Rock Falls ready for reset: ‘We’re all really excited’

ROCK FALLS – The Rock Falls Rockets are eager to prove themselves. Coming off a winless 2022 season, they know they have everything to gain and nowhere to go but up.

With all but five or six players returning and a number of new players coming in, they’re hoping this season can be the start of something better.

[ Rock Falls prepares for their 2023 football season with practice Tuesday, August 8. ]

The foundation for the rebuild has been laid by the junior class. Now the freshmen and sophomores need to build on it.

“Just watching the maturity, especially of this junior class coming in, it’s really the class that we build around. It’s a class that we have good numbers in,” Rock Falls coach Kevin Parker said. “They’ve been in the program for three years, and the commitment has come in the junior class. We like our senior class, it’s just we don’t have a lot of them, and I think that’s kind of the storyline. We’re real excited with the stuff that’s coming up, even into our youth programs. We’ve got a lot of talent there.

“So we’re excited about where this program is heading and the opportunity that we have if we can maximize our potential.”

Adding to a sizable and experienced junior class is a big group of incoming freshmen. Since Parker took over the program in 2019, the Rockets have seen an increase in participation numbers.

Junior wide receiver/defensive back Austin Castaneda, one of the core players in the Class of 2025, is optimistic about the talent coming in. He’s hopeful about two senior newcomers in particular.

“Devonte Knight, he’s really learning the game. He came all the way from Seattle, so we’re glad he’s on our team. Hopefully he can help us out,” Castaneda said.

“We’ve got Javes Velazquez, he played back in the day. He’s kind of been on and off, but this year he’s all in for it, and we’re glad to have him. Both of them are linebackers/running backs, some hard-hitters, and that’s what we need: kids that are aggressive.”

Senior center/defensive tackle Jason McCord also sees Velazquez as a potential difference-maker.

“He’s probably going to be our RB1, RB2. He put a lot of time in the offseason,” McCord said. “Been trying to recruit him since freshman year, but he’s really all in this year, so I plan to see him play a big role in our offense.”

Many of the Rock Falls starters have been starting since their freshman year. As juniors and seniors this year, they’re excited to play kids the same age.

“The seniors and juniors this year were playing varsity back when they were freshmen and sophomores, so, basically, I’m excited to see our growth up to this year,” McCord said. “It would be really nice to see us get some wins and really prove that we can play some football in the Big Northern.”

McCord and Castaneda will be two of the primary team leaders this season, as will Kohle Bradley, Carter Schueler, Vinnie Lombardo and Easton Canales. Schueler returns from a shoulder injury that kept him out last year.

McCord believes a four- or five-win season would be a good barometer of success for the Rockets, considering they went 1-8 and 0-9 the past two seasons. Parker isn’t too worried about wins and losses; he just wants to make gradual improvements and compete every week.

“No. 1, it’s not wins and losses. We want to move up the ladder, out of the cellar of the conference,” Parker said. “Again, starting off with Byron and Stillman Valley is a tough pill to swallow, and then after those first two games, we want to play well, and we hope to be able to compete in every single game.

“We’re going to have to stay healthy. We’re not real deep, but the kids that we do have, we’re excited about, the kids that we have starting on the field.”