Rochester football doesn't miss a beat despite missing head coach in win over SHG

Rochester football doesn’t miss a beat despite missing head coach in win over SHG

Posted by Admin October 26, 2024 Football

Bill Welt

Springfield State Journal- Register

ROCHESTER — Rochester football coach Derek Leonard wasn’t on the field.

The Rockets still kept humming along in a 41-27 Central State Eight Conference victory over rival Sacred Heart-Griffin at Rocket Booster Stadium on Friday.

Offensive line coach Derrick Nelson acted as the interim coach after Leonard was suspended earlier the same day for one game following a hazing investigation.

Rochester (7-2, 5-1 CS8) claimed a 14-0 lead in the first five minutes before extending the margin to 24-0 in the second quarter. It started auspiciously when junior receiver Tristan Stanton’s fumble at the goal line after turning up field on a pass from junior quarterback Tanner Beal was recovered by sophomore teammate Eli Cox in the end zone for the opening score.

Junior running back Kaiden Stout then added two rushing touchdowns before finishing with 17 carries for 104 yards.

“That’s the character of this team because the man that leads this team is coach Leonard,” Nelson said. “They did it for him and they know how to play. I’m just glad they came out the way they did. That is truly how we should be coming out every single game.”

Rochester senior receiver Mason Jacobs caught a 71-yard touchdown pass from freshman Khordell Gregory on a trick play early in the third quarter and ended with six catches for 109 yards, while also rushing for 22 yards.

Rochester, which won a share of the inaugural CS8 East title with Normal U-High and Chatham Glenwood, pulled out another trick play on Gregory’s second TD pass to Stout for the team’s largest lead of the game, 38-7.

Its special teams and defense also played at a high level. That included two fumble recoveries on kickoff returns, a Ty Durocher interception and six sacks — two apiece from Dylan Durocher and Connor Broughton.

“We played like our hair was on fire,” said senior linebacker Holt Zeidler, who also had a sack, along with Colton Maltby. “We flew around today.”

SHG QB Cam Brinkman went 25 of 39 for 322 yards and four touchdowns with one pick, which came after his TD pass to Jamarion Bardwell on a screen play was called back on a holding call. Bardwell recorded nine catches for 107 yards and a TD, while Seamus O’Brien notched 10 grabs for 106 yards and two scores.

“We’re still doing some things that I’d hope at this point of the year we might clean up,” SHG coach John Allison said. “By Week 9, our sophomores got to start playing a little bit more like juniors. Some of them have.

“If anything has told us the last three weeks is there are about three or four kids that we can count on and they’ve started to show their faces again and again, and we’ve got to figure out ways to get those guys that we can trust the ball more and that will help our offense go, too.”