It can be hard to translate regular season success to the playoffs, but the Rocklin Thunder had no problem doing just that on Friday. They took their game on the road with ease, bagging a 35-8 victory over Del Oro. Considering Rocklin has won eight games by more than 20 points this season, Friday's blowout was nothing new.
Rocklin got their win on the backs of several key players, but it was Derek Keeley out in front who rushed for 115 yards and a touchdown on only 12 carries. Keeley was no stranger to the big play, taking off on a dash that went for 53 yards. Rafi Merino was another key contributor, rushing for 71 yards and two touchdowns on only eight carries.
The victory was the fifth in a row for Rocklin, bringing their record for this year to 11-1. It's not like the team was facing easy opposition over that stretch either, as it included 10-2 Downey and 10-2 Oak Ridge (their opponents had an average overall winning percentage of 67.9% over those games). As for Del Oro, their loss dropped their record down to 8-5.
Rocklin will face off against St. Mary's at 7:00 p.m. on November 25th. St. Mary's knows how to get points on the board -- the squad has finished with flashy point totals in its past eight matchups -- so hopefully Rocklin likes a good challenge. Del Oro does not have any more games scheduled as of now.
