By Jack Hart | ILSportsWire
Rochester hit the road Friday night looking to continue its perfect start to the season, traveling to take on Chatham Glenwood in a matchup featuring two talented Central State Eight programs.
The Rockets wasted little time making their presence felt.
Evrim Tabag opened the scoring with a 67-yard touchdown run, setting the tone for Rochester early. Chatham Glenwood answered with a strong offensive drive of its own, taking advantage of some early missed tackles from the Rochester defense to keep the game competitive.
Once Rochester settled in, however, the Rockets began to pull away.
Rochester continued its offensive attack throughout the second quarter, getting touchdown contributions from Nate Swaney, Khordell Gregory and Tabag. By halftime, the Rockets had built a commanding 51-14 lead.
The Rockets’ defense then helped put the game away early in the second half. Rochester came up with an interception, and the ensuing momentum helped push the game into a running clock as the Rockets continued to extend their advantage.
Rochester eventually finished off a 65-21 victory, improving to 6-0 on the season.
Rockets’ Offense Continues to Roll
The Rochester offense once again produced big numbers.
JP Leonard had another outstanding night through the air, completing 18 of 27 passes for 291 yards and five touchdowns.
Tabag finished with three rushing touchdowns, continuing his impact in the Rochester backfield.
Swaney recorded 115 receiving yards and two touchdowns, while Gregory was one of the night’s biggest difference-makers with 134 receiving yards and three touchdowns, along with an interception on defense.
The performance was another example of the Rockets’ ability to make plays on both sides of the football.
Leonard Praises Defense and Depth
After the game, Rochester head coach Derek Leonard acknowledged that his defense needed some time to settle in against a Chatham offense that came out aggressively.
“They do a good job,” Leonard said. “Coach John Barker’s doing a good job. Offensively, man, they got some weapons. I thought that running back ran really hard.”
Leonard said Rochester’s defense eventually found its rhythm after struggling with missed tackles early.
“Once we settled down, I thought defensively, yeah, we never tackled great,” Leonard said. “We tackled pretty good after that beginning. Offensively, we did a good job always putting pressure on them.”
Leonard also highlighted the impact of the Gregory twins, particularly Khordell, who contributed on both sides of the football.
“Khordell obviously had a great game. He did a lot of things — interceptions and runs, passes, you name it,” Leonard said. “That’s what he can do.”
The Rochester coach also pointed to the team’s depth as injuries forced several players into larger roles.
With players going down during the game, Rochester turned to players who don’t always receive the majority of the first-team reps.
“It’s next man up,” Leonard said. “We tell them, man, you’ve got to focus. You can tell when a kid asks. I thought all three of those guys that I gave — and there were some others — did a really good job.”
Gregory Comes Up Big
Gregory was one of those players who stepped up in a major way.
After the win, Gregory talked about the motivation Rochester carried into the matchup after losing to Chatham by one point in overtime a season ago.
“This was a big game for us because last year we lost by one in overtime,” Gregory said. “We just knew we had to come out, compete, and we just had to beat them and get our get-back from last year.”
Playing significant snaps on both sides of the football can be demanding, but Gregory continues to embrace the challenge.
“It gets tiring sometimes, but I just got to push through it and just make plays on both ends of the football field,” Gregory said.
Once Rochester found its rhythm, Gregory said the goal was simple: keep the pressure on.
“We just stayed on the gas and just never let off,” he said.
Tough Schedule Continues
At 6-0, Rochester continues to navigate one of the toughest schedules in the state.
The Rockets have already faced opponents such as Batavia, Moline and now Chatham Glenwood, with more challenging matchups still ahead.
Leonard said the Central State Eight provides plenty of competition on its own.
“This conference is tough enough week in, week out,” Leonard said. “But, man, we got to go play the best.”
The physical nature of the schedule has taken its toll, with Rochester dealing with injuries along the way. Still, the Rockets remain undefeated.
“We’re 6-0, and so, man, we’re rolling,” Leonard said.
Rochester now turns its attention to U-High, with the Rockets finally returning home for Homecoming.
Leonard knows the schedule doesn’t get much easier, with Griffin and Quincy Notre Dame also awaiting Rochester later in the season.
“We’ve had a heck of a schedule, and we got to get healthy and we got to get ready for next week,” Leonard said.
For now, Rochester remains perfect at 6-0, continuing to build momentum toward the postseason while proving once again that it can compete with some of the best teams in Illinois.
