Game Preview: Rockford @ East Kentwood

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Rockford and East Kentwood square off in a week five matchup that has high stakes regarding the OK Red title race. Rockford sits at 4-0 and 2-0 in the Red, while East Kentwood comes in at 3-1 and 2-0 in the Red. The Rams won last year's matchup 48-0 and have a narrow 28-26 all-time series lead over the longtime league rivals. Below I'll get into the keys to the game, players to watch, and my prediction.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Keys To The Game</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>East Kentwood's D-Line Needs To Bring Consistent Pressure</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Rockford has one of the most explosive passing attacks in the state led by senior quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='232200' first='Mac' last='VandenHout']. Mac has thrown 13 passing touchdowns with six different receivers getting in on the action. A big reason why Mac has been so successful this season is the time he's had in the pocket. If East Kentwood can get consistent pressure without blitzing, that'll allow the Falcon's defensive backfield to match up with Rockford's wideouts and force Mac into some uncomfortable situations. If pressure isn't applied, expect Mac to pick apart the Falcon secondary as he has for the first month of the season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>Rockford Must Contain [player_tooltip player_id='253244' first='Stellan' last='Bowman']</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A big reason why Rockford found themselves down 27-7 at the end of the third quarter was due to the success that Mona Shores had in the run game up to that point. The Sailors were consistently finding success with their backs and wore down the Rockford defensive line. Not since week one has Rockford faced a running back with the skillset to churn out consistent yards. That will change tomorrow night when Rockford faces the task of slowing down East Kentwood's [player_tooltip player_id='253244' first='Stellan' last='Bowman']. Bowman has eight rushing touchdowns on the year, which is tied with Caledonia's Brock Townsend for the league lead. If Rockford struggles to contain Bowman, East Kentwood could have the edge it needs to stay unbeaten.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>Defensive/Special Teams Impact Plays</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It's been a relatively quiet first month for both team defenses and special teams. Neither unit has recorded a touchdown and only one field goal has been recorded from both teams combined. I'm expecting that to change sooner than later and the defensive/special teams unit that makes an impact could heavily sway the outcome in their favor. Think back to last year's Caledonia-Rockford matchup. It was a game that came down to the wire and was ultimately decided when a Rockford defensive lineman stripped a Cal ball carrier deep in Cal territory.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Players To Watch</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='253244' first='Stellan' last='Bowman'], RB/LB, East Kentwood 24”</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>J'Kari Couch, WR, East Kentwood </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='243406' first='Razah' last='Townsend'], WR, East Kentwood</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Braylon Cox, LB, East Kentwood</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Ryan Ahern, WR, Rockford 23”</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='232200' first='Mac' last='VandenHout'], QB, Rockford 23”</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='232201' first='Alex' last='McLean'], WR, Rockford 23”</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Prediction: East Kentwood 21, Rockford 20</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->