By Randy Gregory, Michigan Sports Radio
Photo courtesy of Miles Postema
Rockford has a solid past in the annals of boys’ basketball in the state of Michigan. That past includes an undefeated state championship in 2002 and a runner-up showing several years later. But one would be hard-pressed to find another season where the tip off for the campaign was met with such enthusiasm both locally and state wide. While the Rams did lose several key senior contributors from last year’s OK Red and District champion, the vast majority of the scoring, rebounding and playmaking return.
Leading the returners for Rockford is 6’7″ senior post player Jake Bascom. Bascom has signed to continue his basketball career next year at the NCAA Division 1 level with Central Michigan University. He features a vast array of post moves as well as a rapidly improving jump shot. He is joined by 5’9″ senior sharpshooter Dylan Gross. Gross led the entire state in three-point shooting as a junior and is a threat to shoot at virtually any distance. They are complemented by a pair of sophomores who made a big splash nearly every night last season with their skill and poise. Eli Wolfe has grown to 6’1″ this year and is another sniper who has the green light to shoot at any time as well. Wolfe combines that shooting ability with a rare ability to handle the ball and fearless drives to the hoop against anyone. Josh Bascom is a 6’4″ jack of all trades who is as athletic as just about everyone and has skills to match in nearly every facet of the game. Both of the sophomores have also started reeling in Division 1 offers.
The Rams also feature 6′ senior Chase Pitsch who will be a constant part of the rotation for a deep team. Senior Carter Drolema and Junior Drew Ferwerda are a pair of 6’6″ post players who will also see considerable time for a Ram team that can play big or small. Harrison Snoeyink is a 6’3″ senior guard who will also be counted on by Rockford Coach Kyle Clough. Also part of the roster are juniors Finn Aldrich, Dustin Bix, Chase Fisher and Ethan Gerhardt.
There is one other newcomer for Rockford that will be an extremely important piece of the puzzle for the Rams. That is freshman Jace Opoku-Agyeman. Opoku-Agyeman is a highly ranked prospect who specializes in nearly every phase of the game and prides himself on both his offense and defense with equal aplomb. Unfortunately, Opoku-Agyeman, Wolfe and Josh Bascom have been dealing with nagging injuries thus far leading up to the opener and are just now rounding into shape.
The Rams will face a challenging schedule that includes ten contests in an always difficult OK Red. East Kentwood, Hudsonville, West Ottawa and Grand Haven will be a stern test for the Rams both home and away. But the true measurement of how the team is perceived is the non league portion of the schedule that will see the Rams taking on defending state champions East Lansing, Bloomfield Hills Brother Rice, Grand Rapids Catholic Central and Unity Christian for starters. Every one of those squads, including Rockford, are ranked in the top five in the state in their divisions.
“This is a very young team even though we are bringing back a lot of experience,” said Clough. “We really pride ourselves on being able to dictate the tempo on both ends of the floor while making things difficult for whoever we are playing that night. We accomplished quite a bit last year as a team but still didn’t quite get to our ultimate goal. The schedule we have put together is indicative of how we think we can compete at the highest level in Michigan. We have great depth and a team that works well together while not concerning themselves with who is putting up big numbers on any given night.”
The Rams opened the 25-26 season with a trip to Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern on Thursday, December 4. Rockford jumped out to a double digit lead early and eventually raised it to a 30-10 game late in the opening half against a Husky team that is perceived as a favorite in their league. By the time the final horn sounded the Rams had posted an impressive 69-34 win that was equally impressive on both ends of the floor. Jake Bascom led Rockford with 27 points and ten rebounds while Wolfe added ten and Gross tossed in eight points. Josh Bascom added seven while Drolema and Pitsch scored six points apiece. Opuku-Agyeman was held out of the contest with hopes of returning to action this week.
Rockford will kick off the home campaign this week with a pair of contests. They will host Caledonia on Tuesday, December 9 and Grand Rapids Catholic Central on Thursday, December 11. Both games are scheduled to start at 7:00 P.M.
