Photo courtesy of New Rockford Transcript
LARIMORE — Winning has become a Friday-night routine for the New Rockford-Sheyenne/Maddock Rockets.
And not just winning, but winning big.
With Friday’s 66-6 victory over Larimore, the Rockets have won 15 consecutive games. Each has been by a margin of 30 or more points. Dating back to 2023, they’ve won 25 of their last 26 games.
Elliott Belquist is in his 17th year as head football coach. He’s had plenty of ups and downs over the years — from winning the state title in 2012 to missing the playoffs in 2013. But he’s never been a part of something quite like this current stretch.
Friday’s night win was Belquist’s 100th as head football coach.
“Last year’s team was special, no doubt about it,” Belquist said. “And every team’s different. It’s just fun to see this crew come together; they’re a little different from last year’s team as far as how they approach things and how they get after it. … They’re starting to figure things out. They’re starting to have a lot of fun out there.”
The last time NR-S lost a football game was in the nine-man semifinals on Nov. 3, 2023. Since then, quarterback Easton Simon has been an all-state selection twice and a state champion in 2024. Now he’s leading the Rockets in his senior year.
“It’s been pretty special,” Simon said. “We hope to keep going and keep winning games, and get back to where we want to be. I’s been a good couple years.”
NR-S, which is in its third year of a co-op with Maddock, improved to 3-0 this Friday at Lein Field. The Rockets effectively put the game away in the second quarter, going up 60-6 before halftime.
“I think we came out ready,” Simon said. “We knew what the game plan was, and just came out and executed what we wanted to do. Flew around on defense.”
Simon had five touchdown passes in that span, with two each to Easton Benz and Grant Engebretson. Benz had three total touchdowns. Running back Jackson Schumacher scored a rushing touchdown. NR-S/M also added three safeties on the night. Thomas Allmaras and Aiden Rodriguez each had a touchdown reception as well.
“I think we have one of the best wide receiving cores in the state,” Simon said.
Besides the two Eastons, all of the aforementioned players had relatively small roles on last year’s championship team.
“They waited their turn,” Belquist said. “They could have been out there last year. And the way it works out, where some of those games you’re fortunate enough to win by the 30-point margin, it’s just tough to get guys in. So they kind of got shorted reps last year, and we knew we had some good ones coming. And now it’s fun to see them get their chance and make the plays.”
A 55-yard touchdown drive ended in a one-yard run by Schumacher to put the Rockets on the board. Through three games, Schumacher has done a solid job filling in for the now-graduated, dominant running back Carter Engebretson.
“You lose a guy like Carter; we weren’t sure there,” Belquist said. “He proved that he wanted that starting running back position.”
Larimore got its initial first down of the game with a quarterback keeper on the next drive, but Alex Weisenburger sacked Baron Burns for the first safety of the night.
On the very first play of the following drive, Simon threw a 39-yard dart to Allmaras in the end zone. It was 16-0 with 6:13 to go in the first quarter.
The Rockets had a rare slip, allowing a kickoff return for a touchdown. The Polar Bears cut the lead to 16-6.
NR-S/M scored another touchdown on its next possession, with a 20-yard rush by Schumacher and a 20-yard pass to Engebretson in the end zone. On defense, Chaztin Wobbema came up with a sack to make it fourth and 33. Malaki Kukowski blocked the punt to score the next safety.
Up 26-6, the Rockets fumbled and turned it over to Larimore after Engebretson had made a long reception. It was the Rockets’ first turnover of the year.
“Didn’t like to see that,” Belquist said. “Grant trying to make a play on it, and he just got a little loose with the ball. And the guy made a good stick on him and stripped it away.”
But that was the last shaky moment for NR-S/M’s starters. After Larimore punted, Simon made a 36-yard touchdown pass to Benz. Larimore went three and out, and Benz finished off a 55-yard touchdown drive with another reception. It was a six-yard catch following a 19-yard run by Aaden Benson.
“We’ve had that connection for years now,” Simon said of his fellow senior and fellow Easton, Benz. “It’s an everyday thing at practice. And when it comes to games, I know he’ll be my reliable receiver, and just chuck it up to him.”
The two-point conversions were good on both of Benz’s scores to make it 42-6.
“[Simon] makes whoever’s calling the plays pretty easy,” Belquist said. “He’s been around the system for many years, and he’s a special one. The accuracy that he has is just amazing. And the composure in the pocket, and how he can escape the pocket. It’s fun to watch him.”
After the Polar Bears went three and out again, they botched the punt and the ball got away for the third safety of the half.
The Rockets’ starters scored on their final two possessions of the half, sandwiched by a fumble recovery. Engebretson caught a 20-yard touchdown pass, and the ever-reliable Benz had an 11-yard touchdown carry.
“You know what you’re gonna get out of him every day,” Belquist said of Benz. “He’s a hard worker. He’s a guy that wants the ball, but he understands that we’ve got to spread it out. We know one thing out of him: He’s gonna make the most out of his opportunities. When he gets the ball, he wants to take it to the end zone every time.”
The sixth successful two-point conversion of the half made it 60-6 with 4:21 left.
NR-S/M recovered a fumble on the kickoff, and the Rockets got the ball back on Larimore’s 20. They didn’t score, though, with multiple backups in there, including quarterback Jax Demester.
It was still more than enough to ignite a running clock for the entire second half.
Neither team scored in the third quarter. But the Rockets got a pickoff in the opening minutes of the fourth — from none other than freshman Jaxon Simon, the little brother of Easton. He ran it back 23 yards to Larimore’s nine-yard line.
“He’s starting to come along,” E. Simon said. “Hopefully he continues to get better and better.”
Demester took care of the rest with a nine-yard shuffle pass to Aiden Rodriguez. The Rockets led by the eventual final of 66-6 with less than 10:00 on the running clock.
Their next opponent should be their toughest match yet: No. 4 North Border. But they’re coming off a season where they handled anybody and everybody.
“This team, they study,” Belquist said. “They get in the film room. They watch a ton of film. They watch a ton of our upcoming opponents. And they come to practice ready to go — understand what the other team has and what they’re trying to do. … They want the competition, and they’re excited to have the good teams coming up here.”
