Rochester Rockets Pigskin Preview

Rochester Rockets

COACH: Derek Leonard (96-26, 11th season at Rochester)

2014 RECORD: 12-2 (7-2 in CS8)

POSTSEASON: Beat Chicago Phillips 49-28 in Class 4A title game

 
TOP RETURNEES: QB Dan Zeigler (3,057 passing yards, 34 TDs), Line Brandon Jones, DB Christian Lett (35 tackles, 6 interceptions, RB-DB Kenny Hedges (230 rushing yards, 2 TDs; 57 tackles), Line-LB Brent Sommer (59 tackles), WR-DB Collin Etherton (6 catches, 126 yards, 2 TDs; 42 tackles), WR Collin Stallworth (10 catches, 4 TDs)

 
BIGGEST LOSSES: Evan Sembell, Jeremy Bivens, Tyler Mazzini, Dallas Greer, Connor Brewer, Steven Russell, Tyler Sommer, Tyler Cotton, Eric Yakle, Evan Chastain, Britton Swaine, Zach Geller, Adam Conrady, Brandon Boggs, Colten Shadis

 
WHAT THE ROCKETS DO WELL: Just about everything. When you’ve won five straight Class 4A state titles and have a record of 64-6 over that stretch, it’s hard to find fault. During their five seasons in the CS8, Rochester has had five 1,000-yard rushers, three 3,000-yard passers, three 1,000-yard receivers (a fourth missed 1,000 by just 6 yards) and four 200-point scorers. Quarterback Dan Zeigler, the CS8’s top returning passer, is back for his senior year, and he has a great handle for running coach Derek Leonard’s wide-open offense at break-neck speed. Junior receiver Collin Stallworth has big play potential. Center Brandon Jones and cornerbacks Christian Lett and Kenny Hedges are three of the four returning starters, and they are very good.

 
ROCHESTER QUESTION MARKS: Evan Sembell set a conference record with 2,447 rushing yards last season, and never seemed to wear down. Kenny Hedges gets first crack at replacing Sembell. Jeremy Bivens led the CS8 with 79 catches for 1,435 yards last year and he has to be replaced. The other four starting offensive linemen and nine starters on defense need to be replaced. There are only 11 seniors on the roster, and that group went 1-8 as freshmen. That’s cause for panic at a lot of places. Not at Rochester, where Leonard says he will play more people and spread around the carries and receptions. 

 
WORTH NOTING: The state record for most consecutive state titles if seven by Addison Driscoll from 2001-07. No public school has ever won more than five straight state football titles. . . . The Rockets have added a pair of transfers from Class 3A state runner-up Williamsville in 5-11, 160-pound juniors D’Ante Cox and Avante Cox. D’Ante Cox was a starting wide receiver for the Bullets and caught 31 passes for 492 yards. Avante Cox was a starting inside linebacker for Williamsville. . . . . Since 2009, Rochester is 28-1 in postseason games and scored 40 or more points in 25 of the 29 games. . . . The Rockets have a streak of nine straight years of being in the playoffs.

 
COACH DEREK LEONARD SAYS: “I don’t even know where you go from here. As a town, as a staff, as players, you have to find your motivation. It’s not enough to be state champs — which is a great thing — it’s how do you do it differently from the other teams. That’s kind of the motivation, how can you be different. We want to be state champs, conference champs, separate from everybody else. It’s hard. We might have 10 kids with 20 catches, two running back each carry for 1,000 yards. We are going to be different. We are going to be a different kind of team."

– Jim Ruppert