#RockReport Noblesville

Photocredit: Indy Sports Daily 

Rocks Varsity Football increased their record to 4-0, grinding out a 28-7 victory over tough HCC rival Noblesville last night. The Rocks retained the Midland Rail rivalry trophy and rose to 2-0 in conference play.

On offense, the Rocks were led by the dominant Offensive Line. The big boys up front opened holes that the steady legs of Jonathan Swidan exploited consistently throughout the night. Nate Froelich, the other head of Westfield's two-pronged running attack, provided the big play of the night with a 70 yard scamper down the sideline for a key TD.

The Rock D stymied a physical Miller offense, blanking them in the second half and allowing only 7 total points. They were led by strong play from Byron Hubbard and Koby Hauser. Caleb Sanburn tacked on consistent coverage in the back end. The big play of the night came when the Rocks thwarted an early Miller scoring opportunity deep in their own territory. Lucas Schultz and Koby Hauser forced a fumble on a completed pass up the middle, and Hank Grenda provided the recovery.

Shamrock Special Teams again secured the advantage in the game's kicking phase. Will Harrison punted the cover off the ball several times, flipping the field on the Millers during the close game. Koby Hauser added consistent punt fielding for the Rocks, while the big play for the night was again provided by Nolan Rodgers. Rodgers called on his incredible speed to streak through the Miller kickoff return team, bouncing off a blocker before halting the returner at the Miller 15 yard line.

Special mention should be given to Chad Welch, Mike Delaney, and Nathan Nguyen. These Rocks made significant contributions in preparing the team for the Friday contest. They attacked each day during the week, providing the best possible look for their fellow teammates.

The Rocks will host the Hamilton Southeaster Royals this coming Friday. Kickoff is scheduled for 7pm.

(Editor's note: Indy Sports Daily has a ton more of fantastic photos from this contest and others on their site. I highly encourage anyone looking for action photos of the Rocks to check it out!)

#GameDay noblesville millers

Tonight is a big one. Your Rocks will travel 7.8 miles down 32 to take on their closest rival, the Millers, for the Midland Rail Rivalry Trophy. Since 2004, this rivalry has bounced back and forth, with the all time varsity record knotted at 7-7.

Noblesville comes into the game fresh off a last second win over Fishers, their first win of the season. They are sitting at 1-2 but, perhaps more importantly, 1-0 in the conference. They're only averaging 17 points a game, but on 325 yards (173 on the ground). Their lead rusher is also their lead passer in QB Ryan Barnes (#12).

It seems like every time the Rocks and Millers face off, points and yards are hard to come by. These have traditionally been old-school, slog-it-out type games. Expect no different tonight. Both teams will look to establish the run, create turnovers, and beat the opponent up physically.

We could certainly use friendly voices in what is likely to be one of the more unfriendly confines we'll visit this season. The field can be a little tricky to find, as it is down the road a little from the high school, but we've got you covered. Kickoff is scheduled for 7pm. See you there!

Shamrock Solidarity

We're big fans of both the WHS volleyball team and Hamilton County First Responders. So, imagine our enthusiasm when they told us about an upcoming opportunity to celebrate both on the same night. We wanted to pass along the information to the rest of you. The contest is this Thursday. For more details, check out the flyer below.

#RockReport JV @ Zionsville

The Westfield Junior Varsity football team was once again unable to pull out the victory against the Eagles of Zionsville Community High School. They lost 32-40 to a well-coached Z.C.H.S. JV team.

The JV Rocks defense started the game with a very soft and underwhelming response to the physical play of the Eagles. The defense allowed scores on the first two drives and the Eagles added another on special teams leading to a quick 21-0 lead. The Rocks defense was able to overcome the malaise of the morning and put forth a much more stern effort for the rest of the game. Sophomore Cam Frye played hard at linebacker for the Rocks and caused a fumble. Sophomore Owen McGraw played fast and physical on special teams and defense making several plays on deep passes and multiple tackles.

The JV Rocks offense started the game with the same gusto (or lack thereof) the defense showed in their first quarter appearance. The offensive output was sparked by a play on special teams. Junior Matthew Meyer started the scoring for the Rocks with a 75 yard kick-off return for a touchdown, putting the Rocks on the board for the first time. The Rocks had a chance to score at the half to put them within a touchdown but came up a yard short before time ran out. Sophomore Dorian Blaze Henson provided a spark for the Rocks on offense leading the Rocks on a scoring drive and Junior quarterback Cameron Nance threw a ball up to Meyer for a 50 yard score. Junior Tyler Canada got creative running his own route but found his way to the end zone and a touchdown. On the last drive of the day, the Rocks were within striking distance of tying the game, but came up just short as their last pass fell to the ground.

The JV Rocks football team will look to bounce back after their first losing streak in years and will play at home vs noblesville High School on Saturday September 10th at 10 a.m.

#RockReport Zionsville Eagles

Rocks Varsity Football increased their record to 3-0, earning a victory over HCC rival Zionsville. In doing so, they gave the Eagles their first loss on the season and secured the Shining Star trophy for the fourth straight year. Additionally, the Rocks are now 1-0 in conference play.

On offense, the Rocks were led by Andy Sweet's dual threat attack. Collin Caldwell and Hayden Rodgers added consistent play from the tight end position, while the big highlight of the night was Sweet's long TD pass to Evan Manley.

The Rock D continued to be stingy with the points, allowing only 8 to a previously high scoring offense. They were led by the relentless interior presence of Hank Grenda, supported by the consistent play of Austin Ward and Caleb Sanburn. The Rocks secured several key turnovers, but one in particular stood out when reserves refused to give up on a long Zionsville pass, with Davis Giffin and Seth Feltner punching out the ball to be recovered by Matthew Noyes.

Shamrock Special Teams secured the advantage in the game's kicking phase. The kickoff team stood out all night, with 8 kickoffs resulting in 7 touchbacks and an Eagle average starting position of their own 21 yard line. Caleb Sanburn tacked on consistent play and the highlight of the night came from Nolan Rodgers' dash down the field to lay a vicious hit and create a fumble.

Special mention should be given to Michael Delaney, Pat Beam, and David Mendoza. These Rocks made significant contributions in preparing the team for the Friday contest. They attacked each day during the week, providing the best possible look for their fellow teammates.

The Rocks will travel just down the road to take on the Noblesville Millers for the Midland Rail rivalry. Kickoff is scheduled for 7pm.

(Photocredit: Hamilton County Reporter)

#GameDay Zionsville Eagles

The eagles fly into town tonight, hoping to reclaim the Shining Star rivalry trophy. Both teams come into tonight's game with spotless 2-0 records. Only one will remain without a loss come Saturday.

Zionsville brings a high powered offense, averaging 48 points and around 600 yards per game. 440 of those yards are in the air, with the rest on the ground, so expect the eagles to throw it tonight. The Rock D will have their work cut out for them limiting starting QB Blake Levy (#6) through the air, and top rusher Brenden Mikesell (#20). The eagles narrowly escaped last week with a last second TD over Lebanon, so look for them to try to come out strong, early in this one.

We'll be celebrating 20 years of Rocks tonight, so come out for the festive atmosphere and, as always, to cheer on your 2016 Rocks. Kickoff is scheduled for 7pm. See you there!

Reminder: 20 Year Celebration

Just wanted to throw out a last reminder for tomorrow's game that we'll be celebrating 20 years of Rocks. If you're looking for the details, check out our previous post here. See you all there!