Being second makes this Bay team best

For a season of firsts, the Bay Rockets are more than fine with being second.

No. Bay did not lose or come in second at all.

Rather, the 2017 Rockets became the second team in program history to advance to a regional final via a 21-7 win over Padua on Nov. 10 at North Royalton.

“I mean, there’s really no way to describe the feeling,” Bay senior Mark Olson said. “It’s awesome. I love playing with these guys, and I hope it keeps going.”

By becoming a second, the Rockets have an opportunity to convert on a pair of firsts on Nov. 17.

First, the Rockets get a shot to be the first Bay football team to make it to a state semifinal.

Second, the 2017 Rockets have a chance to be the first Bay football team to beat Toledo Central Catholic.

If they can convert on those two, there would be no questioning that the 2017 edition of the Rockets are the best in Bay history.

But, at this point, that’s more like putting an asterisk in on the season. • The first 10-0 team. • The first outright Great Lakes Conference Championship.

• The first home playoff game in program history.

• The first team to win a home playoff game.

• The first team to get 11 wins in a season.

• The first team to get 12 wins in a season.

• The second team to make it to a regional final.

That is one heck of a resume there.

It’s also a resume that should leave no doubts that the 2017 Rockets are the best the school has ever seen.

And that is not to slight the 2014 team that broke the playoff drought of 21 years, won the program’s first playoff game and became the first team to make it to a regional final.

It’s also not to slight the 1954 team that was the first undefeated team in program history at 9-0.

Rather, it’s a compliment to them.

The 2017 Rockets could not be the best team in program history if it were not for the groundwork that those teams set.

That isn’t lost on Coach Ron Rutt.

“We’ve been in the playoff four straight years now,” Rutt said. “Our team is playoff ready. These seniors have almost played a regular season’s worth of playoff games. If they don’t get that experience from previous seasons, we might not be here. If those other teams don’t come before them to set a standard to aim for, we might not be here.”

Two more firsts can be achieved next week.

But they will be just another layer on the cake of excellence that the Rockets have baked this season.

And make no mistake, the Rockets want those firsts.

But they don’t need them to go down in the history books.

The 2017 Rockets have already written in.

Behm can be reached at JBehm@MorningJournal. com; @MJ_JBehm on Twitter