CG-Belgium survives land, air show reversal

Last Friday’s game between the Howards Grove and Cedar Grove-Belgium high schools’ football teams was a bit of a switcheroo.

The Rockets tried to stop the Tigers’ running attack and got mauled in the air, and the Tigers ganged up on the Rockets’ passing game and got run over in Cedar Grove-Belgium’s 42-35 win.

“That was unbelievable. That was fun and nerve-wracking at the same time,” Cedar Grove-Belgium coach Dan Schreurs said.

Rocket quarterback Colton Sellin ran 21 times for 232 yards and a touchdown. Deven Soerens had 87 yards and a score on 13 carries, and Gabe Egan had 72 yards and a touchdown on 12 rushes. The Rockets racked up 398 yards on the ground.

Tiger Tyler Rittenhouse, who was third in the Big East Conference with 1,313 yards rushing last season and had 207 in two games this year, was held to four yards on 11 carries.

“I thought for sure they would just pound him,” Schreurs said, adding the Tigers ran about 80% of the time in the first two games.

Tiger quarterback Trent Grunewald went 28-for-49 passing for 435 yards, five touchdowns and one interception. Tanner Schumacher had six catches for 143 yards and three touchdowns, and Bryant Dortman caught six balls for 143 yards and one touchdown.

“A lot of their passes were no more than 5 or 7 yards. We missed a lot of tackles,” Schreurs said.

Sellin also found success passing, going 8-for-11 for 157 yards and three touchdowns. Egan caught four balls for 120 yards and two scores.

Many of Sellin’s yards were picked up on draw plays.

“They were so focused on Gabe. They only had a five-man box for most of the game. They had him all doubled up and even tripled one time,” Schreurs said

The Rockets had all their receivers run fly patterns, which took the Tigers’ secondary downfield. That left one-on-one blocking with the linebackers.

Schreurs praised linemen Diego Morales, Dylan Dasher and Matt Navis for opening up holes.

“Colton could go 10 yards without ever being touched,” Schreurs said.

After Soerens scored on a 20-yard run in the first quarter, the Rockets nearly scored again, but Sellin was stripped from behind inside the Tigers’ 10-yard line on a long run.

The Tigers answered with touchdown passes of 65 and 29 yards, both of which had receivers breaking Rocket tackles.

The Rockets tied it on a 58-yard pass to Egan. He lined up in the left slot, crossed the field to the right, beat a double team, caught the ball and turned on the jets down the right sideline. He made one man miss on his way to the end zone.

After the Rockets forced a three-and out, Sellin took the first play from scrimmage to the left, got a big block from Soerens and another from Egan downfield and raced 62 yards for a touchdown.

Soerens later stuffed Rittenhouse in the backfield on fourth and one from the Rockets 35-yard line.

“Soerens had a great night on defense and running the ball,” Schreurs said.

The Rockets scored again after Sellin surveyed the field with time to throw. He found Egan open on the right side, and Egan raced for a 58-yard score.

The Tigers threatened at the end of the first half, but when they reached the 9-yard line, cornerback Ethan Aponte stepped in front of a quick slant at the goal line and picked off the pass on the final play of the second quarter.

The Rockets were up, 27-14.

After a Grunewald 56-yard touchdown pass early in the third quarter, the Tigers’ defense nearly tied the game. Sellin was hit while he threw, and a Tiger picked it off and ran it to the end zone. But a face mask penalty negated the play.

The Rockets later scored on a five-yard screen pass to tight end Caleb Vande Boom, who made a one-handed catch on a high ball before making his way to the end zone.

Soerens later busted inside for a two-yard score, and the Rockets were up, 42-21.

The Tigers scored on a two-yard pass that Rocket Brody Halleman had dual possession with Dortman. The officials sorted out the two on the end zone grass before declaring a score.

The Rockets tried to answer, but Logan Navis missed about a 33-yard field goal.

Schreurs said it was good practice for his kicker, but he will go for it on fourth and less than one next time.

The Tigers hit a 38-yard bomb for the game’s final score with less than two minutes to play. Soerens recovered a squib kick, and the Rockets ran out the clock.

It was the Rockets’ first win after losing big to two top nonconference opponents.

“I’m glad we played who we did. We had to play four quarters against Howards. You could definitely see the strength and conditioning stood out in the second half,” Schreurs said.

The Rockets play at Reedsville (3-0) on Friday. The Panthers, the defending Division 7 state champs, graduated a number of seniors and have a new coach. They beat Manitowoc Lutheran, 34-0, in their Big East opener.

Howards Grove is 2-1 overall.