SportsZone Football Friday Game of the Week Preview: Rock Bridge vs. Rockhurst
LIVE PLAYBACK of the game is available in the player below.
SportsZone Football Friday is back as the first week of the high school football season in Missouri kicks off.
Our SportsZone Football Friday Game of the Week this week is the Rock Bridge Bruins taking on the Rockhurst Hawklets.
We will broadcast the game live on our sister station KZOU over the air on 17.3.
The Bruins come into the year with a lot of momentum after a 7-2 regular season in 2018. The Hawklets also went 7-2 last year in the regular season. The Bruins beat Rockhurst, 33-21, last season and beat the Hawklets in 2017.
Rock Bridge football coach Van Vanatta said, “I’m excited. The kids have worked hard. Now, the grind begins. As I was telling the seniors the other day, you are guaranteed 10 weeks. That’s all you have left of high school football, but I’m excited to see what these guys are about this year.”
Rock Bridge’s roster looks a bit different than it did in 2018. The Bruins lost key starters including running back Nate Peat, who plays for Stanford, and safety Martez Manuel, who plays for Mizzou. However, the Bruins return a majority of their starters on both offense and defense.
Linebacker Will Norris and defensive lineman Jalen Logan-Redding highlight a talented Rock Bridge defense. Norris was a key contributor last year on both defense and special teams. He committed to Mizzou in early July. Logan-Redding towers over opponents at 6’4″ 225 pounds and is coming off a big year. Logan-Redding is down to Mizzou, Texas, Kansas and Oklahoma State for his college decision next year. Logan-Redding said he believes his commitment should come soon.
“The offseason went pretty good. I took a ton of visits, and the team is coming together,” Logan-Redding said.
Rock Bridge’s defense also has some other key contributors in the secondary including Tre Manuel, Spencer Nivens and Brant Bowers who figure to help fill the void that Martez Manuel leaves behind.
Vanatta said, “These kids are ready to compete. We still have a long way to go, but we have to make fewer mistakes than Rockhurst and keep ourselves in the game.”
On offense, quarterback Grant Hajicek returns for his second year starting. The senior had a strong season in 2018 and will have some other key weapons coming back. Despite Peat and Marcus Manuel graduating, other key contributors on offense return including running back Peyton Carr (who now wears Peat’s number two), Bowers, Nivens and running back Bryce Jackson.
Logan-Redding said, “We have to be disciplined. We have to make sure we focus on our alignment assignment and technique, as coach V says. We have a lot of young guys, and we have to make sure they know the plays and make sure, as older guys, that we guide them as leaders.”
Vanatta said, “Our starts have been good the past couple years, but our finishes have always ended on a sour note. I just want to make sure these guys are ready and they compete.”
The game kicks off at Sells Field at 7:00 p.m. We will have highlights of Rock Bridge vs. Rockhurst as well as other games across Missouri on SportsZone Football Friday in our 10 p.m. newscast. You can also follow the scores live as they happen on our website.
