MUSKEGON TWP. - A football practice field is a lot like any other high school classroom.
The students learn and prepare all week, then take an exam every Friday night.
The only difference is that in football, the outcome is a collective. Everyone either passes or fails, based on the group performance.
The Reeths-Puffer football team got an unwelcome F on its exam last Friday night against Forest Hills Northern in an O-K Green conference battle, so this week it’s been back to the classroom for some serious review.
R-P defenders stop the run last Friday. Photo/John Willoughby
The players may have thought they had righted the ship with wins over Spring Lake and Grand Rapids Union in Weeks 3 and 4, respectively, but learned in the 31-13 loss that they still have some studying to do.
Now they are 2-3 on the season with four very tough exams remaining, starting on Friday night at home against 4-1 Byron Center.
Reeths-Puffer head coach Cody Kater said it’s important for the players to remember that improvement comes incrementally, every day.
R-P's Marvin Moore. Photo/John Willoughby
In other words, they need better focus in the classroom.
“We are still working on finding a way to take it day-by-day,” Kater said about the learning process. “Sometimes the guys want to go straight to the result and go out and play on Friday, instead of breaking things down day-by-day. We have to make sure we’re improving along the way.
“We have to go through some adverse situations and not give up. There are a lot of great lessons to be learned from all of these situations.”
Self-inflicted wounds
There were moments on Friday when the Rockets looked like they could go nose-to-nose with Forest Hills Northern for a full four quarters.
The Huskies scored on the opening drive, then the Rockets answered with a touchdown of their own and only trailed 14-7 at halftime.
The total offense stats were nearly even – 282 yards for FHN and 276 for R-P. The Huskies had 16 first downs and the Rockets had 15.
R-P dominated the skies, outpassing FHN 160 yards (and two touchdowns) to 0.
But the Rockets kept shooting themselves in the foot.
Luke Johnson (5) and Sam Hillin (6). Photo/John Willoughby
They committed three turnovers, all at really bad times. One was an interception thrown into the FHN end zone shortly before halftime. Two second half fumbles also gave the Huskies fresh momentum.
R-P was also cursed all night with unnecessary penalties.
On Friday night the stats said R-P had eight penalties. A review over the weekend, however, revealed 12 infractions.
“Looking back and watching film, (Forest Hiils Northern) did some things that they hadn’t done before, and I thought we adapted well,” Kater said. “But we had 12 penalties for 125 yards. I don’t know if anyone would be able to win a game under those circumstances.”
Every game a tough game from here on out
The Rockets will obviously have to play much cleaner to beat Byron Center, another new O-K Green opponent.
The Bulldogs, simply put, have a great program. They have qualified for the state playoffs for five straight years and were 10-2 last season.
They have won four of their five games this season, all by big margins.
They opened with a 42-6 win over Battle Creek Central, then beat East Kentwood 43-20, Hammond (Indiana) Morton 54-28, and Grand Rapids Union 48-6.
R-P center Nathan Dollaway (78). Photo/John Willoughby
Byron Center's only stumble came in Week 4, when it lost a 14-12 nail-biter against undefeated Mona Shores.
There is no relief for the Rockets after Friday, either. They will have to face traditional local powers Muskegon and Mona Shores, then will finish the regular season against a very good Forest Hills Eastern squad.
The only answer is for the players to dig deep, believe in themselves, and know they can play with anyone when they play the way they can.
R-P had respectable performances in the first two weeks of the season against very good teams. They lost to defending state champion Forest Hills Central 21-10 in the season opener, and to Caledonia 35-7 the next week, but the score was only 12-7 at halftime.
R-P quarterback Mason Darke. Photo/John Willoughby
One important key moving forward, according to Kater, is to have more control over the things that can prevent proper game preparation.
“We’ve been having conversations about finding ways to get a leg up on the competition throughout the week by properly hydrating, eating the right food and limiting social distractions," the coach said. "There were a lot of distractions last week.
“We have to have these guys understand how their actions create a domino effect and affect our practices. Our focus will not be there and it hurts our preparation.”
The rest is simply a matter of the team focusing on being the best possible version of itself against really good opponents
“We’re doing our best to control the controllables, give the kids a vision and help them believe in themselves,” Kater said. “It’s going to be on their shoulders from here on out. We’re dug ourselves a hole and we’ve got to find a way to come together really quickly.”
Friday standouts
A couple of Rockets had nice games on Friday.
Sophomore running back Bryce Muskovin rushed for 101 yards on 10 carries, with his longest run covering 26 yards. It was the third straight game that Muskovin has rushed for at least 100 yards.
Marvin Moore caught five passes for 62 yards while Luke Johnson caught four for 68 yards, including a touchdown.
Junior quarterback Mason Darke completed 12 of 18 passes for 162 yards with two touchdowns.
R-P running back Bryce Muskovin (20). Photo/John Willoughby
“I would say he definitely played quarterback better on Friday,” Kater said about Darke. “He put us in spots to be able to win the game. He was still not as patient as he needs to be, but he threw the ball on time to the right guys and gave the receivers a chance to make plays. I was pleased to see some growth.”
Senior linebacker Elliot Schneider had a great game on defense, leading the team with eight tackles (including three for losses) and one assist.
He also got the rare opportunity to do some damage on offense, catching an eight-yard touchdown pass from Darke in the first half.
“Overall he’s one of our better football players,” Kater said about Schneider. “He just gets it. He’s one of those guys who understands where to be and how to position his body. He played tight end (on Friday), we had a play called for him and we found him in the back of the end zone.”