Balanced. Team-oriented. Unselfish.
Those are some ways
Rogers football coach Marc Franz describes his football team. Undefeated and unwilling to forget were some other ways to describe this team that had not given up a point until last week, the fifth game of the season.
Through five games Rogers is 5-0, ranked No. 4 in the state in Class 4A and is working hard to erase the bad memories of last year's trip to the state tournament that was abruptly ended with a first-round loss.
The Royals gave up their first touchdown of the season in a 56-7 win over Princeton Oct. 1. In the four games before that the Royals outscored opponents 179-0. Lessons were learned in that trip to the state tournament last year - a first for a school now in its eighth year- and Franz has emphasized that as a learning tool this year.
"We were excited to make it to the state tournament last year," said Franz. "But we weren't happy with the early exit. This year, we are really focusing on each day of practice, each week and each game. We don't want to get too high or low or too far ahead of ourselves. We learned some lessons last year and that learning curve has really been what has helped us through this season and prepares us for each day and game."
Those preparations are focused on Friday's game - by far the biggest of the season - and not only because it's homecoming. The Royals host Mississippi 8 Conference rival and No. 5-ranked Becker (5-0).
The key to the game will be what has been the key all season long, says Franz: playing unselfish, playing as a team, and pulling for each other.
"Most people want to talk about the great players on a team like this," says Franz. "While we do have some very good players, our greatest strength is how unselfish this team is and the character of the kids on the team. These guys literally don't care about stats, who scores, or does what. They just want to win and they do it rooting for each other.”
That proof is shown in the balance this Rogers team has. Franz says senior captain and quarterback
Bjorn Bloom has the perfect demeanor needed to lead this team. Through five games Bloom has passed for 705 yards and 11 touchdowns.
"He's cool and confident and doesn't get flustered," says Franz. "He's not the most vocal guy, but when he says something everyone pays attention. He's just a great leader."
Leading the ground game is senior
Josh Wickoren, who has rushed for 354 yards and four touchdowns.
Tyler Brisbin, another senior, has rushed for 247 yards and two touchdowns. While those numbers won't rank them among state statistical leaders, neither have had to play an entire game because of the Royals' large margin of victory this season. But the stats don't lie in their production when they do carry the ball - Wickoren averages 7.9 yards per carry and Brisbin 6.5. Senior
Derek Vidor is Bloom's favorite target and leads the team with 20 receptions for 364 yards and six touchdowns.
"It all starts with the line up front, these guys will all tell you that too. Our line play on both sides of the ball has been terrific," says Franz. "I can’t talk about this team without mentioning how good our line has been."
On the defensive side of the ball guys like seniors
Charlie Hines and
Devin Waters and junior
David Miller have been putting pressure on the quarterback and wreaking havoc on opponents' run games. Others who have come up big include
Alex Meixell, who leads the team with 51 tackles,
Clay Lavasseur (40 tackles),
Matt Weber (31 tackles),
Alex Gelle (24 tackles) and
Austin Derouin (team-leading 2.5 sacks, 22 tackles).
Friday's game against Becker won't be easy. It’s not only a rivalry game, but Becker and Rogers are almost mirror images of each other. Becker is balanced throughout and averaging 30.4 points per game while giving up only 8.4. Quarterback Johnny Benson has passed for 865 yards and 13 touchdowns, with Dustin Wander catching 28 passes for 468 yards and five touchdowns. Jeremy Welle has 14 receptions for 194 yards and five touchdowns and Cameron Cox has 377 yards rushing and four touchdowns.
Franz provided some further perspective on Friday's key matchup.
"The kids are excited about the game," he said. "They are excited because in sports you want to be challenged by other good teams and Becker is a good team. We're both undefeated and we're looking forward to playing the game."
