The Vermilion Ironhawks couldn’t have had a more difficult season-opener.
Not only did the community college football team travel five hours to Rochester, it had to face one of the top teams in the Minnesota College Athletic Conference. The results weren’t pretty as host Rochester dominated in every way, spoiling the debut of new head coach Zuriel Cook and pounding the Ironhawks 64-0.
Rochester forced five turnovers in the Sept. 4 matchup and held Vermilion to negative yards (-24) of offense.
It was 31-0 by halftime and the powerful Yellowjackets kept right on going in the second half.
Four Rochester quarterbacks combined to throw five touchdown passes - two by starter Daemon Jones - and running back Marcaveus Washington had two touchdown receptions as well as 61 yards on the ground.
Rochester defenders sacked Vermilion quarterbacks seven times, with Ethan Spencer and Kenderrius Robertson notching two sacks each.
The highlights were few for the Ironhawks, who ran 48 offensive plays.
Quarterback Anthony Purifoy had three pass completions for 22 yards, while running back Logan Glancy ran for eight yards.
Numerous sacks and tackles for losses, however, ate away at the yard total and put Vermilion into negative territory.
On defense, Vermilion’s Addler Jenkins had a sack, two tackles for losses and nine overall stops.
The Ironhawks’ Sean Timson finished with seven total tackles, while Carlos Brown had five and Tyree Valerio and Korvah Harper wound up with four each.
Harper had a sack and two tackles for losses.
Vermilion will look to turn things around Saturday, with a much shorter road trip to Mt. Iron and a 1:30 p.m. contest with local rival Mesabi.
The first of three Ironhawk home dates is slated for Sept. 27 at Ely School Stadium.
