A slow, methodical domination

Opponents of Cedar Grove-Belgium High School’s football team have had to pick their poison so far this season.

If it isn’t Alex Acevedo running the ball, it’s Chris Jentges or quarterback Michael Navis. Or Navis is finding speedy, long-armed targets through the air.

Two weeks ago against Mishicot, Jentges got the bulk of the load, since Acevedo took the lead in the season opener.

Last week, all three of the Rockets’ ground weapons had it going in a 35-7 win at Manitowoc Lutheran.

Navis led the team with 118 yards rushing and two touchdowns on 12 carries, and Acevedo had 110 yards and a score on 23 carries. Jentges ran for 67 yards and a score on 15 carries.

“We had long scoring drives that chewed things up,” coach Dan Schreurs said.

“It didn’t really feel like 35-7. It was a methodical type of offense again. We averaged 7.8 yards per carry.”

Scoring came on runs of six, 10, nine and seven yards.

Navis found Max Ford for 37-yard score in the second quarter on a rollout pass.

“The linebacker came up and he had Max on a drag underneath. He made a nice pivot, broke a tackle and ran for a touchdown,” Schreurs said.

“It was a great read, a great play. Max had to jump up and make the catch.”

Navis only threw six times in the game, completing two passes for 45 yards with the score and an interception.

The Rockets led, 21-0, at halftime and cruised.

The Lancers scored in the third quarter, but the Rockets answered right back.

“We wore them down. In the second half, they were pretty much gassed,” Schreurs said.

“Even in the handshake line at the end, they were still huffing and puffing.”

Most of the Lancers had to play offense and defense, Schreurs said, while the Rockets have the numbers and quality to limit their number of two-way players.

Schreurs said one key has been the big guys in front. The team has added several plays to its library of good set plays that coaches show to the youth program.

“The offensive line has just been unbelievable so far,” Schreurs said.

Defensively, the Rockets had to stop “a real tricky offense with a lot of misdirection and motion,” Schreurs said.

Senior linebacker Ben Anzia read his keys like a book, totaling a team-high nine tackles and a sack.

“A lot of times he was sitting in the hole waiting for the running back to get there,” Schreurs said.

Ford and Matthew Poull each had six tackles. Josh Nett had five and A.J. Schaefer had four.

Schreurs credited Schaefer and Tyler Kowalkowski for shutting down the outside.

“They wanted to get outside and stretch things out and we were able to keep them pinched in,” Schreurs said.

The defense held the Lancers to 100 total yards for the game.

The Rockets were without all-conference player Chris Daniels for the second straight game as he is recovering from a knee injury.

Schreurs praised Noah Sanfelippo on defense and Jacob Peiffer on offense for filling in well.

Now 3-0 in the Big East Conference, the Rockets host their only non-conference game on Friday against legendary powerhouse St. Mary’s Springs, which last season beat them, 44-0.

“Last year, Springs really showed us where we wanted to be,” Schreurs said. “That turned our season and propelled us to a conference championship and deep playoff run.”

This season, Schreurs said, he thinks Springs may have its best team yet.

“It’s going to be interesting. I think this year we have the physicality and mentality to hopefully hang with them the way we can methodically move the ball a little bit,” he said.