Falcons Fly High in 42-13 Season Opener, and Fans Get a Workout

As they passed by one of the city's busiest corners on Thursday night, drivers honked at the scoreboard as it chronicled Rochester High's 42-13 win over L'Anse Cruese North.

The Falcons defense showed both mental and physical toughness by forcing the Crusaders to punt after three plays in the team's first two possesions.  

"We talked about being more physical than them. I think we did that and were able to control the line of scrimmage, and I was happy and pleased with that. They (the defense) definitely set the tone," Rochester Coach Erik Vernon said.

"We're here to play football, and you better be ready for us."

The defense also halted a fourth down conversion and intercepted the ball to start the second quarter.  

The Falcons rushing attack got off to an equally hot start, taking a 35-0 lead before the band came on the field for the halftime show.

"We've got guys who can move in open space, and that's kind of what we tried to do," Vernon said.

The Falcons defense allowed touchdowns in the third and fourth quarters, but a missed extra point and held the Crusaders to 13 points.

And the students wore ...

The students dressed in camouflage, and at least part of the student section borrowed a play from the University of Oregon mascot, doing push-ups for every point scored by the Falcons.

Vernon took notice during the game and joked about it afterward.

"It's good. They'll get in shape, too. The student body must have got soft in the off-season," Vernon said.

How they scored

• Cody DeVoe rushed for 64 yards and three touchdowns on 11 attempts.
• Jack Glancy completed 8-11 passes for 94 yards and added a rushing touchdown of his own.
• T.J. Dean had four receptions for 51 yards and two carries for 77 yards and a rushing touchdown.  Dean didn't play in the second half.
• James Ward added a 9-yard rushing touchdown to put the Falcons up 42-7 in the fourth quarter.

Looking at Week 2

The Falcons play at Lake Orion next Thursday.

"We made a few penalties, we made some turnovers, so we have to sharpen it up a little bit," Vernon said. "We'll watch film and do better with it."

Vernon invoked the "24-hour rule."

"We'll enjoy this win and then we'll crack into Lake Orion," he said.

For more on the Falcons, see the page on Rochester Patch.

In other football news

• The Falcons JV lost 45-37 and the freshmen lost 45-0 earlier in the day.
• Across town, the defeated Port Huron Northern 31-13 with the help of one passing and one rushing TD from quarterback Brandon Arduino.