By Randy Gregory, Michigan Sports Radio
Photo courtesy of Miles Postema
There have been plenty of unforgettable moments for Rockford High School in their storied athletic history. State titles and individual accomplishments are remembered fondly by a multitude of Ram faithful. But what transpired at Muskegon Reeths-Puffer on Friday, February 28 and the resultant outpouring of emotions from both sides in front of a packed gymnasium will burn fresh for quite a while in Rockford lore. Rockford and Muskegon squared off for a district title in a matchup between two of the top ten teams in the state in a contest that was probably more fitting for a final four showdown at the Breslin Center.
Rockford jumped out of the gate early and held a short lead in the opening quarter before the Big Reds went on an absolute tear late in the opening quarter and over the course of the second stanza. Muskegon poured in seven three-pointers in the second quarter and jumped out to a double-digit lead. Rockford would spend the rest of the night slowly chipping away before briefly tying the game at 46-46 early in the final quarter. The Big Reds then ran off a 7-0 run to go ahead 53-46 with just over four minutes to play. The Rams again fought back to finally knot things up again at 61-61 on a Jake Bascom follow of a missed shot with 17 seconds to play. Muskegon drew a foul with 6.9 seconds left and converted the first free throw to go up 62-61. The second attempt bounced off the rim however and was corralled by Bascom to set in motion the decisive play for Rockford.
Bascom quickly pushed the ball up court, feinted into the middle and drew the perimeter defender on Michael DeKuiper towards the lane for a brief moment. Bascom then dropped a pass off to DeKuiper on the right baseline and the senior guard let fly with a shot that would determine the winner in one of those rare contests that completely lives up to its’ billing. The entire house held their collective breath as the shot fell towards the basket. The final horn sounded just as the ball went through the net and set off a cacophony of joy from the Rockford contingent and left the Muskegon faithful in stunned silence at the final outcome.
“We had a playmaker like Jake (Bascom) with the ball and he made a great pass to me,” said DeKuiper. “I just knew when it left my hands that it was going in. Coach Clough said we had to win the fourth quarter when we got to that point. And that is exactly what we did. Everybody did their part to get us into position to win that game and it just feels great to hit that shot and get the win.”
Coach Clough was also glowing in his praise of both Bascom and DeKuiper on the final shot. “Don’t take away from Jake in making the play to set us up for that final shot,” said Clough. “Jake is always there for us on a nightly basis. To have the ability and presence to get the ball to the open shooter in a moment of that pressure is just something that we know he is going to do on a regular basis. And Michael (DeKuiper) just has ice in his veins. He struggled last year at times as he was never really healthy after all of the injuries he had during the football season. But he made himself into a 47% three-point shooter this year just on the strength of all of his hard work. We are blessed to have multiple shooters who feel good just about every time they let a shot fly. Michael is one of those kids for us.”
Asked if he ever thought about taking the ball to the basket on the final shot, Bascom stated, “No, I saw Michael wide open. I trust him and got it right to him. I knew he was going to make that shot and had every confidence in the world in him. He has never let me down. I was able to score around the basket using my moves all night long but I just had a great feeling when Michael let that shot go.”
Fans at the game could be excused for thinking that the teams traded uniforms as the game unfolded. Muskegon is known for their punishing defense and quick strike ability as they quickly push the ball up court. The Rams are noted for their prolific three-point shooting coupled with a strong interior game. But it was the Big Reds who hit shot after shot from distance, including a few of the banked in variety, as they got out to the early lead. For their part, the only triple for Rockford in the opening half came from Ty Blystone late in the half that kept the Rams within 33-24 at the break.
Dylan Gross had gone scoreless in the opening half for Rockford but he poured in seven crucial points for the Rams in the third quarter. Lucas Pitsch hit a big three late in that quarter that drew the Rams to within five at 46-41. The quarter ended with the Big Reds holding a 46-43 lead and both teams made mini runs in the final quarter that had the crowd at the edge of their seats. It was a 60-54 Muskegon lead with only 1:16 left in the contest. The Rams then made their final, decisive run to put themselves in position for the thrilling victory.
“This matchup had been brewing for a lot of people,” said Clough. “I am sure both teams were really excited about it and they took it to us early. They took us out of everything we were trying to do offensively in the opening half and we talked about trying to cut that lead in half in the third quarter and making our run in the final quarter. We got it tied twice but they had an answer every time it seemed like. But we just willed it there in the end. We got a huge turnover and they missed a free throw and we finally got in position to pull it out. It could not have happened for a better guy for us. He has been a four-year player for us and really embodies everything we stand for. It still really doesn’t feel real, but I am just so proud of our guys for not giving up the belief and coming away with the win.”
The Rams now advance to Regional play where they will take on Flint Carman-Ainsworth at St. Johns High School on Tuesday, March 4 at 7:00 P.M. The Cavaliers are 19-5 and defeated Saginaw United 73-64 in their district final on Friday. The Rams will enter the contest with a record of 22-2.
