By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org

Two things are just about locks when it comes to this week’s OK Conference Silver football contest when Kelloggsville High School visits Godwin Heights in their annual cross-town clash.

The first is the two team’s records don’t really matter in rivalries like this one, and the second is the Rockets’ dynamic duo of senior Jabari Campbell and junior Camron Townsend will get their touches.

Both teams come into the contest with up and down seasons: The Rockets are 2-4 overall and 1-2 in conference, the Wolverines are 2-3 and 0-3. But Kelloggsville has won two in a row after last week’s 34-24 non-conference road win at Ann Arbor Father Gabriel Richard, while Godwin has played tough teams really tough, including last week’s 29-14 loss at Sparta, in a game what was tight until the fourth quarter.

Both could also still could get to five wins and have a shot at the playoffs.

So, of course, the Friday, Oct. 8, contest — which will also be Godwin’s Homecoming Game — will be this week’s WKTV Feature Game. With local cable television and later on-demand replays available.

“Records don’t matter,” Kelloggsville head football coach Brandon Branch said to WKTV at a practice this week. “It’s like playing your brother in pick-up basketball. You always want to win, regardless of the score, regardless of the age difference, regardless of everything that has happened before. This game is the most important one. It’s doesn’t matter what the records are coming into this one.”

For Branch, who has brought stability and now emerging success to the Rockets program in, this, his second season leading the program, the key factor this week as it has been all season — keeping his high-scoring offense in high gear to keep them in games.

Led by Campbell and Townsend, who each have 500+ yards and at least 8 touchdowns receiving, and junior quarterback Zachary Zerfas, who has thrown for 1,500+ yards, Kelloggsville’s offense has scored 26+ points in five of six games.

“Jabari and Cam are our best athletes, by far,” Branch said. “Those are the guys we are trying to get the ball to. We try to find as many unique ways to get the ball to them as we can. Zach does a great job finding them, but he’s not just staring those guys down. He’s spreading the ball round pretty good. … but I’d be lying if I said we were not trying to get Jabari and Cam the ball.”

And sometimes Townsend just takes the ball himself — he has three touchdowns on interceptions while playing defense this season.

A combined effort of players, coaches

There is a lot more happening on the Rockets offense than simply pitch-and-catch between the three leaders, however.

The scoring success is “really just taking advantages of the strengths that we have. We use our strengths to expose the other team’s weaknesses as well,” Branch said. “I’m the offensive coordinator, but really it is coaching by committee,” pointing out assistants James Gentile, quarterback coach, and Justice Wright, receivers coach. “They get those players in the right place to make plays.”

And the offensive line coaches, including Rob Fron and Will Gooch, are seeing their work paying off as the season has progressed — “Our offensive line has really grown in the last couple weeks.”

Branch pointed out junior tailback Brendon Tuinstra and junior center William Howard II as also being key to the offense.

And other players are playing well but don’t have the stats to show it, Branch said, including sophomore Jeremie Tsoumou and junior DeMarreon Rodriguez.

“Those guys play positions on offense that because they are running their routes tough, the safeties have to make a decision. So if the safeties have to make a decision that makes it an easier decision for Zach,” Branch said. “Because those guys, the nine other guys besides Jabari and Cam, are working their butts off each week, those two have the opportunity to do what they do.”

Team is young but not too young

As the Rockets have started to see success, so has the entire program started to see success.

The current varsity has nine seniors, 13 juniors suited up, a sign that the program is growing but young players are not being rushed to play varsity too soon.

“I definitely think we are headed in the right direction,” Branch said. “ Our numbers are growing. We have the biggest JV team we’ve had in a long time this year. 26-27 kids coming out every week. And our kids are doing the job in the classroom, making sure they are staying eligible and able to play.
 

“Having those nine senior and 13 juniors just make it easier (for the coaches) because we can just pick the one or two sophomores that are ready. … We are able to let those (other underclassman) continue maturing.”

Can’t be there live? Catch it on WKTV

WKTV featured games will on cable television in Wyoming and Kentwood on Comcast Channel 25 and AT&T Channel 99 Community Channel, rebroadcast on the night of the game and various days and times the week after. See the programming schedule at wktv.org. For more information on WKTV coverage of football and other fall prep sports, follow us at wktvjournal.org/sports.

All Featured Games, as well as other high school sports and community events covered by WKTV’s video coverage team, are available on-demand within a week of play at wktvlive.com.