Wendling's birthday happy for Rockford
By Steve Fox / The Grand Rapids Press

GRAND RAPIDS -- Rockford guard Nicholas Wendling celebrated his 18th birthday with another district championship Friday night. The senior scored the first seven points of the game and finished with 16 to lead the Rams to a 64-44 victory over Greenville in the final of the Forest Hills Central district.

Rockford (16-7) claimed its fifth district championship in seven years. " We ran two plays for him right off the bat," Rockford coach Steve Majerle said. "I told the kids, 'These are the two plays we're going to run and it's going to be 6-0.' Well, it was 7-0."

Wendling hit a 3-pointer from the left corner 30 seconds into the game to open the scoring. A short time later he buried a deep 3-pointer from the top and was fouled by Greenville's Jake Waldorf, and converted the four-point play. Wendling was serenaded by Rockford students singing "Happy Birthday" to him in the waning minutes. He was just pleased to win the district championship.

" Coach said before the game he was going to try to get me two threes because it was my birthday. It worked out pretty good," Wendling said. Wendling actually made three 3-pointers, leading a first-half barrage for the Rams. Rockford made five from long range but only had a 23-20 halftime lead.

Full-court pressure defense was the difference for the Rams in the second half, forcing seven Greenville turnovers in the third quarter and six more in the fourth. An 11-0 run late in the third quarter put Rockford on top 40-30. " The key was our pressure bothered them," Majerle said. "We got some easy baskets and it got us going. Up until then, in the first half, it was their pace in the zone mucking it up. We got up and down with that press."

The Rams advance to the regional at West Ottawa on Tuesday and will face Northview at 8 p.m.