Rochester 74/1442

Fake punt, Garrett’s pick, Beck’s 3 TDs help Zebras improve to 4-0 in TRC

BY VAL TSOUTSOURIS

Sports Editor, RTC

WALTON — Rochester senior football player Clarence Garrett said it, and teammate Trenton Meadows repeated a few minutes later when describing how the Zebras were able to beat host Lewis Cass Friday: “We just wanted it more.”

With help from those two and Brant Beck’s 230 yards and three touchdowns rushing, the Zebras won 50-22 to improve to 4-1 overall and 4-0 in the Three Rivers Conference.

Kale Shotts added two touchdown runs in the fourth quarter, and Meadows caught a touchdown pass from Carson Paulik and ran for the go-ahead score in the third quarter.

Jed Frey, Gavin Smith and Trevor Rowe each had touchdown runs for Lewis Cass, who dropped to 2-3, 2-2.

Rochester beat Lewis Cass for the second straight year but for the first time at Lewis Cass since 1998.

Rochester had 233 yards of offense and scored 36 points in the second half.

“I think we were just more physical,” Rochester coach Ron Shaffer, a former Lewis Cass assistant coach and teacher, said. “We went in, and we said, ‘OK, what four or five plays are working?’ And we said those were the ones we’re going to run.”

Rochester forced four turnovers and converted all of them into touchdowns. They also made two big special teams plays – a 25-yard pass from Paulik to Meadows on a fake punt that converted a fourth down in the first half and an onside kick recovery from Zakk Parks in the second half on a mishandled kick.

One of the takeaways was Garrett’s interception on the opening possession of the second half. He stepped into a pass from Cooper Rush intended for Jed Frey down the seam and returned the interception 14 yards to the Rochester 45.

Garrett said the tight end was not in his coverage area. He just made an instinctive play.

“I was supposed to be reading the tight end, but I dropped back immediately, and … on the other side of the field, I saw him wide open,” Garrett explained. “So I just sprinted down there, and the ball was right there. I didn't even plan to catch it. I was going to block it down, but it just stuck to my glove.”

Said Shaffer of Garrett’s interception: “A momentum changer, absolutely a momentum changer.”

The Zebras followed with a five-play, 55-yard drive that Meadows capped with an 18-yard touchdown run.

Beck followed with a two-point conversion run, and Rochester was ahead for good at 22-14.

On the third play of the ensuing drive, Rush pitched the ball to Luke Sparks headed to the right on a sweep, but Sparks dropped it, and Beck recovered the fumble on the Lewis Cass 39.

Rochester followed with a nine-play drive that included Beck’s 14-yard run on third-and-6 and Meadows’ 6-yard run on third-and-4.

Beck capped the drive with a 9-yard run on the Zebras’ “Trojan sweep” run to the left side. Carson Paulik’s two-point conversion pass to Grant Clark made it 30-14.

Lewis Cass answered with a seven-play, 61-yard drive that Trevor Rowe finished with a 1-yard run with 34 seconds left in the quarter. Gavin Smith’s two-point conversion run made it 30-22.

But the Zebras finished with 20 unanswered points in the fourth quarter.

Beck gained 69 yards in a span covering the first five snaps of the fourth quarter, the last being a 26-yarder down the left sideline to make it 36-22.

On the ensuing kickoff, Sparks tried to field Davis Renie’s kickoff to the far sideline on one hop but fell down, and Zakk Parks recovered it at the Lewis Cass 20.

Two plays later, Shotts ran 14 yards for a touchdown, and Paulik threw a two-point conversion pass to Meadows to make it 44-22.

And on the first play of the next drive, Gavin Smith tried turning down the left side, but Mason Hisey stuck his left arm out and stripped him and then fell on the ball at the Lewis Cass 33.

Shotts’ 12-yard scoring run on the fifth play of the drive completed the scoring.

“We did sprinkle in more belly for Shottsie later, a trap or two,” Shaffer said. “But really, just came out and decided we were going to run our Trojan sweep and run our power sweep, and they couldn’t stop it.”

Each team scored on their first drive.

Beck had runs of 12 and 18 yards before later scoring from the 4. The drive also featured a 5-yard Meadows run on fourth-and-5 that required the officials to bring out the sticks to measure before granting a first down.

The two-point conversion failed after Beck’s score, and the lead was 6-0.

Sparks fumbled after a 22-yard carry on third-and-6 on Lewis Cass’ first drive, but the ball rolled out of bounds. Jed Frey followed with a 45-yard touchdown run on the next play, and Lorenz Riethmuller’s extra point put Lewis Cass ahead 7-6.

After a Rochester punt, Lewis Cass drove to the Rochester 14. But Beck jarred Rowe, Lewis Cass’ most experienced back, and forced a fumble, and Drew Bowers fell on it on the 10.

Paulik would later line up to punt from fourth-and-3 from the 31, but after taking two steps to the right, he passed to Meadows for 25 yards on the fake to get the ball to the Lewis Cass 44.

“Yeah, I thought it was going to work,” Meadows said. “I knew the backers were low down, so I had yards that I could go out for a slant and get that first down.”

Meadows said he worked every day – and sometimes twice a day – in the weight room during the summer to prepare for this season.

“Everyone on the team is very close, and we wanted the game for everyone,” Meadows said.

Later, facing third-and-8 from the 11 after a false start penalty, Rochester went to the play-action pass: Paulik faked to Shotts and instead threw to the flat to Meadows who went in untouched for a touchdown.

Beck added the two-point conversion run to give Rochester a 14-7 lead.

Lewis Cass answered with a 60-yard touchdown drive with Gavin Smith scoring from the 3. Riethmuller’s extra point tied the game.

“They’re really good on the perimeter,” Shaffer said. “They run jet sweep really well, and when jet sweep’s going, now you’ve got key pass that goes, and they’re running buck sweep. They’re just a good, physical ballclub, and they’re going to beat a lot of teams. It’s a good win for us.”

Rochester 50, Lewis Cass 22

Rochester 6 8 16 20 – 50

Lewis Cass 7 7 8 0 – 22

First quarter

RHS – Brant Beck 4 run (run failed)

LC – Jed Frey 45 run (Lorenz Riethmuller kick)

Second quarter

RHS – Trenton Meadows 11 pass from Carson Pauik (Beck run)

LC – Gavin Smith 3 run (Riethmuller kick)

Third quarter

RHS – Meadows 18 run (Beck run)

RHS – Beck 9 run (Grant Clark pass from Paulik)