In what many called the MHSAA’s top game of week one, Saline came out on top of a powerful Rockford squad 37-28 Thursday night.
Both Saline and Rockford are expected to make long runs in the D1 state playoffs in November, but it was the Hornets that came out on top in a back-and-forth affair at Rockford Thursday.
The Rams struck first with a TD run after recovering a Saline fumble for a 7-0 lead.
The Hornets answered with a five-yard TD run by Bryce Barbarino and after the Hornet defense recovered a fumble, Saline quarterback Tommy Carr hit Austin Abbate with a 32-yard scoring pass for a 14-7 Saline lead.
Saline got the ball back when Allen Sadov recovered a fumble to give the Hornets a short field to work with.
Barbarino punched it in for his second run of the game to push the Saline lead to 21-7.
Rockford answered with a late first half score and scored on the opening drive of the third quarter to tie the game at 21.
The Rams took the lead when they blocked a Saline punt and returned it for a score to take a 28-21 lead.
Saline answered with a long time consuming drive that was capped off by a scrambling to get free Carr tossing a seven-yard touchdown pass to Lucas Fidh to tie the game at 28.
On the ensuing drive, the Hornets defense forced a punt that saw the snap sailin into the endzone for a safety to put Saline on top 30-28.
Saline took the kickoff inside Rockford territory and a flea-flicker from James Rush back to Carr, who tossed a long pass to Abbate down to the Rams one-yard line.
Carr capped off the drive with a two-yard TD run to put Saline up 37-28 and that would be the final.
Carr finished 17-28 passing for 180 yards and two TD’s and rushed for a score.
Abbate finished with 91 yards receiving on four catches, while Lincoln Keyes added three catches for 25 yards.
Rush had a big night with 98 yards rushing, and had an interception and a forced fumble on the defensive side of the ball.
Saline will host Ann Arbor Skyline in the Hornets home opener Friday night.
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