King vs. River Rouge Preview

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I can't remember a more significant 1st-round matchup. On one side, you have River Rouge, which is ranked #13 by The D Zone (best statewide rankings IMHO). Rouge is 5-3 with five blowout wins, and three extremely close losses against some of the best teams out there. The Panthers are led by their defense, which only gave up 19 against De La Salle (who averages 43PPG). </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>On the other side you have King, led by arguably the #1 QB in the nation, [player_tooltip player_id='30316' first='Dante' last='Moore']. King is the defending D3 Champion, ranked #12 by The D Zone, and went out of their way to schedule some of the best teams in the midwest. This team is battle-tested and ready to go, but so is Rouge. Crazy that one of these teams will be knocked out in round 1. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Quick Stats</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:table --> <figure class="wp-block-table"><table><tbody><tr><td></td><td>Rouge</td><td>King</td></tr><tr><td>Record</td><td>5-3</td><td>5-3</td></tr><tr><td>PPG</td><td>28.7</td><td>38.9</td></tr><tr><td>PAPG</td><td>9.7</td><td>15.6</td></tr><tr><td>Notable Games</td><td>14-21 vs. St. Ignatius (OH), 18-19 vs. DLS, 21-28 vs Southfield</td><td>Split vs. Cass Tech, 14-30 vs. Moeller(OH), 26-44 vs. Warren Central(IN)</td></tr></tbody></table></figure> <!-- /wp:table --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Gamechangers</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>King | [player_tooltip player_id='30316' first='Dante' last='Moore'] | QB</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This is obvious, but [player_tooltip player_id='30316' first='Dante' last='Moore'] is the #1 game-changer and #1 player to watch for this game. Although his numbers wouldn't suggest it, his coaching staff confidently states this is Moore's best season. It would be a shame if the 5-Star was booted from the playoffs round 1, but to avoid this, he'll have to perform amazingly against the best defense in Michigan. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>River Rouge | Lamont Gordon | DB</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The leader of the Rouge secondary is facing his toughest task yet against the smartest, most accurate High School QB in the country. Lamont is a polished, extremely fast DB with the skills to close in on any pass that's slightly inaccurate or slow. With an offer from Ferris State, you know he's a great DB with much potential ahead of him. Now, Lamont is a class of 2023 guy, and you know he'll be playing his heart out to keep fighting another day. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>King | [player_tooltip player_id='30319' first='Kenny' last='Merrieweather'] | ATH</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Known mostly as an EDGE rusher, Merrieweather is a profoundly talented and important aspect of the King defense. Putting pressure on the QB is an essential aspect of any defense, and Merrieweather is the guy to do it for King. He has a history of coming up big in big moments, so look for big plays during this game. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>River Rouge | [player_tooltip player_id='247640' first='Jordin' last='Farrow'] | DL</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I was very impressed by how Farrow was utilized in his game against Cedar Springs, and I'm impressed by his overall play all season. At 6'3 260, Farrow is a dominant force in the interior line. He's mostly a run-stopper but can also put pressure on the QB. As a D line, stopping the run is just as important as putting pressure on the QB. Farrow will play a big role in this game, so watch for him!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->