MUSKEGON TOWNSHIP - We can forgive Reeths-Puffer fans who are still trying to figure out exactly who Sage Secrest is.
For one thing, he hasn’t played much this season. He was injured during a preseason camp, then again in the first game, and only returned to full-time duty last week.
He did start on varsity last season as a sophomore, but he wore No. 16 on his jersey, while this year he’s No. 10.
And for fans who think they might remember him from last season, there’s still some confusion, because his name at the time was Sage Stiller.
That changed recently when he had his last name legally altered to match the name of his stepfather, Russell Secrest, the man who got him started in football a long time ago – very much against his will!
R-P's Sage Secrest
“I did not want to be a football player when I was in the first grade!” said Secrest, who will join his teammates on Friday night for a big game at Zeeland East. “But then I loved it right away!”
“He supports me and helps me a lot in the offseason,” Secrest added about his stepdad. “He pays for a lot of my training. He’s been very supportive.”
If Secrest has a few more games like he had last week, fans will quickly remember his name, number and how much he means to the Rockets.
Secrest, an inside linebacker on defense, played his first full game since his latest injury and had a career-best night, recording four tackles (including a sack and another one for a loss) and two assists in a victory over Wyoming in R-P’s Homecoming game.
It took him a while to work up to the point where he could perform like that.
Secrest (10) leads the Rockets on to the field. Photo/Joe Lane
During the preseason he was blocking someone and suffered a bad ankle sprain, then just when he got past that, he suffered a more serious injury in the season opener against Grand Haven.
“The turf monster kind of got me,” Secrest said. “My left kneecap kind of popped out of place and I sprained some ligaments and stuff."
Secrest ended up missing three games, against Farnington, Mona Shores and Holland. He admits it was hard to just sit and watch, particularly in Week 2 against Farmington, when he would have been the Rockets’ starting quarterback.
He went into the season as the backup QB, and starter Antrel Jones was hurt, so Secrest would have gotten his big chance under center if it weren't for his own injury. With both of the top QBs banged up, the Rockets turned to slot receiver Bryce Ross, who did a great job filling in and led them to victory.
“I kind of felt like I let the team down a little bit, but we had somebody who stepped up for us,” Secrest said.
Secrest blocks during an R-P kick attempt. Photo/Joe Lane
For a kid who doesn’t like to miss a single down of football, Secrest was pretty patient and mature about his last injury and what he had to do to get back on the field.
“I kind of just focused on the things I could do,” he said. “I couldn’t control the injury, just how I could respond to it. I just took every day as a way to get better.
“I was in the training room every day with our trainer, working on exercises to strengthen the knee and get back as fast as possible.”
Secrest finally felt well enough to return to the field in Week 6 at Grand Rapids Union, and played a few downs late in the blowout victory.
He felt even better last week at practice and was ready to hit the starting lineup again. He didn’t expect to have the kind of huge game that he had against Wyoming, but he loved every minute of it.
Secrest pressures the Grand Rapids Union quarterback. Photo/Joe Lane
“I didn’t expect to be back in the mix that much,” he said. “I expected to do my job, but not be able to make those plays in space because of my knee, but I was able to do it. It was a lot of fun.
“There are no words to describe it – Friday night lights, in the moment. It was amazing.”
R-P head coach Cody Kater was very impressed by Secrest’s performance.
“He was really, really good in the first half, that’s for sure,” the coach said. “We knew it was going to happen at some point. We just didn’t know when.”
For Kater and his staff, Secrest’s return is a very nice bonus.
Secrest, left, playing defense against Grand Haven. Photo/Joe Lane
They had big plans for him this season, on both sides of the ball. Besides playing linebacker on defense, they planned for him to see some action in the offensive backfield, and of course be the backup quarterback.
Having Secrest back at full strength, at the time of year when injuries always start to mount, is extremely valuable for the Rockets, according to Kater.
“I think he is starting to find the pace of it again,” he said. “He has improved in terms of speed, strength and knowledge. It was really difficult for him to come back from the injury, but he did everything he could to rehab and get his head right.
“He’s an all-in kid. He never misses anything we do in the offseason. He does everything we ask, plus more. He’s a captain-like guy in the locker room and in the hallways.
“He’s one of the strongest kids in the program. He’s a wrestler and does well in that, too. He’s just one of those all-around athletes who has devoted a ton of time and effort.”
