Rockets back in win column
By Hub City Times staff
MARSHFIELD – Coming off an overtime loss to the Hornets of Colby a week earlier, the Spencer/Columbus Rockets improved to 4-3 after seven weeks of the high school football season by beating the Hornets of Cadott 28-22 Oct. 4.
“Overall I thought we played pretty well,” Head Coach Jason Gorst said following the win. “Cadott is a much-improved program. They’re a very physical football team with some pretty good size. It was definitely a battle back and forth. We made some big plays when we needed to. Overall, I’m really impressed and proud of the effort of our guys.”
After a scoreless first quarter, the Rockets got rushing touchdowns of 49 and 65 yards from Austin Bacon to grab a 14-0 lead. Cadott’s Brady Spaeth then reeled off a 62-yard TD scamper to pull the Hornets to within 6 at halftime. Cole Timmler then added another S/C score midway through the third quarter to put the Rockets ahead 22-8.
Cadott added another score late in the third period to pull to within six once again. Eden Jacobson then found the end zone from 10 yards out for the Rockets midway through the fourth quarter to extend the S/C lead to 28-16. The Hornets added a late touchdown pass with 3:08 remaining, but the Rockets were able to run the clock out from there to preserve the win.
The Rockets outgained the Hornets 425-244, and S/C never attempted a single pass.
“It was a game-flow situation,” Gorst said. “We actually went into the game with some passes in the game plan, but the field was extremely wet. It wasn’t raining at the time, but it was very wet, and especially with the ball being slick, it was just a situation where we felt that we had some pretty good opportunities in the run game.”
The Rockets averaged 7.7 yards per carry on 55 attempts. Bacon led S/C with 204 yards and two touchdowns on 18 carries. Jacobson added 136 yards and a score on 24 rush attempts.
Hayden Bauman carried the ball six times for 49 yards. Timmler’s touchdown run was his only carry of the game. The Rockets got the win despite three turnovers. The S/C defense had three quarterback sacks, one interception and one fumble recovery.
The Rockets play Oct. 10 against Regis at Carson Park in Eau Claire.