Lowell 28 Rockford 7 .. Ben Braden looks solid despite lopsided loss
I just got back from the Lowell Rockford game, and it was much worse than 28-7 final. The score was 28-0 at half, and Lowell just went to work on the clock in the 2nd half. Turnovers really hurt Rockford, but the loss of QB LaPrairie hurt the worst.
For Lowell Gabe Dean looked like the Division 1-2 player of the year he was last year. He looked great scrambling for yards and throwing the football.
For Rockford Ben Braden looked great. He definitely looks like a man among boys out there, and manhandled the DE # 34 all game long. He is massive, and is only going to get stronger when he gets to Michigan. I could definitely see this kid come in as a Right Tackle, and start at Right Tackle when Shane Morris is the strating QB. He has great leverage and really sticks onto the defender. I was impressed with Braden.
It appears Lowell could definitely make it back to Ford Field, and Rockford could struggle this season, especially if they lose LaPrairie for a length of time.
August 25th, 2011 at 10:38 PM ^
We stuggled with Rockford's size and strength up front most of the night. Gabe was very good tonight. #34 for us is a freshman....Braden did play well though.
August 25th, 2011 at 10:39 PM ^
As much as I love Michigan recruits, I'm so happy Rockford lost. Can't stand them.
August 25th, 2011 at 10:44 PM ^
even better on the wrestling mat than he is on the gridiron. That's saying something.
August 25th, 2011 at 10:46 PM ^
Thanks for the update. Good to know Braden played well, I am really excited for what he can do at Michigan.
August 25th, 2011 at 10:48 PM ^
I hope that Braden works on his game, stays healthy, and enjoys his senior year. I also hope Rockford goes 0-9.
August 25th, 2011 at 10:53 PM ^
Being at CC, I don't mind seeing Rockford lose. Look for Godin tomorrow, he's really pumped and I think he will have a big game.
August 25th, 2011 at 10:58 PM ^
August 25th, 2011 at 11:00 PM ^
Yes, sir. Did you go to CC?
August 25th, 2011 at 11:34 PM ^
Great day to be a shamrock!
How does the team look this year? Pumped to see we have some kids bound for UofM
-c/o 2005
August 25th, 2011 at 11:48 PM ^
August 26th, 2011 at 8:03 AM ^
when we (cc) beat them in the state championship i thought their coach was excellent, their fans were enthuaiastic and the kids played clean football. we have no reason to dislike them.
August 26th, 2011 at 8:45 AM ^
August 25th, 2011 at 10:55 PM ^
But why does everyone apparently hate Rockford? I'm not from Michigan so don't know much about Michigan high schools but played in a water polo tournament there this summer and the school looked REALLY nice (especially the pool/other athletic facilities).
Are all the students stuck up jerks or something?
August 25th, 2011 at 11:03 PM ^
The same reason why everyone hates Michigan, because when your a good team your gonna have a lot of people that hate you. A lot of people hate Catholic Central too. I would too if another school won 8 state titles in the past two years
August 25th, 2011 at 11:19 PM ^
That's a part of it, but there's something special about Rockford. And I don't think people hate Michigan solely because of the success; the arrogance can be irritating.
August 25th, 2011 at 11:03 PM ^
Students aren't terribly bad, I mean yeah they are but not significantly more than your big high school. The success there has a lot to do with it but their fanbase is arrogant, stuck-up, and rude. It's like an Ohio State-like atmosphere there with the combination of an obscene devotion to athletics, a very irritating superiority complex, and a tradition of success.
August 25th, 2011 at 11:19 PM ^
"superiority complex, and a tradition of success . . . arrogant and stuck-up" . . . somehow, that sounds like a school I used to know and love, a school I hope to see continue a long history of superiority and success . . . yep, Michigan. Rockford sounds just like Michigan, unless I'm missing something. If you like the culture of Michigan, it only stands to reason you should like the culture of Rockford, right?
August 25th, 2011 at 11:53 PM ^
Right, you are missing something. If you think East Lansing is better than Ann Arbor, then you should like the culture of Rockford.
August 26th, 2011 at 11:33 AM ^
On head.
August 26th, 2011 at 8:36 AM ^
I said "Ohio State-like", there are many differences -- subtle as they may be -- that separate the two. Illegally recruiting players would be a prime example.
August 26th, 2011 at 2:11 AM ^
I hated Rockford when I was in H.S.; they were our biggest rival when I was at EKHS. Though from what I understand EK hasn't been good enough to be considered much of a rival for quite some time now. When I was there (late 90's), EK and Rockford were two of the biggest schools on the West side and they really did have some hella-good games.
August 26th, 2011 at 8:42 AM ^
Our "rivalry" with Rockford has dropped off a lot too; seems like yesterday that Rockford, EK, and Grandville were at the top.
September 7th, 2011 at 9:12 PM ^
I graduated in 89, and in 88 EK football beat Rockford on a hook and ladder with a few seconds to go to cap a 9-0 season. Rockford went 8-1. Was voted game of the year in the state. Two great hoops games and a baseball doubleheader that determined the conference title - last game won by Rockford 1-0. Great rivalry indeed - good stuff!
August 26th, 2011 at 7:32 AM ^
I graduated from Rockford in 89, so long time before the athletics became as consistently good as they are now. Arrogant, stuck-up and rude? Come on. They have a great coach who has a great program in place. The fan base travels - I live in Brighton now and when Rockford came down to play us a few years ago there wasn't enough room for them - not bad for a 2 hour trip.
Bottom line is they have a big time high school football program and they support it. I have friends involved with it and family that lives there. They aren't any different from a lot of other successful high school football programs. High school football has obviously taken off, and any program that has some success year in, year out could probably be accused of the same things.
August 26th, 2011 at 8:40 AM ^
It's changed a lot over the past ten years or so. I'll concede that it's definitely a few over-zealous fans that give bad name to the rest though.
August 25th, 2011 at 11:33 PM ^
If your not from rockford then you hate them, just like any other successful schools.
August 25th, 2011 at 11:40 PM ^
everybody hates the big rich suburban school ..... who wins a lot
August 26th, 2011 at 8:50 AM ^
August 25th, 2011 at 11:51 PM ^
New money arrogance. Rockford is absolutely nothing like Michigan (that sort of local comparison belongs to East Grand Rapids).
August 26th, 2011 at 12:06 AM ^
We are EGR.
Sounds a lot like "This is Michigan."
August 26th, 2011 at 6:48 AM ^
Because most people in the state haven't heard of it unless you are from the west side and you get to college with people from this place called Rockford Nichigan and they act like this place that you never heard of is basically Beverly Hills California in Michigan with the best football team in the country and that all the cool people in the world come from Rockford when in reality it's just your run of the mill affluent suburb with a pretty good football team but outside of the area nobody really knows about it. Basically it's a big fish in a small pond with a bunch of people who don't understand why people think that.
It doesn't help that it's half a century behind culturally as well. You all know what I mean...
August 26th, 2011 at 8:32 AM ^
They can be your friend
August 26th, 2011 at 10:05 AM ^
One time she was like "I think I'm pregnant" and I was scared until she got her...oh wait you were talking punctuation. Nevermind. Yeah those are nice too.
August 26th, 2011 at 11:17 AM ^
for neglecting the grammatical aspects of the english language. I just hope it didn't prevent my point from getting across. That is all.
August 26th, 2011 at 9:17 AM ^
When I lived in GR (EGRHS '90), Rockford was kind of a non-entity in terms of football and affluence.
Things change, I guess. Then again I haven't lived in Grand Rapids in 20+ years.
September 7th, 2011 at 8:46 PM ^
Everyone is SE Michigan knows who Rockford is - they have won 3 state titles and been in the finals 2 other times in the last 12 years or so. Finals almost every other year is a pretty damn good track record, so I would say they have been a litte better than just a good football team.
August 26th, 2011 at 2:56 AM ^
My highschool class won a grand total of 3 football games over my four years. So I hate all you bastards.
August 25th, 2011 at 11:31 PM ^
Lowell is consistently an outstanding football team, and so is Rockford. The main difference is that Lowell (unless things have changed) is a D-2 team, whereas Rockford is D-1 (and huge). It's pretty amazing that Lowell can consistently beat the big boys despite being a much smaller school than a lot of schools it plays in the non-conference schedule.
August 25th, 2011 at 11:41 PM ^
I can't stand Lowell. My parents still live in Ada (borders Lowell), and when we played against Lowell they used to just man-handle us, especially up front on the lines. Damn.
August 26th, 2011 at 7:51 AM ^
or FHN? FHC was pretty good in the mid 90's.
August 25th, 2011 at 11:53 PM ^
August 26th, 2011 at 12:08 AM ^
Ahhhh Grand Rapids Catholic Central. I have some fond memories of beating them on the way to a State Championship.
August 26th, 2011 at 12:13 AM ^
August 26th, 2011 at 12:19 AM ^
Yeah, unfortunately that was the only one for my school (Three Rivers), and that was in 2003. We got there again in 2009 and got it handed to us by Marshall. The future doesn't look so bright for us now either...
August 26th, 2011 at 9:55 AM ^
How did you like Coach Shaw?
August 26th, 2011 at 10:45 AM ^
I never directly played for him, as he left after he won that title. I did practice with him though. He was a little like Lloyd Carr in that he would consistently put out good teams, but not be able to get anywhere in the post season. People also complained about his boring offense. His personality was nothing like Lloyd though.
Overall, I think he was a good coach and good motivator, and he worked our asses off. It was sad to see him go.
August 26th, 2011 at 12:19 AM ^
The correct term would be "faze"
August 26th, 2011 at 7:50 AM ^
That one cuts deep. You are right though....way more MSU fans around here than UM. There are plenty of UM guys on the staff however. If (big if) we ever have another D1 caliber player (first and only schollie D1 kid was Nichol since Noel has been the head coach) he will be a Wolverine...guarunsheed.
August 26th, 2011 at 10:47 AM ^
It's crazy to me that Lowell never puts out D1 players. I remember playing you guys, and you had great athletes. Guess it shows you how rare it really is to have the physical tools to play D1 football.
August 26th, 2011 at 12:24 AM ^
of talking about people hating each others high schools due to championship cultures, I went to and am now an assistant coach at a school that has won 5 state wrestling championships in the past 12 years. People hate us too.