THREE-PEAT! Rockets Win Another Regional Title

RAPID RIVER---The script was pretty much the same Friday night as it has been all year for the Rapid River Rockets.

They get off to a slow start and fall behind in the football game, but then Jake Pearson and the offensive line gradually take control of the game.

Jake Pearson (7) goes airborne for a TD.

The Rockets turned the ball over on their first posession and the Engadine Eagles took advantage with a touchdown to take an 8-0 lead.

But then Pearson rallied his team to the tune of 291 yards rushing and five touchdowns, leading the Rockets to a 50-21 win over the Eagles.

It is Rapid River's third straight football regional championship.

"I give our guys credit," Rockets Coach Steve Ostrenga said. "They hung in there, hung in there, hung in there. And I think we wore them down and we had a little more depth. Our linebackers bent, but we had some big plays out of our guys."

The Rockets got the ball first but Pearson was intercepted by Isak Frazier. And then the Eagles went on a 74-yard drive, with Forrest MacArthur hooking up with Jake Dishaw for an eleven-yard touchdown pass. MacArthur ran in the two-point conversion.

Listen to Pat Pryal Interview

So, the #1 team in the state, the Rockets, were behind. Engadine came to play.

"We knew they would," Ostrenga said. "When you beat a Cedarville team in the mud like that (last week), I was watching the film, and their big linemen, we knew they were gonna be tough.

"We knew we had to take their best shot early."

Rapid's Steve Johnson (34) with the tackle.

But Pearson is Rapid River's "X Factor" and he quickly turned things around with a 45-yard touchdown run. The two-point conversion was no good, thanks to a holding penalty, so Engadine still led.

And when they got the ball, the Eagles drove to the Rockets 35 yard-line when Mike Casey stepped up with an interception.

On the next play, Pearson took advantage of the turnover with an electrifying 85-yard touchdown run. He also ran in the two-point play, so it was 14-8.

The Eagles once again were unphased, and moved the ball from their own 31 to the Rockets 30 yard line. A 15-yard penalty pushed them back, but MacArthur found Dan Hartwig for a 24-yard pass, setting the Eagles up with a 4th-and-4 at the Rocket 24.

Jake Pearson 45-yard touchdown run.

Rapid River's defense came with pressure and forced an incomplete pass. And when Pearson got the ball, he went to work on a 75-yard drive.

On one play, the Eagles appeared to have a sack, but Pearson kept his feet moving, bounced off two tackles, sidestepped another, and found Dave Hough for a 28-yard pass into Eagle territory.

Josh Parrett (21) gets the handoff Friday.

Three plays later, Pearson was scrambling again, getting away from a pair of would-be tacklers and finding Casey for a 25-yard touchdown pass.

The two also hooked up on the two-point play as Pearson scrambled again, and Rapid River led, 22-8.

The Eagles took over near mid-field after the kickoff, and once again drove into the red zone.

With the ball at Rocket nine yard-line, there was an illegal procedure penalty, and then an incomplete pass. On second down from the 14, MacArthur threw toward the end zone, but Hough stepped in front of the pass and got the interception.

"I give a lot of credit to our defense," Ostrenga said. "We made some big plays. That jet sweep was tough, and #13 (MacArthur) is a good quarterback. When he keeps the ball, he makes some guys miss. We'll have to watch some film on that."

Jake Pearson 87-yard touchdown run

Back on offense, Pearson rushed for 22 yards when he got the ball back, and after being called for intentional grounding two plays later, he took off on what may be his most electrifying run of the season.

Jake Pearson gets away and scores again.

Pearson was hemmed in on his own 10 yard line by three Eagles defenders. But somehow, he fought off those tackle attempts, got to the sideline, and then started running.

And 87 yards later, Pearson was in the end zone again. It was 30-8.

"He's a special athlete," Ostrenga said. "When you give Jake a good (offensive) line, he's going to make things happen back there. David Hough, Pat Pryal, I thought that they were equally shifty back there, too. It was fun to watch."

Engadine got the ball to start the third quarter, but a pass was broken up by Pryal and intercepted on the tip by freshman Mason Berglund. Ten plays later, Pearson scored from one yard out and then Pearson passed to Pryal for the two-point play.

Mike Casey with the interception.

With the score 38-8, the Eagles clawed back on a 65-yard touchdown run by MacArthur. But moments later, Pearson handed to Pryal and the senior made his best run of the season. Pryal broke three tackles and then accelerated down the middle of the field. He was in the end zone 78 yards later, and it was 44-14.

Rapid River's Dave Hough (10) with the grab over Engadine's Isak Frazier (2).

The Eagles then turned the ball over for a fifth time, as Pearson recovered and Austin Buss fumble at the 29-yard line. Seven plays later, Pearson scored four yards out for his fifth rushing touchdown of the game.

That meant "running clock" at 50-14.

MacArthur scored an Engadine touchdown with 38 second left in the game to close the scoring. He ended up with 91 rushing yards on ten carries and two scores.

Buss added 76 yards on 11 carries. MacArthur, and Ben Wyse, combined to complete 8 of 26 passes for 145 yards, one touchdown, and three interceptions.

Engadine finished its season with a 6-5 record. The Eagles had started the campaign with a 1-4 record before winning five straight games to qualify for this game.

Jake Pearson TD pass to Mike Casey

For Rapid River, Pearson led the way with 291 rushing yards on 19 carries, and five touchdowns. Pryal had 132 yards on nine carries and a touchdown. Hough contributed 62 yards on 14 carries. Pearson also had 53 passing yards. The Rockets ended up with 546 yards of total offense."

"All those guys, they bring it every day," Ostrenga said. "If you watch they way they hustle, that's why we're successful."

Listen: Pearson Gets Away And Then Finds Hough.

Rapid River (11-0) will host Kinde North Huron (8-3) in the state semifinals next Saturday afternoon.

The Warriors are from the "Thumb" area of lower Michigan, northeast of Bay City and Saginaw. Game time has not been determined.

The Rockets-Warriors state semifinal game will be broadcast live on WCHT-AM (600), and on-line at www.rrnsports.com. More details will be posted when available.

Click the thumbnails in the ARTICLE HIGHLIGHTS box above to see numerous photos taken by Michelle Rubick, videos shot by Mike Larson, to hear interviews with Pat Pryal, Jared Schwartz, and Steve Ostrenga. And to hear some of the radio highlights from Friday's broadcast.

Rapid River's Josh Parrett (21) tries to tackle Engadine's Jake Dishaw (74) Friday. (Michelle Rubick photo)

Date	Time	Opponent	Score	Record

8/29	7:00 PM	at Ewen-Trout Creek Panthers	44 - 12 (W)	1-0

9/5	7:00 PM	Posen Vikings	62 - 26 (W)	2-0

9/13	7:00 PM	Engadine Eagles	56 - 28 (W)	3-0

9/20	7:00 PM	at Brimley Bays	48 - 6 (W)	4-0

9/27	7:00 PM	at Engadine Eagles	46 - 22 (W)	5-0

10/4	7:00 PM	at Cedarville Trojans	48 - 25 (W)	6-0

10/11	7:00 PM	Superior Central Cougars	42 - 0 (W)	7-0

10/18	7:00 PM	Mid Peninsula Wolverines	2 - 0 (W)	8-0

10/25	7:00 PM	at Bellaire Eagles	74 - 42 (W)	9-0

11/1	7:00 PM	Posen Vikings	60 - 25 (W)	10-0

11/8	7:00 PM	Engadine Eagles	50 - 21 (W)	11-0

11/16	1:00 PM	Kinde North Huron Warriors	40 - 8 (W)	12-0

11/22	7:00 PM	at Peck Pirates	32 - 67 (L)	12-1