FORT TOTTEN — Not only are the New Rockford-Sheyenne/Maddock Rockets not used to losing — they haven’t even experienced a close game this year.
“I think our team gels so good,” quarterback Easton Simon said. “All summer, we’re going to camps, getting to know each other even better. Just off-the-field stuff, and it helps on the field.”
No matter who they play, they dominate. After getting bumped up to No. 2 in nine-man football, they defended their ranking with another blowout on Friday at Four Winds High School. The Rockets (5-0, 2-0) put a 68-0 beating on the Indians (3-2, 1-1), a Region 3 opponent vying for a playoff spot. The Rockets held them to three first downs all night.
“They’re really starting to buy in,” NR-S/M head coach Elliott Belquist said. “The effort part of it, and getting to the ball, and all the little things that we need to do to try to find ways to improve. Proud of their efforts. They came out and made big plays.”
The Indians tried going heavy on quarterback keeper plays with Kashton Keja Jr., much as they have all season. But getting through the Rockets’ defensive line was a fruitless challenge all night.
The Rockets leaned on running back Carter Engebretson, who helped them pick up a pair of first downs on their first possession.
A host of Indians tackled Engebretson on the 22-yard line for no gain on first down. Marial Deng tackled Easton Benz to get it to fourth down, but NR-S/M picked up the first down anyway on a run by Simon.
“We all trust in each other,” Simon said. “Every play, you trust in your teammate that they’re gonna make the block or they’re gonna make the tackle. And that just frees everybody else up to make plays.”
Now inside the 10, it took the Rockets only two plays to get the scoring started. A pass to Kage Walford and a carry by Engebretson, each for five yards, completed the touchdown drive. The two-point conversion was successful on a pass to Bennett Meier, and it was 8-0.
After forcing another three-and-out, the Rockets returned Four Winds’ punt all the way to the 25-yard line, then scored again on the very next play. It was a 25-yard touchdown run for Walford to make it 14-0.
NR-S/M’s third score of the game also took just one play. Meier broke three tackles before running downfield for a 33-yard touchdown run. Bradyn Collier picked up the two-point conversion to make it a very quick 22-0.
The Indians turned it over on downs, giving them four straight possessions without a first down. Already at Four Winds’ 15, the Rockets managed to squeeze in their fourth touchdown of the first quarter. On second down, a 14-yard run by Paxton Neppl made it 28-0.
The game spiraled very rapidly and never stopped over the course of the first half.
“We just moved the ball,” Simon said. “Coach called great plays, and we just executed. The linemen were blocking great, and the running backs were hitting the holes, and then the wide receivers were getting open. I just had to give them the ball.”
Four Winds had to punt on its opening drive of the second quarter. Engebretson sacked Keja Jr. for a loss of 12, and an eight-yard run by Deng wasn’t enough to overcome it.
Yet again, the Rockets put themselves in a good position with a hefty punt return, this time with Thomas Allmaras getting it to Four Winds’ 26. Engebretson broke out of the pile on the next play and ran 23 yards, getting tripped up just short of the goal line.
But NR-S/M’s explosive running back scored a touchdown on the next play anyway. After an unsuccessful two-point, it was 34-0.
On the Indians’ fifth offensive possession, with about eight minutes left in the half, they finally achieved a first down. An 11-yard pass to Deng helped put Four Winds in a fourth-and-two situation, in which Keja Jr. just barely scratched out the necessary yards.
But the drive was short-lived. The Indians gained only one yard on the next series and had to punt.
“The defensive front seven has been outstanding,” Belquist said. “They’re just playing physical, and we’re tough to crack.”
NR-S/M’s next punt return was more pedestrian, getting the ball at its own 26-yard line. That was no problem for Walford, who received a pass and ran 74 yards down the field for another touchdown run. After forcing a three-and-out, the Rockets’ Collier broke multiple tackles and faked the Indians out, completing a 47-yard touchdown run.
It continued a theme for NR-S/M: explosive play after explosive play. The Rockets consistently found ways to carve up, overmatch and deceive the Indians’ defense with a variety of weapons. The score was 46-0 with less than four minutes left in the half.
Keja Jr. had a solid kickoff return, getting it to the Indians’ 42, and Wakinyanho Greybear carried it five yards. Greybear was tackled in the backfield on the next play, but unnecessary roughness was called on Engebretson.
The brief spurt of momentum for Four Winds was abruptly halted as Keja Jr. fumbled the ball, and Engebretson picked it up and ran all the way down for another massive touchdown run. It was 63 yards this time.
That made it 54-0 at the half. The Rockets did just about everything right in about as dominant a half of football as one will ever see at the high school level.
Thus, the clock ran through the second half, and both teams used a plethora of backups and younger players.
The Rockets scored on their first possession of the second half. This time, it wasn’t Carter Engebretson, but rather, Grant Engebretson who had a 24-yard run. Jackson Schumacher carried it the rest of the way for the touchdown. Schumacher also caught the two-point conversion, making it a 62-0 game.
“It’s nice to have that depth,” Belquist said. “You’re gonna need it when you get down the home stretch [of the season].”
Kaleb Keja took over at quarterback for Four Winds. He had a 12-yard run, giving the Indians their second first down of the game. On second and 12, he fumbled and turned it over — but bizarrely, on the very next play, the Rockets fumbled and turned it right back over again.
NR-S/M still forced a three-and-out, then scored a touchdown to complete the third quarter. Freshman quarterback Jax Demester connected with Allmaras for a 57-yard play. The two-point was no good, and it was 68-0 — the score that would eventually hold — at the end of the third quarter.
“There’s a reason why you get long touchdowns, and that’s because you’ve got good downfield blocking most of the time,” Belquist said. “So just those little things, trying to fine-tune things and stay sharp with everything you do.”
Both teams coasted through an uneventful fourth quarter that was only a matter of minutes on the clock. Four Winds did manage to grab its third first down of the game, with Kaleb Keja throwing it to Kale Yankton for a 14-yard gain.
The Rockets’ postgame cheers were less enthusiastic than they might have been in a closer contest, or against a higher-ranked opponent. But they rejoiced in the victory nevertheless, and came together for a very brief huddle. Belquist told them to enjoy this win for a day, and then get ready for next week’s action against Larimore.
“We can’t get satisfied,” Simon said. “We’ve gotta continue to fly around and get better, and just continue to improve each week, even if it’s hard to motivate us to get out there [while] looking at the score.”
NR-S/M will look to keep its undefeated record alive on Friday with a 7 p.m. game at Larimore High School.
“I think we can play with anyone,” Belquist said. “One game at a time, but we feel pretty good about things.”
