bright for those two. We are extremely comfortable with them and our guys trust them. They played like upperclassmen and hopefully we can keep them hydrated and get them focused and get them ready to do it again.”
The freshmen were far from the only highlight for Rockford though as juniors Dylan Gross and Jake Bascom added 14 and 12 points respectively. Gross poured in four triples, including a pair from far beyond the three-point line as he continued to regain his strength and shooting prowess following a lengthy bout with the flu. For his part, Jake Bascom absolutely dominated the boards and added a pair of dunks in a strong showing inside.
“Dylan (Gross) is really starting to round back into form for us,” said Clough. “He has a green light anytime he is open and really extends the defensive coverage from our opponents. Jake (Bascom) is absolutely always there. His inside presence really puts pressure on the other team and they have to consider him every time he touches the ball. He and Lucas (Pitsch) did a great job of getting the ball back out to the perimeter on our inside/out sets. We can go in many different directions and sometimes it is going to be Jake, sometimes Eli, Dylan or Josh and Mike. So, we just need to find the right play. And we have said this from the beginning, if they are concerned with just one thing, that is winning.”
The Rams maintained the lead at about twenty points for the bulk of the third quarter, but a pair of Sailor triples narrowed the lead to 60-42 early in the final quarter. Rockford’s response was quick and decisive as they proceeded to go on a 14-5 run to make it a 74-47 game and allow Clough to empty his bench as all 14 players who suited up saw action.
