The Rochester football team put up a whopping 74 points against Lakeside (Nine Mile Falls) in a 74-41 win in the Class 1A Round of 24 in Centralia Saturday, and the Warriors clinched their first trip to the state tournament since 2002.
Rochester’s three-headed monster at running back went nuclear for a combined 575 rushing yards and eight touchdowns, led by Ethan Rodriguez’s 231 yards and three touchdowns on 25 carries. Xander Peterman added 191 yards and three scores on 16 carries, and Maddox Rodgers’ 153 yards and two touchdowns were good for third on the team.
As a team, the Warriors rushed for 614 yards and 10 touchdowns on 67 carries. Additionally, quarterback Easton Singleton completed his lone pass to Rodriguez for 37 yards. The defense forced two turnovers in the victory.
“The kids played a great game. Our offense did a really good job. All three backs were explosive, and the offensive line was awesome,” Rochester head coach AJ Easley said. “The defense struggled at times but made plays when they had to. Very proud of all of them and the coaches.”
Rochester (8-2) will learn of its postseason seeding and matchup on Sunday.
