by On a beautiful Thursday night for High School Football, the Bay Rockets defeated the Normandy Invaders by a final score of 42-28. The Rockets leaned heavily on their big play offense to outlast the Invaders. Three of their six touchdowns came from at least 40 yards out. Two of which belonged to Jace Knapp. Knapp finished the night with 3 receptions for 107 yards and 2 touchdowns. He also added 10 yards on the ground. Bay has gotten off to an impressive start this season and continues to build momentum towards the playoffs.
Bay’s Dominant First Quarter
After the first quarter, it looked like Bay would repeat their performance from last week against Valley Forge. On their first defensive drive, they forced a quick 3-and-out by Normandy. The Rockets quickly took the lead on their opening possession on offense. Charlie Rodgers took a run 21 yards to the house. After the point after attempt, the Rockets led 7-0. Normandy had a promising 2nd drive of the game that saw them reach the redzone deep in Bay’s territory. They finished it off with a Neno Illic 28-yard field goal. The Invaders were quickly trailing by double digits just moments later. Brendan Spellman took a handoff 45 yards to the endzone on the first play of Bay’s next drive. At the end of the 1st, the Rockets led Normandy 14-3.
Normandy Storms Back
In the second quarter, Normandy made one big play after another on both ends of the ball. After going down 21-3 thanks to Charlie Rodgers’s 2nd touchdown of the half, the Normandy offense kicked into gear. A 68-yard pass from Elijah Gray to Austin Stash set up an easy 1-yard touchdown a play later. On the ensuing Bay drive, Austin Konicki picked off the Rockets’ quarterback Michael Farrell. The interception gave Normandy tremendous field position. They would end the drive with the 2nd field goal of the half from Neno Illic. This one he drilled from 35 yards out. With just under a minute to play in the half, Bay pulled out a big 55-yard touchdown from Michael Farrel to Jace Knapp. Not to be outdone, with time expiring, Elijah Gray found Austin Konicki in the back of the endzone for an 18-yard touchdown. Gray put the ball in the perfect spot where only his receiver could catch the ball, and Konicki executed. At the half, the Bay Rockets led the Normandy Invaders 28-21.
Offensive Woes
The 3rd quarter did not have as much scoring as the 1st half showed it might have. The Rockets opened the half with a quick scoring drive that took just under 2 minutes off the clock. Michael Farrell found Jace Knapp for a 42-yard touchdown to put the Rockets up 35-21. Normandy followed it up with a drive that lasted nearly 7 minutes. With the Invaders driving, Brendan Spellman picked off Normandy QB Elijah Gray in the endzone. At the end of the 3rd, Bay held a 35-21 lead.
Bay Closes Out
In the 4th quarter, the Invaders once again trimmed the lead to one score. Elijah Gray had his second rushing touchdown of the game for the Invaders. This one was from 4 yards out. However, with just over a minute left in the game, the Rockets put together one final drive that put Normandy away. Michael Farrell dove into the endzone from a yard out to put the game on ice. Brendan Spellman ended the game with an interception for his second of the game. With this win, the Bay Rockets improved to 4-1 on the season. For the Normandy Invaders, a disappointing season continues as they fall to 0-4.
Players of the Game
Bay:
Running Back/Defensive Back Brendan Spellman: 10 carries, 91 yards, 1 touchdown; 2 interceptions
Normandy:
Quarterback Elijah Gray: 16/36 passing, 268 yards, 1 touchdown, 2 interceptions; 22 carries, 134 yards, 2 touchdowns
Next Week
The Bay Rockets (4-1) look to continue their winning ways as they play host to the Elyria Catholic Panthers (1-3) next Friday night. Still hoping to get in the win column, the Normandy Invaders (0-4) will host the Benedictine Bengals (1-3) next Friday night.
