Hononegah Dominates at Rockford East, 34-0
"I think we had a great 2nd half and showed what we can do." said Hononegah Head Football Coach Brian Zimmerman
The weather has been unseasonably warm, but it is Friday Night in the Fall, and with the falling temps coming soon, Hononegah’s game against Rockford East was much like our need to warm our cars before taking them out of our driveways when those temps start dropping. We know when you start your car, it takes a bit to warm up and run correctly. Well, that’s the best way I can describe what happened on Friday Night from Swanson Stadium in Rockford.
Head Coach Brian Zimmerman talked about the early struggles for his team, “ I don’t know what happened in the first quarter, but we put some things together in the 2nd quarter. I don’t know if they were thinking they were just going to come out and not have to play, or what? Certainly, it being East’s Homecoming game gave them a little more fire than we did coming out.”
Hononegah didn’t open the scoring until the second quarter, but when the offense found its rhythm, it struck quickly and often. Quarterback Drew Shockley was the pulse of the attack, carving East with both his arm and legs. Shockley finished the night 5-for-5 passing for 147 yards and two touchdowns while adding 72 yards on eight carries, including a bruising 13-yard touchdown run early in the second quarter. His efficiency kept drives alive and flipped field position in Hononegah’s favor repeatedly. “Drew had nice passes and made some good choices to help us out in the 2nd half, stated Hononegah Head Coach Brian Zimmerman.
The big-play element came from junior receiver Giovanni Zepeda, whose 58-yard touchdown catch in the third quarter was a backbreaker for East and pushed the lead to 28-0. Zepeda finished with 102 yards on two catches, showing a burst and hands combination that will make the Boylan Titans coordinators sit up in meetings this week. Caleb Parker also made his mark with a 13-yard touchdown reception and contributed 28 yards on two grabs. The receiving corps complemented a ground game that never let East settle in.
On the ground, Tyler Banker did the dirty work between the tackles, totaling 43 net yards on 10 carries and punching in two rushing touchdowns. Banker’s short-yardage tenacity — a 3-yard score just before halftime and a 1-yard plunge in the third — turned short fields into points and swung momentum to Hononegah at the perfect moments.
Defensively, Hononegah was the story of the night. The defense held East to 186 total yards and only 29 passing yards, forcing the E-Rabs to run out of answers. The unit collected three sacks for 26 yards and repeatedly stuffed East’s rushing lanes despite East actually outgaining Hononegah on the ground (156 net rushing yards). Standouts on the stat sheet included Jacob Duval, whose two interceptions and five tackles kept the turnover margin tilted; Cristian Born, who recorded a sack and a tackle-for-loss; and a collective effort up front that bottled up traffic on third down. Hononegah’s stingy secondary and consistent pressure never allowed East’s quarterback to get comfortable.
Special teams gave Hononegah solid field position all night. Kickers boomed kickoffs, including a touchback, while the punt and kickoff coverage units limited East’s return opportunities. Hononegah’s punt return game produced 36 yards on two returns, giving the offense better starting spots throughout the second half.
There were small blemishes — a turnover and a missed extra point — but none were consequential. Hononegah converted the opportunities that mattered, finishing with 309 total yards on 40 plays, an average of 6.9 yards per play. East managed 43 plays for 186 yards and a possession advantage by clock, but not by production or points.
Coach and players left Swanson Field with the kind of win that builds belief: a complementary performance, explosive plays when necessary, and a defense that imposed its will. For Hononegah, the victory in NIC 10 action is more than another line in the standings; it’s proof that when all three phases click, this team is going to be difficult to stop.
Thank you to Alan Mohring for the images used in this story. To learn how to book Alan Mohring for your event or team, click the link below.
