Rockets survive scare by Cougars
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EBEN JUNCTION -- It didn't start out as the most exciting game of the week but ended up being one of the best games of the week as the Rapid River Rockets defeated the Superior Central Cougars 50-34 here Saturday.
The Rockets got off to a fast start as senior Lane Olson connected with junior Brennan Kee on a 49-yard TD pass with 1:46 to go in the first quarter to put the Rockets up 8-0 after a successful two-point conversion attempt. Kee finished with two catches for 82 yards and the TD.
With :12 to go in the first quarter, Olson found sophomore Coen Smith on a 54-yard TD pass. The two-point conversion was good and the Rockets extended their lead to 16-0. Smith had over 100 all-purpose yards as he had three catches for 66 yards and a TD and ran the ball eight times for 47 yards to finish with a total of 113 yards.
"We had some really good plays called up today," Smith said. "We are ready for our next game. That’s all I’m thinking about just taking it one game at a time."
With 4:03 to go in the second quarter, Olson threw his third TD of the game on a 15-yard pass to senior Rowen Flath to extend the lead to 22-0.
"This was a big game for us," Olson said. "It shows what this team is capable of doing even though we were down a little we got back up and kept fighting to get the win."
With 3:31 to go in the third quarter senior Joseph Thorbahn ran it in from 33 yards out to extend the lead to 30-0 after the two-point conversion was successful. Thorbahn had a tough first half but bounced back in the second half to finish with 17 for 112 yards after only 6 carries for 8 yards at halftime.
"With Joseph he will always get there eventually," Rockets coach Joe Smith said. "The pass was working well in the first half so we didn't go totally into the run game and we knew we were going to run the ball more in the second half and that opened things up for him."
With 2:09 to go in the game the momentum flipped as senior Will Spranger connected with senior Eli Valima on a 68-yard TD pass to cut the deficit to 30-6 as the fourth quarter began.
It was all Cougars early in the fourth quarter as Spanger found Valima again on a 3-yard TD and converted the two-point attempt to cut the deficit to 30-14. The Cougars struck again with 8:52 to go in the fourth quarter as Spranger found sophomore Hunter Baker on a 73-yard bomb to cut the deficit to 30-20.
The Cougars got the ball back off an onside kick and Spranger connected with Valima for the third time in the game to cut the deficit to 30-26. Valima had a big game as he pulled in five catches for 118 yards and four TDs.
"The kids never quit," Cougars coach Todd Spranger said. "They were hitting just as hard in the beginning of the game as they were at the end and Jerry Kulick stepped in at running back and Connor McDonald stepped in at linebacker with injuries and really played well."
On the next onside attempt the Cougars were flagged for being offside and then kicked it deep and junior Brady Schram made the Cougars pay as he took it 65 yards to the house and extended the Rockets lead to 36-26
"They kicked it deep and we had good blocks set up," Schram said. "That return changed the momentum for us and the defense came up with late turnovers to get the win."
One of those turnovers was a 53-yard interception return for a TD by Olson to put the Rockets up 50-26.
"This was a big win for us," Olson said. "They made a big comeback but we dug down and made plays late in the game to seal it."
The Rockets return to action on Oct. 2 after the Mid Peninsula game was canceled and tale on Lake Linden-Hubbell at home. The Cougars will be back in action Friday as they travel to Pellston.