MUSKEGON TWP. — With a big lead shrinking down to just five points late in the game, and momentum shifting toward Spring Lake, the Reeths-Puffer football team needed a big play to help seal a much-needed win.
The opportunity fell to a young player already having a career night - running back Bryce Muskovin - and the sophomore delivered.
On the first play after the Rockets covered a Spring Lake onside kick, Muskovin broke loose for an exciting 48-yard touchdown run with 2:15 remaining to sew up the Rockets’ 26-14 victory on Friday night at Rocket Stadium.
It was the first win of the season for the very young R-P squad, so it was probably appropriate that one of the youngest members of the team put it on ice.
R-P's Bryce Muskovin breaks loose for his game-clinching touchdown run. Photo/Jeremy Clark
“I was just basically focusing on holding on to the ball, but in the end it turned into a big run and that helped my team and that’s what mattered the most,” Muskovin said. “I have wanted this since I was a little kid. And looking up to the seniors, I want to play the best for them every game.
"We wanted this more than anything, and we got it.”
The sophomore ended the night with 15 carries for 192 yards and two scores. It was his first game over 100 yards, and the first two touchdowns of his varsity career.
“He’s done a lot of good things throughout the offseason and we know that, in the future, he’s going to be a dude that we can really lean on,” said R-P Coach Cody Kater. “He’s grown up in front of everyone’s eyes. It starts up front. We knew that we could count on our offensive line, especially this week, to get the job done.”
Kater said the Rocket defense also did a great job, except for a big play or two, defending Spring Lake’s veer offense, which includes a heavy rushing attack.
R-P's Sage Secrest (10) closes in on the Spring Lake quarterback. Photo/Jeremy Clark
“For the last three weeks I think our defense has done a phenomenal job stopping the run,” Kater said. “Our guys, to keep everything in front, was awesome. I loved the way they were able to rally to the ball. But again, we’ve got to limit big plays and we’ve got to find a way when we’re up three touchdowns to get off the field on third down, so that we can trend the way that we want to.”
While the Rockets celebrated their first win, Kater noted there are still improvements to be made.
“We’re fighting with discipline on the offensive side,” he said. “Defensively we gave up another big play, this one on the ground. But other than that, we’re playing pretty well.
“But we talked with our kids, we’re not getting discipline, we’re not getting that for four quarters, we’re not understanding when there’s blood in the water. We’re not finishing plays off. We’re not pointing fingers at the kids, but we’ve got to look at this thing all the way internally. 
R-P's Marvin Moore (12) finds some running room. Photo/Jeremy Clark
“At some point in time we would all like to see our program on Friday night play with a chip on our shoulder and execute a little bit more clean and limit those penalties.”
Reeths-Puffer took the lead on its first possession of the game when Muskovin capped an 11-play, 59-yard drive with a 2-yard touchdown run. The extra point was blocked, leaving R-P up 6-0 with 1:10 to play in the first quarter.
Neither team scored in the second quarter.
The Rockets got the ball to start the second half and marched 90 yards in 11 plays for a touchdown to extend the lead. Quarterback Mason Darke scored on a 2-yard run on a fourth-down play, and the score was 13-0 after the extra point.
After the Rocket defense forced a three-and-out, the offense struck again, this time with a big pass play. Darke found receiver Luke Johnson for a 62-yard scoring strike with 2:43 left in the third quarter to make the score 19-0. The PAT was no good.
R-P's JaVon Plummer (52) pursues a sack near the end of the game. Photo/Jeremy Clark
In the final quarter, Spring Lake started to rally. The Lakers got on the board with a 5-yard TD run by Oliver Smies with 8:07 to play, pulling within 19-7.
Reeths-Puffer, hurt by a penalty, had to punt on its next drive, but Darke’s kick rolled to the Spring Lake 4-yard-line with 5:31 to play.
The Lakers weren’t daunted by the tough field position, however. They went 94-yards in 10 plays, capped by a 1-yard Reid Grimmer TD run, to pull within 19-14 with 2:25 to play.
Suddenly the outcome was very much in doubt, but the Rockets recovered the ensuing onside kick, leading to Muskovin’s big run and the PAT kick that extended the lead to 26-14. 
Muskovin runs toward a big hole created by some great blocks. Photo/Jeremy Clark
The R-P defense held strong on Spring Lake’s final possession and forced a turnover on downs. The Rockets ended that last defensive stand with three consecutive sacks.
Muskovin’s 198 yards paced the Rocket offense. Darke was 6-for-9 passing for 101 yards and a TD and ran eight times for 21 yards and a score. Johnson had three catches for 86 yards to lead the receivers.
JaVon Plummer led the R-P defensive front with three sacks, including two on Spring Lake’s final drive, and six total tackles. Cal Millis had a team-high seven tackles, while Shaun Haley, Marvin Moore and Sage Secrest all had four.
Secrest also had a sack.
Reeths-Puffer, now 1-2 on the season, will open conference play next week at home against Grand Rapids Union. The Redhawks fell to 0-3 Friday night with a 49-0 loss to Hamilton.