Defense drives these champs: Rockford pulls away from Lowell
By Bob Becker / Grand Rapids Press Sports Editor

Winning a state championship is a difficult proposition. But it pales in comparison to defending one.

" There was a lot of pressure on this team after last year," Rockford coach Steve Majerle said Friday night, after his Rams shut down Lowell in the final three quarters to take a 59-40 win in the championship game of the Rockford district. Majerle's Rams are the defending Class A state champions, so there were a lot of teams giving them a strong look this winter.

" It's not easy," Majerle said. "But these kids came through with flying colors. We are still alive and moving on, which is what we came here to do." The way the game opened, nobody could have guessed at the 19-point difference. Lowell scored seven unanswered points to open the game, Rockford finally getting on the board when Mark Russell knocked down a jumper with 5:15 left in the period. This time Rockford went on a run, scoring eight of its own in succession, a 3-pointer from Nicholas Wendling putting the Rams on top 8-7.

Lowell handled that explosion, however, and at the buzzer the Red Arrows were up 20-12.
And that's when the game changed. " Rockford is a great defensive team, we knew that coming in," Lowell coach Jeff McDonald said. "They opened in that 2-2-1 and we did OK. Then they went to (man-to-man) and really came after us." Lowell did not score from the field in the second period, getting only four free throws. At the half it was a 24-24 game.

Sam Oberlin scored at the start of the third quarter to end a 9:02 stretch for the Red Arrows without a score from the floor. It was 32-32 with 5:02 left in the third quarter, thanks to a 3-pointer from Russell, and then Rockford went on a 12-0 run. With 4:24 left in the third quarter, the Rams' Michael Redell became the first Rockford player to get to the free-throw line on the night, and buried two.

In less than three minutes it was 44-32 and the clock was running against the Red Arrows.
Lowell never gave up. The Arrows got a three-point play from Oberlin to make it 44-35, but then Ryan DeHaan, coming off Rockford's bench, proceeded to score the Rams' next nine points, and put the game safely away.

" Lowell did a nice job," Majerle said. "In the first quarter our defense didn't step up to their energy. But when we got our legs under us we started to play the kind of defense we know we can play. " We held them to 20 points in the final three quarters. That is Rockford defense, something we pride ourselves on. When they score only 40 points, only 18 in the second half, you know that is how we are supposed to play."

It's been 20 years since Lowell last made it to a district final. None of the players were born then. And McDonald? " I was a little rascal in eighth grade," he said. "I told the guys before the game that I liked where we could end up. We are disappointed in the loss, but it is a step in the right direction. " This will help us because we are young, and our players got a taste of the energy and the madness that comes with this time of year. The seniors paved the way, created a spark. Now the rest of us have to pick it up."

Russell led Rockford with 14 points, including four 3-pointers. Redell added 13 and DeHaan 10. Oberlin and Josh Hettinga had 12 apiece to lead Lowell.

Rockford advances to the Zeeland regional Tuesday, playing the 8:30 p.m. game against the winner of today's East Kentwood-Ottawa Hills finale in the Northview district. " Rockford has been here before," McDonald said, "and they were defending their home floor. They are a tradition-rich program."