ROCKLAND — With the first quarter coming to a close and the Watersprings Warriors (1-3, 1-0 1A DII District 5-6) up 14-0, the Rockland Bulldogs (0-5, 0-2) needed to strike fast to stay competitive in Friday’s game.

At their opponent’s 42-yard line, Rockland's sophomore quarterback Spencer Permann attempted to run through coverage. But he was stopped cold for no gain.

On the next play, a little trickery was used when Permann tossed the ball to sophomore wideout Rodney Parrish, who then attempted a pass downfield. But the trick play failed as the ball fell incomplete.

On third and 10, Permann saw a wide open receiver and went for the pass. The wideout juggled the ball but couldn’t hold on for the reception.

Now facing a do-or-die fourth and 10, Permann went for the gold with a skyrocketing pass to junior Zakery Smith. Both Smith and sophomore Watersprings linebacker Kyson Poletti jumped up for the ball, wrestling all the way to the ground near the Warriors’ 20-yard line.

The hometown Rockland crowd stood on its feet, anxiously awaiting the results of the play. When Poletti rolled over and raised the intercepted ball up in his hands, the crowd groaned in disappointment.

The interception was one of many setbacks for the Bulldogs as they were soundly defeated by the Warriors at their own homecoming game 70-42 Friday afternoon.

This year’s incarnation of the Rockland Bulldogs doesn’t look like the same 8-2 team that went to the state quarterfinals last year. But that’s because they aren’t the same team.

The Bulldogs lost a slew of senior leaders to graduation, leaving the younger and inexperienced freshmen, sophomores and juniors to take up the baton. In fact, there are no seniors on this year’s team whatsoever.

“A lot of these kids haven’t developed the necessary leadership skills and are making errors more experienced players wouldn’t make,” said Rockland head coach Lance Freeman. “We dropped five passes in the first half that should have been touchdowns.

How important are senior classmen to a high school football team?

Running back Nathaniel Marlin and lineman Clayton Christensen are the only two seniors on this year’s Watersprings team. But John Yadon, the head coach of the Warriors, said they are both key components to his squad.

“When you start three to four freshmen like we do, it’s essential to have a group of seniors to provide leadership to the younger guys,” Yadon said.

While playing on both the offensive and defensive lines, the towering Christensen was constantly wrecking havoc and disrupting the Bulldogs’ plays, while Marlin rushed for 199 yards on 13 carries, chalking up four rushing touchdowns and a 37-yard interception return.

There is no shortage of young Rockland players who appear to be on the verge of gridiron greatness. But one player stood out in Friday’s game.

During the offensive onslaught during the second quarter, where both teams combined for 54 points, the 6-foot-2, 190-pound Permann had two touchdown passes and returned a kickoff 80 yards to the house. By the end of the game, he led his team in rushing with 148 yards on 19 carries, including two rushing touchdowns during a Bulldog offensive surge in the fourth quarter. He also passed for 114 yards and two scores.

“Spencer is bar none one of the best athletes in the state,” Freeman said. “And the kid is still growing.”

Friday’s game was particularly special for Permann. His brother Rex was a senior quarterback on last year’s team. According to Freeman, Rex is currently serving an LDS mission, and Spencer wrote his older brother a heartfelt letter.

“(Spencer) was a little emotional,” Freeman said after giving his young gunslinger a motivational talk at the conclusion of the game. “He wanted to have a sellout game today, and he sold every ounce he had.”

Other potential young stars include junior Zakery Smith and sophomore Cooper Bradshaw, who both had scores in Friday’s defeat.

Parrish, another emerging threat for Rockland, suffered an injury to his hand in the second quarter and was relegated to the sidelines for the remainder of the game. The extent of his injury and whether he will miss future games is still unknown.

“Rodney is a big-time receiver and catcher for us, and losing him in this game was tough,” Freeman said. “He is our shake-and-bake.”

Even before the season started, the youth movement at Rockland High School was expected to cause some growing pains. Some of those biggest pains have been the defense.

In the first five games of the season, the Bulldogs have given up 239 points. In Friday’s game, Rockland had no answers for Watersprings’ rushing triumvirate of Marlin, Poletti and junior quarterback Mark Mathison, who combined for 458 yards on the ground.

Watersprings’ passing game was almost nonexistent, with Mathison completing three out of four passes the entire game. But with their success on the ground, the Warriors didn’t need to go to the air very often.

While Freeman said his team’s ability to read opposing defenses is still a major weakness, he has seen major improvements in the passing game and with offensive execution. In every game since the 27-6 loss against Grace the second week of the season, the Bulldogs have continually increased their total points per game.

Even though Rockland still has a long way to go this season, Freeman believes these hard knocks will pay off big in the long-term.

“We might be the only the team in the entire country who will be returning all of its starters next season,” he said. “I’m proud of these guys. They work hard and they never give up, and having this young team now will pay big dividends in the future. Maybe not this year, but soon these kids will roll.”

Next Friday, Rockland travels to North Gem (3-1) to take on the Cowboys. Watersprings has a bye next week before hosting North Gem on Oct. 9.