District Championship Preview: Grandville @ Rockford

Grandville and Rockford last played each other in the final week of the regular season for the OK red crown. The Rams won decisively 28-8, handing the Bulldogs its only loss of the season. After dismantling each of their opening round and semifinal opponents, the longtime rivals will square off once again with a district championship and regional-final berth on the line. Grandville’s one-two punch of running backs [player_tooltip player_id="29760" first="Marcel" last="Love"] and [player_tooltip player_id="29754" first="Cam" last="Terry"] have overpowered everyone on their schedule, save for Rockford in week six. The Rams come into this game undefeated thanks in large part to its stingy defense allowing only 10.8 points per game and the dynamic play of [player_tooltip player_id="54861" first="Zak" last="Ahern"]. Below I’ll break down the top prospects for each team, the keys to the game, and my prediction. <strong><em>Top Prospects</em></strong> <h6>[player_tooltip player_id="54861" first="Zak" last="Ahern"], QB, Rockford</h6> In the first two games of the MHSAA playoffs, Zak has shown why he’s one of the hardest quarterbacks to defend in the state. In the opening round win over West Ottawa, Zak dominated with his legs, rushing for 142 yards. During last week’s win over Hudsonville, Zak showed off his arm, throwing for 208 yards and four touchdowns. Zak has shown that he can go through his progressions quickly in the pocket, making good reads with accurate passes. He’s also flashed the ability to escape the pocket when met with pressure and deliver a timely pass on the run. Grandville’s defensive backs will have to be disciplined to not sell out on the run when he scrambles or else he can make them pay. <h6>Ben Tadych, LB, Rockford</h6> Rockford has had the most dominant defense in the OK Conference this season and at the center of that unit is senior linebacker, Ben Tadych. Ben plays downhill on each play, showing the ability to seek out ball handlers and meeting them at or before the line of scrimmage. His nine tackles and fumble recovery last week against Hudsonville helped stymie any momentum the Eagles could get going. He reads and reacts offensive plays at an advanced level and has good closing speed. The Rams will need Tadych to anchor the Rams defense once again to stop Grandville’s daunted stable of running backs. <h6>[player_tooltip player_id="29760" first="Marcel" last="Love"], RB, Grandville</h6> Marcel has a unique ability to cut on a dime, changing directions in the blink of an eye and leaving defenders looking hopeless. Against Traverse City West last week, his speed overmatched the Titans defenders as he posted an efficient 124 yards and two touchdowns. Another thing to watch in Marcel’s game is his ability to wait for a hole to open. He isn’t the type of back to create his own contact, but rather follow his blocks and explode at the first opening. Finding Marcel at or near the line of scrimmage will be crucial to Rockford limiting Marcel’s role. Grandville should feel good about their chances if Marcel can get out in space consistently. <h6>[player_tooltip player_id="29754" first="Cam" last="Terry"], RB, Grandville</h6> Cam has been simply unstoppable in the playoffs thus far, running for 425 yards and seven touchdowns. Much like Marcel, Cam has shown the shiftiness to evade all three levels of defenders, ripping off big gains. He often works his way from the inside out, working his way to the second level before the defense is aware he has the ball. Cam has also flashed his pass-catching ability in the seldom times Grandville passes out of their Winged-T formation. Grandville will look for Cam to make big plays in all areas of the game for them to move past Rockford. <strong><em>Keys To The Game</em></strong> Rockford has looked to be the team to beat in Division 1 from the OK Conference all season long. Their defense has been playing on another level and [player_tooltip player_id="54861" first="Zak" last="Ahern"] has shown that Rockford can be just as dangerous offensively. Meanwhile, Grandville has simply dominated all of their games behind the one-two punch of [player_tooltip player_id="29754" first="Cam" last="Terry"] and [player_tooltip player_id="29760" first="Marcel" last="Love"], with Rockford being the only exception. I’m expecting the second installment between these two rivals to be much closer than the first, however, I like Rockford’s balanced attack and dominant defense to march on in the playoffs. <strong><em>Prediction: Rockford 24, Grandville 21</em></strong>