It was a night to remember at Rochester as the Rockets celebrated Homecoming in front of a packed crowd, putting together a dominant performance from start to finish.
The night began with a special atmosphere as Rochester’s band delivered a great performance, followed by a powerful presentation of the National Anthem by the Madrigals. Once the football got underway, the Rockets wasted no time putting on a show.
Rochester jumped out to a 21-0 lead after the first quarter, setting the tone early against U-High.
The Rockets continued to pour it on in the second quarter, taking a commanding 42-7 advantage into halftime.
Rochester never let up after the break, eventually finishing off a 62-12 victory to remain perfect on the season at 6-0.
Several Rockets found the end zone throughout the night, including Reece Gade, Evrim Tabag and Nate Swaney, as Rochester’s offense continued its impressive run.
For Tabag, the night was about much more than his individual performance. The junior running back talked about what it meant to deliver a Homecoming victory for the senior class.
“They’ve mean so much to me,” Tabag said. “They really pushed me at practice. They’re great leaders. I couldn’t do this without them, and I just wanted to give this to them.”
Tabag also credited the team’s preparation throughout the week for helping the Rockets come out firing.
“Senior night, Hoko, we really had stuff to prove,” Tabag said. “We had a good week of practice, so we were prepared for this game.”
The junior also spoke highly of Rochester’s coaching staff and the way they continue to push the team every day.
“My coaches—they push everybody,” Tabag said. “Our practices aren’t easy, but practices should be harder than the game. They’re so supportive. They love us, and we love them.”
With the Homecoming celebration complete and another win secured, Rochester now turns its attention to perhaps its biggest challenge yet.
The Rockets are 6-0 and will welcome SHG to town next week.
After another dominant performance, Rochester will look to keep its undefeated season rolling when the big matchup arrives.
