Official Newspaper of Eddy County since 1883
Official Newspaper of Eddy County since 1883
The NR-S/M Rockets posed for a team picture following homecoming victory and Region II championship.
Easton Benz leaps for an outstanding catch during Friday night's homecoming contest against the St. John Woodchucks.
Luke Yri dives for a pass from quarterback Easton Simon during the Rockets' homecoming game on Friday, Oct. 6.
With a dominant win over St. John, the New Rockford-Sheyenne/Maddock Rockets have climbed just out of reach atop the Region 2 standings.
The new champions of Region 2 kicked off their homecoming game on Friday, Oct. 6 with a long touchdown pass on their first offensive snap – an early indication of how the evening would go for the Woodchucks.
Quarterback Easton Simon delivered an accurate ball to his No. 1 target down the field, Easton Benz, who proceeded to outrun the St. John secondary and complete the 69-yard touchdown play.
Following a solid defensive stop on the subsequent Woodchucks' drive, the Rockets scored a second touchdown in the first quarter with a 29-yard touchdown pass to senior Macyn Olson.
It wasn't until the second quarter, however, that the Rockets put this game out of reach.
The Rockets' five second-quarter touchdowns included a punt return for a touchdown, two touchdown passes, a rushing touchdown and an interception returned for a touchdown.
The Woodchucks, meanwhile, could do virtually nothing against the NR-S/M defense, and when the dust settled on the first half, the Rockets already had a 50-0 lead.
For the second week in a row, the second half was now mostly a formality, and the scoreboard operator allowed the clock to continue running as the teams wrapped up the evening's matchup.
The final score was 58-6, giving the Rockets their first region championship since 2018.
The win also kept the Rockets undefeated on the season at 7-0, meaning the New Rockford-Sheyenne/Maddock football co-op still hasn't known defeat in their young existence.
That Friday's matchup was also senior night for the Rockets, and their seniors have been critical to the team's success this season.
Lucas Yri, Connor Knatterud, Logan Maddock, Macyn Olson, Andrew Brown, DJ Mudgett, Alex Fitzgerald, Keaton Cudworth, Logan Fossen and Cole Knudson are the Rockets' seniors this year.
They and their teammates had a long drive to Walhalla, N.D. on Friday, Oct. 13 for their final regular season game against the 4-4 North Border Eagles.
That game will be covered in next weeks' edition of the Transcript.
The Rockets were still ranked No. 3 in the state entering their matchup with North Border, and they should be able to host a few playoff games this postseason.
The 9-man football playoffs consist of 16 teams in round 1, made up of the top four teams in each region. The Transcript will publish a bracket once it becomes available.
9-Man
Region 2 Football
NR-S/M 59, St. John 6
Friday, Oct. 6
at New Rockford
First Quarter:
NR-S/M: Benz 69-yard pass from Simon (failed two-point conversion)
NR-S/M: Olson 29-yard pass from Simon (two-point conversion good)
Second Quarter:
NR-S/M: Maddock 34-yard punt return (two-point conversion good)
NR-S/M: 35-yard pass from Simon (failed two-point conversion)
NR-S/M: 10-yard run (two-point conversion good)
NR-S/M: 33-yard pass from Simon (failed two-point conversion)
NR-S/M: Interception return (two-point conversion good)
Third quarter:
St. John: 48-yard run (failed two-point conversion)
NR-S/M: 47-yard run (two-point conversion good)
NR-S/M Individual Stats not provided
