MUSKEGON TWP. - Everyone knows that hard work leads to success, but eventually some hard evidence of that can be important for athletes.
It makes coaching them a lot easier, too.
The young Reeths-Puffer football team spent the summer, August preseason camp and the first two weeks of the season working very hard.
They kept hearing about how they would find success by addressing their flaws and doing a lot of little things better.
They worked hard while preparing for Week 1 but came up a little short against Forst Hills Central. They worked to get better for Week 2, but a bad second half led to a loss against Caledonia.
The Rockets went right back to hard preparation last week, and finally cashed in on Friday night.
R-P's Marquise Longmire (3) defends against a pass on Friday. Photo/Jeremy Clark
R-P built a 19-0 lead, withstood a scary Spring Lake comeback, and claimed a 26-14 victory over the Lakers to break into the victory column.
While the Rockets’ performance was far from perfect, head coach Kody Kater knows that a taste of winning can go a long way for a team that’s working to develop confidence.
“Finding success after being challenged all these weeks is a great feeling,” Kater said. “There is still a lot to work on, but it’s a lot more fun to coach after a win. The players will be a bit more locked in and believing in what we’re trying to do here.”
The Spring Lake game signaled the end of three straight games against very strong and reputable opponents.
R-P's Bryce Muskegon breaks loose for a big gain. Photo/Jeremy Clark
Forest Hills Central, Caledonia and Spring Lake were all playoff teams last year, and everyone knew they would give the Rockets all they could handle.
This Friday R-P will have a different sort of challenge, hosting winless Grand Rapids Union in R-P’s Homecoming game, which is also the first O-K Green conference game of the season.
The Red Hawks have certainly had their struggles over the first three weeks, falling to Zeeland East 36-6, Grand Rapids Christian 37-6 and Hamilton 49-0.
At first glance, the game could seem like an opportunity for the young, talented Rockets to even their record with a comfortable win.
On the other hand, there is the danger of an overconfident Reeths-Puffer squad, fresh off its first victory, taking the Red Hawks too lightly.
R-P's Marvin Moore finds running room after getting a great block. Photo/Jeremy Clark
R-P is 14-2 all-time against Union, and last year rolled to a 48-7 victory.
But the Rockets need to remember that one of the two losses against the Red Hawks was fairly recent, in 2021, when Union stole a 43-42 victory in a game where the defenses disappeared.
A year later, R-P was lucky to escape with a 35-29 victory.
“Playing Union In years past, they’ve been really difficult,” Kater said. “They are incredibly skilled. That’s the piece we are going to be evaluating as we build our game plan. I’m not sure our kids understand how skilled they are. They could easily come in here and put up a fight.
“At the same time, it’s Homecoming, we know there will be distractions, and there will be more people in the seats. Our guys will have to decide what sort of show they want to put on.”
Kater likes the way Rockets responded to adversity
There were several exciting moments in the victory over Spring Lake, but the biggest thrill came after Spring Lake had scored two unanswered touchdowns in the second half and only trailed 19-14.
After their second TD, Spring Lake tried an onside kick to get the ball back, but the Rockets covered it around midfield.
At that point everyone knew that R-P needed at least a few first downs to seal up the victory, but the Rockets did even better.
R-P's Nathan Dolloway (77) gets ready for a play on the line. Photo/Jeremy Clark
On the first snap of the offensive series, sophomore running back Bryce Muskovin broke loose up the near sideline for a 48-yard touchdown run, then the R-P defense stifled the Lakers on their last possession, and the issue was settled.
Kater very much liked the way his team responded - particularly the offensive line - when the game got scary toward the end.
“I was excited to see our offense close the game out,” the coach said. “There were a lot of things during (Spring Lake’s) little run that were alarming. We’ve been striving to put together four quarters of play and we still haven’t been able to that. But it was still very exciting to see our last possession and finish the game the right way.
“It’s always good to be in the victory formation at the end of the game.”
Headline makers
One of the big storylines of the game was Muskovin’s breajkout performance.
He totaled 192 yards and two touchdowns on 15 carries, giving the Rocket offense the kind of go-to weapon it has been lacking this season.
“We are very excited about Bryce, just because he’s been really consistent throughout the offseason and over the past three weeks,” Kater said. “He probably would have ran for similar yards over the previous two weeks if he had the opportunity, but he didn’t because of how the games were going. He didn’t have as many touches as he did on Friday night.
“He was able to show off what he is, and he’s only going to get stronger as the season goes on. He’s a kid who just lives for R-P football. It’s all he really thinks about.”
Teammates congratulate Lukas Johnson (5) after his TD catch. Photo/Jeremy Clark
The evening’s other electric moment came when R-P senior receiver Lukas Johnson broke wide open in the middle of the field and caught a 62-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Mason Darke, putting Reeths-Puffer up 19-0.
Big plays are getting to be a theme for the speedy Johnson, who also had a kickoff return touchdown in Week 2 against Celedonia.
“He probably could have had two of those catches if we had found him on time,” Kater said. “He just kind of does his job and finds ways. He’s able to get behind the defense, which is exciting to see, and he always makes the first guy miss, which is the sign of a special player.”