SalineSpirt.com Football Preview: Saline and Rockford Meet in Battle of State Powers

What: Rockford (0-0) at Saline (0-0)
Where: Hornet Stadium
When: 7 p.m., Friday
What to Wear: It’s a “blue out” in honor of the late Hayden Smith
Where to get swag: Bank of Ann Arbor is giving away 250 Saline Hornet foam fingers. First come, first serve.
Honored Guests: Saline Area Schools staff will be honored on the patio.
Radio: WTKA, 1290 AM
Internet Stream: http://portal.stretchinternet.com/saline/ (password: Saline).
Twitter: @thesalinepost
Series: Saline and Rockford have never played.
Rankings: Freep: Saline 1, RockfordL Mlive Saline 3, Rockford 15. Detroit News; Saline 6, Rockford 18.

Scouting Rockford: The Rams went 8-3 last year and fell 37-15 to Hudsonville in the district championship game … Rockford also beat Muskegon Mona Shores, 10-7, in week three. That same team defeated Saline, 31-28, in the first week of the season last year. It was Saline’s only loss … Rockford shared the OK Red Conference title with East Kentwood last year … The Rams love to run the football and they’ve got the backs to do so in Brendan McKeller or Tyler Bradfield (who sometimes plays QB) … Jason Whittaker, a 6’4 sophomore, is the QB … Bradfield (6’0, 200) was also the team’s defensive MVP last year. He’s threat in the backfield. He led Rockford with 81 tackles last year, picked off two passes and returned a fumble for a TD … All of last year’s starting Offensive Linemen graduated … Rockford kicker Quinn Nordin (Penn State) is considered perhaps the best high school kicker in the country … Gabe Bauman (6’3, 245 pound) is a three-year starter on defense and one of the best linemen in the state.

Scouting Saline: Saline lost its first game of the season last year and then won 14 straight to advance to the state championship game for the first time in history. Saline was ranked top team in the state by Mick McCabe … QB Josh Jackson finally won the starting job in last year’s playoffs. Now some have ranked as the top QB in the state … Jackson, a formidable runner last year, looks bigger and stronger. Running behind an experienced and huge offensive line, he will have some monster games … Coach Palka said he’s honed his craft as a passer … Slippery three-year varsity player Jeb Palka will be his primary target. Big TE Bryce Wolma and received Stevie Kise and Mike Monahan will also be targets … Richard Hovde, Conner Hibbard and Ethan Deland are the running backs.  On defense John Raupp and Sean O’Keefe return at defensive end and will be among the best in Washtenaw County.

Saline on defense

“They love to run up the middle and we’re a little smaller and inexperienced at linebacker, so that’s going to be a challenge for us,” coach Joe Palka said. “We’ve got to find a way to keep them off the field.”

Saline on offense

“It’s no secret we like to open things up, move fast, use our receivers and spread things out. The key for us is not to have too many ‘three-and-outs,” Palka said.

On the buzz around the big game.

“All this attention is great for the community and our program. Our kids have been in big games before so this isn’t anything new to them,” Palka said. “Rockford is a traditional power and we’re climbing the ranks. This is a great test for our team. We want to measure ourselves against really good competition early,” Palka said.

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