MIUSKEGON TWP. - When your team is competing for a championship in the final days of the season, it's time for your star player to step up and get it done, right?
With the Reeths-Puffer girls bowling team, that could be anybody on any given day.
That's tough news for R-P's opponents, because they can't count on the Rockets being down if one or two girls are slightly off.
Really, any one of four Reeths-Puffer seniors can lead the team to victory, and they've been doing it all season.
In 10 O-K Green conference dual matches this season, the four seniors have spread the wealth when it comes to earning the spotlight.
R-P's Brook Buchan
Brook Buchan has had the top score in seven regular games during that stretch. Ella Mattson and Hailey Johnsen have paced the Rockets in six games apiece, and Rowan Bluhm has led in one.
Having all four of them in the lineup has been a huge blessing for the Rockets, who are currently 9-1 in conference play and just a few points out of first place in the O-K Green standings.
The exciting conference championship race will play itself out this week.
The standings are based on a point system, and Caledonia headed into the week leading R-P by one point.
The Rockets won their final conference dual match against Muskegon on Monday, and the championship will now be determined on Saturday at the O-K Green Postseason Tournament at Sherman Lanes.
R-P's Ella Mattson
The team that wins the tournament will get five points in the standings, the second place team will get four, and so on for third, fourth, fifth and sixth place.
If the Rockets finish at or near the top in the tournament, and ahead of Caledonia, the conference trophy will probably be theirs.
They also have a real chance to win another big trophy on Wednesday, when they compete against all the other Muskegon County teams in the Greater Muskegon Athletic Association Bowling Tournament at Sherman.
First-year head coach Karla Buchan said she has reminded the girls that they have a real chance to be champions, and she's hoping they understand, at this point, just how good they are.
"I have tried to explain to the girls just how close it is, and how they can do this, but I don't know if they believe me," Buchan said. "I truly believe they can do this, and I just keep telling them how awesome they are."
Pushing each other to improve
Heading into the season, Rockets had a lot of promise, but also some question marks.
Last year the team finished near the top of the O-K Green, led by two senior standouts - Bianca Kammers and Brenna Ackierman.
Three juniors from last year's team - Buchan, Johnsen and Bluhm - were honorable mention All-Conference, and the question was who among them would step up to lead this season.
The Rockets were also unsure about what to expect from Mattson, who did not always make the starting lineup last year and did not earn any conference honors.
The happy news is that all four have dramatically improved.
R-P's Hailey Johnsen
Last season Buchan had an average game score of 148 in conference action. This year her average is 157.
Johnsen has gone from a 139 average to 151, Bluhm has gone from 133 to 142, and Mattson has gone from 131 to 146. All four rank among the top 20 averages in the O-K Green conference.
Mattson has really come on in recent weeks, making the Rockets' lineup a four-headed monster with all sorts of depth.
"Ella put a lot of work in over the course of the summer," Coach Buchan said. "She didn't bowl as much last year because she couldn't find that consistency. She wasn't always in the lineup. But she has really picked up her game in the last few weeks."
The coach says the seniors have all improved because they push each other hard in practice, and they all respond to the competition with their teammates.
R-P's Rowan Bluhm
"I doubt we would be as successful as we are if they didn't each have that competitive spirit and that drive to be the best on the team," Coach Buchan said. "They all want to be the anchor, which in traditional bowling is your best bowler with the best average.
"Brook started as anchor because she had the highest average from last season. Then Rowan came out of the gate at the start of the season and nailed it, then Hailey started playing well. The only one who hasn't been anchor yet has been Ella. She peaked really early, dropped off a bit, but now she's back up there again."
R-P's other secret to success has been team unity, the coach said. The girls compete hard against each other in practice, then unite and compete as one when playing other schools.
"These girls are constantly lifting each other up and encouraging each other," the coach said. "When one has a bad throw, they will look at each other like, what did I do wrong? They are not only competing against each other, but also coaching and lifting each other up. The team spirit is something to be proud of."