MUSKEGON TOWNSHIP - Sometimes it helps to operate a little under the radar.
It makes it easier to sneak up on opponents and do a lot of damage when they least expect it.
Reeths-Puffer junior Nick Clemens knows all about that.
Clemens, a third-year varsity soccer player with a ton of offensive skill, has been overshadowed a bit throughout his career by his well-known teammate, senior All-Stater Liam Smith, who became the team's career scoring leader this season.
When opponents get ready to play the Rockets, they worry a lot about Smith. They don’t think as much about Clemens, who is also remarkably gifted when it comes to ball-handling around defenders and finding the back of the net.
He demonstrated that again on Thursday when he scored the dramatic game-winning goal against Zeeland West in a 4-3 victory in the O-K Green conference tournament semifinals.
R-P's Nick Clemens (7), who has had his share of big goals in big games this season.
The game was tied about midway through the second half when Smith got a free kick from about 20 yards out from the Zeeland West goal. The ZW goalie dove and stopped the shot, but Clemens was nearby to swoop in and kick the rebound into the net.
The goal capped off a huge rally for the Rockets, who trailed 3-1 in the first half and appeared to have little chance of overtaking their opponents.
“It was pretty wild,” said Clemens, whose team will now play Holland on Tuesday in the O-K Green conference tournament championship game. “I saw the rebound come off the goaltender, it was laid out in front of me and I just kind of tapped it in. It was amazing to score that goal!”
The really incredible part was that the Rockets played almost the entire game with only 10 players on the field, while Zeeland West competed with the normal 11.
That’s because R-P goalie Gage Hopkins received a red card just minutes into the game and was ejected. R-P was allowed to put in its backup goalie but had to play the rest of the contest with one fewer player.
Clemens, right, is congratulated by teammates after scoring a goal.
The Rockets fell behind 3-1 in the first half, making their situation seem even more hopeless – to everyone but the Rockets themselves.
Smith scored a goal before halftime and suddenly the Rockets only trailed by one at the break and managed to refocus, according to Clemens.
Smith tied the game with a goal early in the second half, then Clemens delivered his game-winner.
“Obviously, being down a man and behind by two goals, not so good I guess,” Clemens said, when asked how the team was feeling early in the game. “But we’ve faced adversity in the past, and we never give up, we just keep going.
“After that second goal, we started applying more pressure, and during halftime there was this energy you can’t describe – we felt then that we could win the game.”
Clemens has had a breakout season of sorts, with 13 goals and seven assists. He had 11 goals last season, but some of those came in games that were not close, while this year he’s scoring a lot more when it really matters, according to R-P head coach Kody Harrell.
He scored the game-winning goal against a good Hudsonville team early in the season. He scored two goals in a big regular-season victory over archrival Mona Shores.
He scored both of the Rockets’ goals in their regular season matchup with Zeeland West, an emotional game that the Rockets ended up losing 3-2 on a late penalty kick goal.
“He really likes to score in the big games, that’s for sure!” Harrell said.
“He understands that the team is kind of going to be his next year as a senior, and he has been presenting a higher level of confidence. He’s also starting to come into his body. He’s got way more muscle than he had during his freshman year. He used to get muscled off the ball a lot, but now he’s one of our better 50/50 guys.”
Clemens said he hasn’t minded playing a bit under the radar behind Smith.
“He gets a lot of attention, which gives me different opportunities and a lot more space,” he said. “It allows me to do a lot more with movement and being on the ball.”
He also said he’s looking forward to being the Rockets’ main offensive threat next year, which is why he will continue to polish his game by playing elite travel soccer next spring, rather than lacrosse, which he played in prior seasons.
Before any of that happens, however, Clemens knows there’s still a lot of important soccer to be played this fall.
It starts on Tuesday when the Rockets, 15-3-1 with a five-game winning streak, will visit Holland for the conference tournament championship game. Holland has already clinched the overall O-K Green title, but a win over the powerful Dutch, and the tournament trophy, would be a nice consolation prize for Reeths-Puffer.
Division 1 districts begin on Thursday, when R-P visits Jenison. The Rockets have played in Division 2 in recent years and know they will be facing more difficult opponents, but Clemens is convinced that anything is possible for his team, particularly after its stunning win on Thursday.
“We’re pretty pumped to win the game (against Holland) and take home the tournament championship like we did two years ago,” he said. “That was one of my best high school memories.
“I think our energy is definitely going to be there. This is the first time people are really seeing us at our best, and we have the momentum to carry us and keep us going.”
