Rockets open with a "W" over Wildcats

From the tweet of the referee's whistle, New Rockford-Sheyenne established dominance in their return to the football field for the season opener in Maddock Friday night, August 23.

The Rockets, ranked as the number one team in the North Dakota Nine-Man preseason poll, gave the voters no indication of their offense slowing down with 44 first-quarter points in a 58-16 rout over Benson County.

One of the biggest questions coming into 2019 was the presence of a new signal-caller at the quarterback position after record-setting All-Stater Teddy Allmaras graduated this past spring.

Junior Johnny Grann stepped under center and passed his first test with flying colors, hitting six of his eight passes for 203 yards and four touchdowns, while not committing a turnover.

Nathan Holzwarth got the scoring going for NR-S with a 33-yard touchdown reception, and Bo Belquist's two-point conversion put the Rockets up 8-0 on the opening drive.

Belquist, expected to be one of the top players in the state this season, scored from five and 46 yards out on the next two possessions, and running back Hunter Thompson busted open for a 71-yard scoring play. With the two-pointers, the score read 30-0 in favor of the Rockets.

Sophomore tight end Nick Berglund used all of his 6'4" frame to secure a 35-yard touchdown, and Thompson turned to defense for a 32-yard interception return to cap the first quarter scoring.

Thompson's 51-yard pass from Grann marked NR-S' 50th first half points, and Holzwarth's deuce put the score at 52-0.

Benson County got on the board in the waning minutes of the half on a 59-yard strike from Blayne Anderson to John Fischer. The two would later connect for the Wildcats' other score, an 11-yard touchdown, in the fourth.

Berglund added a second score in the third for NR-S, a five-yard run.

Leaders on offense included Thompson, with 86 yards on eight attempts, and Belquist with 69 yards receiving on two catches.

Thompson, along with Billy Fleming, finished with six total stops on the defensive side, and the former also added another pick later in the contest. Kaden Jensen and Belquist both had five tackles, and Holzwarth recorded a sack and fumble recovery.

NR-S hosted North Star (0-1, 0-1) this past Friday night, and will take on St. John (1-0, 1-0) on September 6 at Jim Johnson Park in New Rockford. All of the Rockets' regular season games count in the Region 2 standings.

Nine-Man Region 2 Football

NR-S 58, Benson Co. 16at Maddock

NR-S 44 8 6 0 58

BC 0 8 0 8 16

First Quarter

NR-S: Nathan Holzwarth 33 yard pass from Johnny Grann (Bo Belquist pass from Grann)

NR-S: Belquist 5 yard run (2-pt. conversion failed)

NR-S: Belquist 46 yard pass from Grann (Hunter Thompson run)

NR-S: Thompson 71 yard run (Holzwarth pass from Grann)

NR-S: Nick Berglund 35 yard pass from Grann (Holzwarth pass from Grann)

NR-S: Thompson 32 yard interception return (conversion failed)

Second Quarter

NR-S: Thompson 51 yard pass from Grann (Holzwarth run)

Benson Co.: John Fischer 59 yard pass from Blayne Anderson (pass good)

Third Quarter

NR-S: Berglund 5 yard run (conversion failed)

Fourth Quarter

Benson Co.: Fischer 11 yard pass from Anderson (pass good)

NR-S Statistics

Offense

Passing: Grann 6-8-203 yards-4 TD; Berglund 1-3-5

Rushing: Thompson 6-86-TD; Kaden Jensen 3-42; Belquist 2-17-TD; Elijah Dean-Scott 4-9; Berglund 1-5; Grann 1-(-1); Billy Fleming 3-(-2)

Receiving: Belquist 2-69-TD; Thompson 1-51-TD; Holzwarth 2-48-TD; Berglund 1-35-TD; Jensen 1-5

Defense

Tackles (unassisted-assisted): Jensen (3-2); Belquist (3-2); Hayden Meier (3-1); Berglund (2-2); Thompson (2-4); Holzwarth (2-0); Fleming (2-4); Colt Soderholm (2-0); Jordan Boehm (2-0); Dean-Scott (1-0); Hunter Johnson (1-2); Dawson Clifton (1-1); Trevor Waldo (1-0); Koby Duda (0-4); Nick Presnell (0-1); Ben Schaefer (0-1)

Sack: Holzwarth

Interceptions: Thompson 2

Fumble Recovery: Holzwarth