MUSKEGON TWP. - Since coming to Reeths-Puffer three years ago, head coach Cody Kater has talked about the importance of closing the gap with local rivals Muskegon and Mona Shores, two powerhouses that have set the modern standard for high school football in this area.
This year Kater is less concerned about closing that gap, and more interested in simply keeping R-P’s playoff hopes alive.
Kater still very much believes in his team, particularly following last week’s 42-28 loss to Byron Center, which went into the game ranked third in the state.
A loss is a loss, but Kater was impressed with how the Rockets battled the Bulldogs touchdown for touchdown and actually led after three quarters.
It was a much better performance than the previous week, when R-P shot itself in the foot with 12 penalties, three turnovers and fell 31-13 to Forest Hills Northern.
Photo/Jeremy Clark
Now the regular season is down to the last three games, the Rockets are 2-4, and they need to start winning if they hope to make the playoffs for the third straight season.
A victory on Friday against Muskegon at historic Hackley Stadium would be a great start.
“I think honestly we’re in a spot where we know we have to win two of the next three to give ourselves a chance,” Kater said. “Three out of three would probably get us into the playoffs.
“Our back is against the wall, so I think (the Muskegon game) is kind of nameless and faceless at this point. Ever since I’ve been here we’ve wanted to close that gap, because it was so large, and that same intense focus will be there this week. But for the most part, we just have to find a way to execute our game plan and keep trying to reach one of our goals.
“Our goal every year is to make the playoffs. We want to extend the season as long as we can. We had an opportunity to do that the last couple of years, but this year our schedule has been pretty difficult. If it was like last year, maybe we would have a very similar record. It has only made us better, but maybe we’re not seeing the fruit of our work as much.”
Evidence of improvement
The Rockets definitely saw some evidence of their improvement last week, when they gave Byron Center all it could handle.
They would have been big underdogs anyway, but the Rockets were even more handicapped by the absence of starting quarterback Mason Darke, who was out with an achilles injury, and the limited availability of standout running back Bryce Muskovin, who played sparingly with an ankle injury.
Yet somehow R-P kept pace and made it a thriller, using its big play abilities.
Byron Center scored first, then the Rockets answered with a 58-yard touchdown run by backup quarterback Sage Secrest to make the score 7-6.
Photo/Jeremy Clark
The Bulldogs scored again, then R-P answered immediately with a 74-yard kickoff return touchdown by Marvin Moore. A two-point conversion made the score 14-14, which stood until the third quarter.
Byron Center scored first in the second half, then Secrest struck again with a 60-yard TD run, and the extra point made it 21-21.
R-P got the ball back by forcing a fumble on the ensuing kickoff, then scored again when Secrest handed off to Muskovin, who fired a pass to Sam Hillin in the end zone for a 2-yard TD.
The Rockets led 28-21 heading into the fourth quarter.
The dream of a big upset ended there, however, when Byron Center scored the last three touchdowns and won 42-28.
Photo/Jeremy Clark
Secrest rushed 22 times for 186 yards and two touchdowns. He completed 7-of-13 passes for 104 yards. Luke Johnson and Elliot Schneider each had nine tackles to lead the defense. Cal Millis added six stops and Ethan Muskovin had five
“We put up a good fight,” Kater said. “I wish there were a few things we could get back. We had a good game plan and executed the plan. The kids started to believe in themselves.
“Once we started getting some positive yardage and energy, there was a sense of understanding the game plan and what we were trying to do. We shrunk the play book down. We didn’t know until Tuesday afternoon about Secrest playing quarterback, but he made a quick adjustment to the game plan.
“A lot of guys just stepped up and answered for us.”
'No team is our superior'
The players will obviously have to do that again on Friday for the Rockets to beat the Big Reds.
Historically that hasn’t happened very much. R-P is 1-24-1 all time against Muskegon, and has lost both games against the Big Reds in the Kater era.
Two years ago R-P made it a close one but lost 28-20. Last year the Rockets lost 28-13.
Some fans may see hope in the fact that Muskegon, the defending Division 2 state champion, is not having a great season so far this fall.
The Big Reds are 2-3. They started out with losses to powerful Zeeland West (28-13) and Rockford (28-21), beat Forest Hills Northern 47-28, lost their annual showdown with undefeated Mona Shores (42-27), then throttled a struggling Grand Rapids Union team 62-0 last week.
Muskegon did not play in Week 3. 
Photo/Jeremy Clark
Kater doesn’t put much stock in the fact that the Big Reds have lost a few more games than usual.
“They are still a really good program, great players, great culture,” he said. “We expect a tough four-quarter game, and a game full of tough decisions and huge moments. We don’t expect anything less from them.”
The bottom line is that Kater has confidence in his young team, particularly now that it has started to show signs of maturity, and he thinks it can compete with any opponent.
Muskovin, who had three straight games of rushing more than 100 yards prior to last week, should be ready to return to full-time duty against the Big Reds, according to Kater. Darke is week-to-week, but the Rockets obviously feel comfortable if Secrest starts at quarterback again.
“No team is our superior,” Kater said. “Going into every game, it comes down to execution and finding a way to make a play in high pressure situations.”