PERFECTION Rockford caps an undefeated regular season
Saturday, March 02, 2002
By Jane Bos
The Grand Rapids Press

With the final seconds ticking off the clock in Friday night's regular-season finale, the Rockford fans rose to their feet and cheered their Rams' perfection.

Rockford claimed a 61-47 O-K Red Conference victory over visiting Mona Shores to finish 20-0 overall for the first time in school history.

To celebrate, the Rams took turns cutting down a net. While senior star Derek Douglas, a 6-foot-5 center, awaited his turn, he reflected -- and talked about the future.

"It means a lot, I'm not even really sure everything it means right now," said Douglas, who totaled 21 points and 11 rebounds. "It's great to be undefeated, it's great to do it at home.

"This is nice, but I'm already thinking about Greenville."

The Michigan High School Athletic Association state tournament tips off Monday, and the Rams are scheduled to play the host Yellow Jackets in their Class A opener at 7 p.m.

This district, arguably the most loaded in the state, features scary Greenville (16-4), led by scoring sensation Zach Ingles, as well as top-notch teams in Forest Hills Central (18-2), Forest Hills Northern (15-5) and Ionia (19-1).

"We didn't have a game Tuesday, so we already devoted one practice to Greenville this week," said Rockford coach Steve Majerle. "Going 20-0 is special. It is something, no matter what else happens, no one can ever take away from these kids. But we want to make a run in the tournament."

Rockford, the outright O-K Red champions, are ranked third in the state in Class A and 17th in the Midwest Region by USA Today.

The Rams are the only unbeaten team in the state in Class A. Still, the perfect regular-season was not a first for Rockford. The Rams also went unbeaten in 1968 (16-0) and in 1969 (17-0) under coach Terry Konkle.

Mona Shores (8-12) hoped to end the Rams' winning streak Friday. And the Sailors stayed tough through 131/2 minutes of the game, trailing 16-14 after the first quarter and 27-23 late in the second quarter.

But then Rockford's Alex Briggs completed a 3-point play, and teammate Michael Redell, a sophomore point guard, made five consecutive points to give the Rams a 35-35 lead at halftime.

Rockford led 50-36 entering the fourth quarter.

"We talked about that before the game, giving you something to write about," said Mona Shores coach Jeff Anama. "What we ended up doing was playing a great Rockford team. They are very solid, very well-coached. Except for when you are playing them, you want them to win. They are good representatives of their school and their coach."

A year ago, Holland won the O-K Red and went unbeaten through the regular season before losing to Benton Harbor in its district final at Hudsonville.

"I would like to see those two teams play each other," Anama said. "Last year's Holland team and this year's Rockford team -- they would both give each other problems. If it was possible, it would be fun to watch."

Friday, Rockford also received 15 points from Redell, including three 3-pointers, and Drew Powell tossed in eight points. R.C. Douglas, a 6-6 junior, added four points and 11 rebounds.

Mona Shores was led by Eric Caruthers with 16 points and five rebounds. Preston Garris scored 12 points, and Rod Riley added 11 points.

back to top