By Randy Gregory, Michigan Sports Radio
Photo courtesy of Miles
It may be cliche at times to say a team put on a clinic in a win. But make no mistake, what Rockford did to a 17-7 Muskegon Mona Shores team in the first half of the Division 1 District title game at Muskegon High School on Friday, March 7 met every aspect of that terminology. The Rams led 23-5 at the end of the first quarter and built the lead to 36-13 at the half on their way to an impressive 62-35 victory.
“We talked a lot about playing to our standard and, you know, just coming out with tons of energy and leaving it all out there,” said Rockford Head Coach Brad Wilson. “There were a number of years there where Rockford didn’t win a district championship, I think it was 10 years in a row. And our goal was to bring it back and to keep it. And our kids were ready to compete and very spirited. I think it all started on the defensive end where we created some turnovers which led to offense and then it just kind of rolled from there. I think sometimes teams forget just how long Anna (Wypych) is up top on that zone. She is 5′ 11″ or 6 feet with a great wingspan and incredibly athletic and smart. Teams are just petrified to reverse the ball and so we kind of get it inside the trap and bait the corner and that usually creates a lot of turnovers for us. I don’t think that defense is nearly as good without her up there.”
Muskegon Mona Shores came out in a gimmick defense of a box and 1 against the Rams. That is where a team has one player glued to a specific player and follows them all around the court while the other four players play a zone. It failed miserably for the Sailors as five different Rams buried triples in the first quarter alone, and oh by the way, Wypych scored nine points of her own in that quarter. The Sailors abandoned that strategy in the second quarter and played both man and regular zone for the balance of the contest. The second quarter wasn’t quite as prolific for Rockford but they still built the lead to a pretty much insurmountable 23 points at the break.
Another very promising sign for the Rams was the shooting and all-around play of junior standout Sienna Wolfe. Wolfe hit three triples on the night on her way to 11 points. Wolfe just returned a few weeks back from a devastating knee injury that kept her out for nearly a year. She has shown improvement on a gradual basis as time has progressed and her prowess as a shooter from distance will be a key cog for Rockford going forward.
“You know I think it is just one of those things for Sienna in getting her confidence back,” said Wilson. “She came back from her injury and then she had the flu really bad for a week so there have been some setbacks but she is back now and she is just going to keep getting better and better.”
The second half saw the lead grow to 49-22 after three quarters and saw the Rams empty the bench and get a multitude of playing time for most of the roster. Nine different players scored for Rockford and they hit 12 three-pointers on the night. Wypych and Wolfe both hit three and Jordan Mateer and Addison Wypych both hit a pair. Anna Wypych led Rockford with 20 points and Wolfe added 11. Jordan Mateer chipped in with 8 while Addison Wypych added six and Kate Higgins tossed in five.
The next opponent for Rockford is Saginaw Heritage in Regional play at Ithaca High School at 7:00 P,M, on Monday, March 10. The Hawks are 21-3 on the season and are ranked seventh in the state in Division 1 despite starting three freshmen. Rockford stands at 23-1 and is in the midst of a 21-game winning streak. The winner of that game will face off with the winner of the game between Traverse City Central and Midland Dow on Wednesday. That contest is tentatively scheduled for Traverse City Central High School but could change pending the winners of the two Monday contests.
