MUSKEGON TWP. - So far, so good for the new-look Reeths-Puffer boys soccer team.
Really good, in fact.
A lot of people understandably wondered just how successful the Rockets would be this season, following the graduation of all-time leading scorer Liam Smith and 10 other seniors last spring.
But after two games, the team has answered the challenge quite nicely.
R-P's Owen Ritsema breaks loose with the ball.
It started last week at East Grand Rapids, where the Rockets opened the season with a well-played 2-1 victory over a good EGR squad.
On Tuesday the Rockets followed that up with a dominant performance, pounding visiting Big Rapids 9-1 in a mercy-shortened game at Reeths-Puffer.
The Rockets controlled the contest offensively and defensively from start to finish, outshooting the Cardinals 16-1.
The most promising development was that R-P displayed a very diverse offensive attack.
R-P's Carson McCollum (2) and Matt Grimard (21) close in on a Big Rapids player.
Unlike the past few seasons, when Smith carried much of the scoring load, the Rockets collected goals from seven different players, with Nick Clemens and Carson McCollum scoring two apiece.
McCollom and London Carpenter each had two assists.
With so many guys capable of putting the ball in the net, the rest of the season is suddenly looking very promising for Coach Kody Harrell’s team.
“That’s what you get excited about,” Harrell said. “And it was genuine. It was not like we were trying to give anyone a specific scoring chance. We just moved the ball around and made the right plays most of the time.”
With only two starters back from last year’s team, the Rockets could genuinely be called a big surprise in the making, at least at this early part of the season.
R-P's Ian Wright (8) spins to try to get control of the ball.
But Harrell says he’s not surprised at all.
“Honestly, I have been really loving it since June, but you never know till you get to the real deal,” said Harrell, who added that the team gained a lot from a summer soccer camp at Western Michigan University and a summer strength program on the R-P campus. “They’ve been playing with confidence, and I have really liked what I’ve seen. It’s been fun watching the kids come into their own and take control.”
Harrell gives a lot of credit to assistant coach Ben Ritsema, who was the junior varsity coach for the previous four seasons.
He said Ritsema did a great job getting the players ready for varsity, particularly the big group of 12 juniors currently on the roster.
“Coach Ritsema had the bulk of them.” Harrell said. “You have to remember that a lot of our junior class played two full years of junior varsity, and his work with them was just amazing.
Ian Wright gives the ball a boot.
“This is the most attention to detail that I have ever had from a team. This is a group of boys who are so dialed in and excited, just because it’s their turn and they’re having fun with it.”
Clemens opened the scoring with a goal about five minutes into the game, then Big Rapids tied the score with a goal by Rhys Kilpatrick about five minutes later.
The Rockets responded with four unanswered goals from Trenton Hanks, Owen Ritsema, Ian Wright and McCollom and led 5-1 at halftime.
R-P added goals from Clemens, Zac Sampson, Gavin Wright and McCollum in the second half.
McCollum’s second goal, which came with 13:16 left on the clock, ended the game due to the eight-goal mercy rule.