By Randy Gregory, Michigan Sports Radio
Photo courtesy of Miles Postema
 After a disastrous opening week against a good Saline squad that saw Rockford fall after surrendering multiple big plays, costly turnovers and penalties, Rockford played their home opener against Muskegon on Friday, September 4 with a chance at redemption. The sizeable crowd was treated to an overwhelming 42-6 Rockford win that featured contributions from every facet of a football team. The Ram offense passed for 240 yards and five touchdowns, the defense held a speedy Big Red offense to a single score and special teams added a punt return TD and a blocked extra point.
 “It was great to be back here in Rockford, proud of the way the kids bounced back from last week,” said Rockford head coach Brent Cummings. “It took a ton of tough coaching and the belief and commitment to just making improvements but we got a little better on Tuesday, then Wednesday after working on things we saw in the film room. It was a collective effort with the offense, defense and special teams making some great plays all night long. We always want to improve on the little things throughout the week going forward. There are definitely going to be things on film that we can still learn from, but I am very proud of these guys.”
 The game began with the two teams exchanging punts on the first three possessions of the night. But on the second possession of the night for Rockford after a short Muskego punt, the Rams cashed in. Trenton Gibbons had a 17-yard run to get Rockford to the Muskegon 7 before the Rams got on the board three plays later. Junior quarterback Casen Whitford fired a scoring strike from the seven to senior receiver Drew Ferwerda. He maintained possession just long enough to merit the TD for the Rams. Connor Vanos added the first of his five successful extra points and it was a 7-0 Ram lead with 2:33 left in the opening quarter.
 Muskegon would counter with their only score of the night just two plays later. After an incomplete pass on first down, the Big Reds fired a deep ball up the seam that caught the Ram defensive backfield flat-footed. The wide-open receiver raced 80 yards for the score and it was a 7-6 game with 1;46 left in the opening quarter. The subsequent point after attempt was blocked by the Rams and the score remained 7-6. That was in reality the only weak spot in the Ram defense all night long as they stifled the run repeatedly and also came up with a pair of interceptions. But the susceptibility to the long ball is something that will be addressed in practice this week.
 Rockford countered two possessions later as Whitford fired his second TD pass of the night. The scoring play capped off a nine-play 47-yard drive that featured both the run and pass. The scoring play saw Whitford run a play action pass with senior wide receiver Jack Henkel sprinting up the seam on the right side. Whitford hit Henkel in perfect stride and the resultant 21-yard pass play made it a 14-6 Ram lead with 5:48 left in the opening half.
 Rockford had a chance to extend the lead just before the half but a 28-yard field goal attempt went just wide to the right to keep it as a 14-6 game. But that was merely a prelude to a dominant second half for the Rams that saw them grasp firm control in their home opener against a very good Muskegon team.
 The Rams received the opening kick of the second half. Whitford got things off to a great start by hitting fellow junior Jack Cummings on a 29-yard pass to move Rockford into Big Red territory. Whitford suffered a lower leg injury on a scramble on the next play to cue the entry of another junior quarterback for the Rams in Trey Currie. Currie led for three plays that resulted in a 13-yard pass, a six-yard run of his own and a 19-yard TD pass to Owen Holt. The TD pass to Holt was a beautifully placed fade down the left side that saw Holt use his body to establish position and reel in the score. That made it a 21-6 contest with 9:35 still to play in the third quarter.
 “I am just so proud of Currie,” said Cummings. “He comes in cold and shows everyone the things he is capable of in just a few plays. He just keeps plugging away and he and Whitford are in a battle every week and they keep pushing each other and making each other better players every day. We are in a good situation with those two and have great confidence when either when is at the controls.”
 The Rams quickly got the ball back and went into their bag of tricks on the next possession. They ran a double reverse pass that saw Whitford end up firing a 35-yard pass to Holt that gave Rockford the ball at the Big Red 27. There was little time for celebration as that same pair hooked up on the next play for a 27-yard TD pass to make it a 28-6 Ram lead. The large home contingent was in full throat at that juncture and the rout was on.
 After forcing another Muskegon punt, it was time for the special teams to make another mark on the night for Rockford. Senioe Bryce Miller gathered in the punt at the Rockford 48 and headed to his right. Miller broke through a pair of arm tackles and used excellent downfield blocking from his teammates to streak into the end zone and make it a 35-6 game. Muskegon mounted a drive on their possession that moved the ball to the Rockford five, but senior defensive back Hudson Hazlett intercepted a pass in the end zone that thwarted that thrust.
 After having a nearly perfectly executed screen pass from Currie to Reed Dommenick for a TD called back on a penalty, Rockford still managed to reach the end zone on their next possession. The Rams again used both the run and pass to reach paydirt. The big play of the drive was a 29-yard pass from Currie to junior wide receiver Brody Amshey that put the ball at the Big Red 9. Three plays later it was senior running back Ryan Kerry doing the honors on a four-yard pass from Currie. Junior Houston Campos added the PAT and it was a 42-6 game and the running clock was in effect. The game ended fairly quickly from that point. But the Ram defense did force another turnover as junior defensive back Drew Smith also reeled in an interception to seal the dominant win.
 “We are blessed to have some explosive receivers, but that also has to be complimented with the run,” said Cummings. “It is tough to try and throw the ball all game and tonight was a testament to the efforts of our offensive line. You secure your block and finish your block and that was the message all week to them and they did a great job responding. Saline had a great defensive line and Muskegon has great talent as well so we have squared off against some very talented players the first two weeks. I felt we really controlled the line of scrimmage tonight both ways and I am very pleased with the efforts of our big guys.”
 Whitford ended the night by going 9-17 for 163 yards and three touchdowns. Currie took full advantage of his limited snaps by going 6-7 for 77 yards and a pair of touchdowns as well. Holt led the receiving corps with four catches for 91 yards and a pair of scores. Henkel had 2-42 and a TD, Ferwerda had 4-27 and a TD. Jack Cummings had  a pair of grabs for 34 yards and Kerry’s lone grab of the evening was also a TD. It was a cumulative effort on the ground with Kerry gaining 27 on 7 carries and Dommenick adding 21 on 6 attempts.
 Linebackers Wyatt Colson, Kerry and Otto Packard led the defense with 8, 7, and 6 tackles respectively. Junior defensive tackle Blake Daniels chipped in with four.
 The Rams begin OK Red play next week with a trip to Caledonia to face off with the Fighting Scots. Kickoff is slated for 7:00 P.M. on Friday, September 11.