FOOTBALL: Rochester trying to reverse history with best season in years
BY DAN STICKRADT
SENIOR EDITOR
dan.stickradt@northoaklandsports.com
Twitter: @LocalSportsFans
ROCHESTER HILLS — It’s safe to say that Rochester’s football team is trying to reverse recent history.
Simply put, the last quarter century has not been too kind to the Falcons.
Since 1995, Rochester, has only posted five winning seasons — 1997, 1999, 2010, 2012 and 2016 — and have not won a league championship in that span. The most wins Rochester has gained in one season in the last 25 years is six (1999 and 2010).
The Falcons have never won a state playoffs game, either. Never.
As the the league championships, you would have to go back to 1993 and the final year of the old Metro Suburban Activities Association. Before that, it’s 1988, also in the MSAA.
“We are playing some really good football right now,” said Erik Vernon, who took over the program back in 2008 and has seen some ebs and flows and ups and downs. “We have some very good athletes and kids that work hard, are coachable, and want to succeed.”
Rochester is 3-0 for the first time since that 1993 season, one of two times the Falcons finished the regular season 9-0. The other was in 1988. Rochester also finished 7-0-1 back in 1952 long before there were any type of state playoffs system in place.
Rochester has made the cut for the postseason only four times since the 1975 inception of the MHSAA state tournament — 1988, 1993, 1999 and 2010.
Last season, Rochester only had 11 seniors on its roster and some of them were non-starters. Throw in some injuries and Rochester struggled to an 1-8 record, including 1-6 in the OAA White Division.
“We got a lot of guys playing time last year, so we have experience,” offered Vernon. “But another thing is that we have much better size this year. We only had there guys on varsity last year that weighed over 200 pounds. Now we have a lot of guys who are well over 200 pounds.
“I think another thing is that we don’t really have anyone playing both ways right now. Sure we have guys who are capable of playing both ways and if we have injuries some of those guys might play both ways. But we have depth and we have starters who are really only playing on one side of the football unless there is a certain situation,” continued Vernon. “We aren’t getting tired with guys on the field the whole game.”
The last few years, the Falcons’ junior varsity and freshmen teams have been competitive, so some of those players are now on varsity. That has helped the quick reversal.
“I would say that about 90 percent of our roster is made up of kids that play two or three sports,” said Vernon, who is also the school’s head wrestling coach. “
Sophomore quarterback Alex Bueno has been on fire this season, directing an offense that has outscored the opposition 140-36. That’s 46.7 points per game and only 12.0 against, some of the best numbers the school has put up — ever. The Falcons have also called off the attack and entered reserves in the third and fourth quarters and each game so far.
Senior Bobby Kronner and junior Preston Schroyer are a pair of sure-handed receivers who both earned all-league honors last season. Juniors Jeff Weaver and Grant Calcagno leads a large stable of running backs and senior Aiden Harris is the top tight end.
In the trenches is where Rochester has also shown tremendous growth. Junior C Nick Terenzi and senior OL Josh Smith have anchored the offensive line.
Over on defense, senior Noah Howes and juniors Balaaj Forcon-Alhuk, Humzah Abu Shanab and Nick Lionas lead the line play. Senior Kavan Troy, a state champion wrestler in March of 2019, teams with junior Andrew Hebekeuser and sophomore Jaiden Bolden to lead the secondary, while senior Anthony Piccirilli anchors the linebackers unit.
“We have a lot of work to do, some things to clean up, but I like the way we are headed. The guys are starting to gain a little confidence and we’re headed in the right direction,” said Vernon. “last year we were a little overmatched, very small and for the most part inexperienced. We were lining up against teams like Oak Park and their college (prospects), guys that we 300-pound linemen with a guy that was 180 pounds. We just got worn down. this yer that is not the case.”
SCHOOL: Rochester
HEAD COACH: Erik Vernon, 13th season
2019 RECORD: 1-8, 1-5 OAA White Division (sixth)
2019 POSTSEASON: None
POSTSEASON APPEARANCES: 2010, 1999, 1993, 1988
RETURNING STARTERS: Bobby Kronner, sr. WR (6-1, 170); Alex Bueno, soph. QB/CB (5-9, 160); Josh Smith, sr. DL/OT (6-3, 270); Aiden Harris, sr. WR/TE (5-10, 170); Preston Schroyer, jr. WR/SE (5-9, 155); Noah Howes, sr. LT (6-4, 260); Anthony Piccirilli, sr. LB (6-0, 175); Kavan Troy, sr. SE (5-8, 150); Nick Terenzi, jr. C (5-10, 210)
TOP PROSPECTS: Jeff Hawkins, jr. RB/LB (5-9, 160); Jaiden Bolden, soph. CB (5-8, 150); Grant Calcagno, soph. RB/WR (5-10, 160); Nick Lionas, jr. DE (6-1, 180); Balaaj Forcon-Alhuk, jr. DT (5-10, 180); Humzah Abu Shanab, jr. DT (6-5, 205); Andrew Hebekeuser, jr. WR/DB/QB (5-11, 160)
NOTABLES: Rochester only had 11 seniors last season and suffered through a rash of injuries and a major rebuilding campaign. The Falcons return over 80 percent of their roster and have severely improved their team’s size in the trenches and their overall team speed. Now down in the OAA Blue Division, Rochester is one of the favorites and will not sneak up on anyone with its wholesale improvements. The team also has more depth and will start the season without having to play starters.
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