MUSKEGON TOWNSHIP - The Reeths-Puffer football team has nailed down one big goal, and secured a place in the school record book in the process.
The 2023 Rockets are the first team in the football program’s history to make the state playoffs for the second year in a row.
They earned that distinction last Friday with a gutsy 35-21 victory over Zeeland East in a cold, heavy rain that never let up until the end of the game.
It’s a huge accomplishment for the program under second-year head coach Cody Kater, but he said the credit belongs to the players, who have worked hard to meet their goals.
“They put in the work during the offseason and preseason, they listened to the coaches, and they created their own culture,” Kater said. “Just the way they have gone about their business. They obviously wanted to make a change in the program. They’ve done everything we’ve asked them to do, but they’ve also taken ownership to have the kind of season they wanted to have.”
Photo/Tyler Lirones
The way the Rockets won and secured the playoff spot was impressive, Kater said. They kept scoring and taking the lead, but Zeeland East kept scoring, as well, and the game was tied 21-21 in the fourth quarter.
Then the Rockets dug deep, scored two late touchdowns and got the win on the road.
Senior running back Brody Johnson led the effort with 176 rushing yards and two touchdowns. Antrel Jones also scored twice while Bryce Ross had one TD.
Defensively, Ross led the Rockets with seven tackles, Caiden Bolduc had five and Kameron Coleman and Sage Secrest added four apiece.
Secrest also had a sack while Shaun Haley recovered a key fumble late in the game.
“That made it special because those are games that maybe some other teams would not go out and give their best effort and make the plays at crunch time,” Kater said. “There were moments when our boys buckled down the straps and executed the plays, offensively for sure.
Photo/Tyler Lirones
"We were backed up at times and the guys decided to continue to show up and fall forward. Maybe other teams would have not been able to execute in those high-pressure situations. It’s the sign of a team that’s growing.”
That growth will come in handy in the coming weeks, because there’s much more for the Rockets to play for, and all the opponents from this point forward will be very good.
It all starts on Friday night when the Rockets host 6-2 Zeeland West in a big O-K Green conference clash.
Reeths-Puffer, also 6-2, will have a chance to finish the regular season with a better record than last year, when they headed into the playoffs with a 6-3 mark.
On paper, this year’s Rockets have been a lot like last year’s Rockets. They have beaten the same teams they beat last year, except for in Week 2, when they defeated Farmington instead of St. Johns. They have also lost to the same teams they lost to last year – Muskegon and Mona Shores.
Photo/Tyler Lirones
They are on track to finish with the same regular season record as 2023, if everything stays the same.
But the Rockets have an opportunity to alter that trajectory on Friday. A win would give them a 7-2 mark and show the world that they’ve improved.
Is there a psychological advantage for the team to win one more regular season game than the year before?
Kater doesn’t think so. He said the focus has been the same every week – Rockets vs. Rockets and getting better every game – and the team’s record doesn’t necessarily reflect that.
“Honestly we’re not chasing that,” the coach said. “At the beginning of the season you might have heard us say something along those lines, but now we are chasing the 'get better every snap' mentality. Our stats are significantly better than last year, and we’ve accomplished one goal by making the playoffs. Now we’re just focusing on being the best we can be.”
Photo/Tyler Lirones
On the other hand, Kater admits that a win on Friday would provide a breakthrough in one respect. Zeeland West, along with Muskegon and Mona Shores, have been the Big 3 of the O-K Green conference, and beating one of them would be a positive step, he said.
“Obviously there have been three teams at the top of the O-K Green since they created it,” Kater said. “Our record in the conference has not been that great. I don’t think we’ve ever beaten Zeeland West. Beating a good team with a great coaching staff like Zeeland West would be a huge boost for us going into the playoffs.”
There are practical considerations, as well. Reeths-Puffer will not know until Sunday what their playoff assignment will be - who they will play and in what district.
But the Rockets do know one thing – the more playoff points they can get, the better their chance of getting a higher seed in districts, and maybe even a home playoff game.
A win over Zeeland West would provide a lot of valuable points.
Photo/Tyler Lirones
But gaining those points will be a chore. Zeeland West is a very good team that runs a dangerous Wing-T offense and has been very solid on defense.
The Dux have outscored their opponents 314-86 so far this season.
Zeeland West will also be a very angry team, because after winning their first six games with ease, they have lost their last two, to Muskegon 22-16 and Mona Shores 14-6.
The Dux don’t lose three straight very often. In fact, it hasn’t happened since 2008, and they will work very hard to keep it from happening again.
“We’re facing a tough opponent we’ve never beaten before,” Kater said. “This is a much different type of challenge, because of the offense they run and the strategies they employ in football in general. Our game plan will have to shift a little bit. It will be interesting to see how it plays out.”
