With a player like Liam Smith on the roster, the Reeths-Puffer boys soccer team has the ultimate building block.
The even better news is that the Rockets have a very skilled, experienced cast of players surrounding Smith this fall, so it could be a very fun season at R-P.
Smith, a junior who’s entering his third varsity season, is one of the top goal producers in the area. He had a big breakthrough season in 2021, pouring in 27 goals with seven assists and earning second-team All-State honors.
He sharpened his skills even more this summer by playing for the semipro Grand Haven Admirals, a team comprised of talented older guys with lots of collegiate soccer experience.
R-P forward Liam Smith, who scored 27 goals last season.
“I kind of relate him to Michael Jordan,” said R-P Coach Kody Harrell. “I only relate to him in that context because he’s the ultimate competitor. I’m very lucky to have a star player who’s also my hardest worker. He hates losing, and he’s humble, confident and driven.”
The Rockets were pretty darned good last fall, posting an 11-6-4 overall record.
They finished fourth in the standings in the tough O-K Green conference, but really came alive toward the end of the season. They upset the field and won the conference tournament with an exciting 2-1 double overtime victory over Zeeland East in the title game.
Head coach Kody Harrell talks to the team before practice.
The Rockets also beat a very strong Ludington squad 2-0 in the Division 2 district semifinals before falling to powerful Spring Lake 3-1 in the championship game.
They have 13 players returning from that squad, so last year’s accomplishments might pale in comparison to what they could do this season.
“We’re trying to win two trophies for sure,” said Harrell, whose team will open the season on Wednesday with a road game against always powerful Western Michigan Christian. “Everyone is on the same page of wanting to win conference and a district title. We were right there last year, and it’s given us plenty of motivation to stay hungry and strive for more this season.”
With so many strong players back, Harrell could spend all day talking about each one. Beyond Smith, he mentioned a few other key guys who will have big roles this year, including senior co-captain Liam McHugh, a very strong defender.
Isaiah VanNoord and Luke Callender do a drill during practice.
“He’s a center back who could also give us minutes at forward,” Harrell said. “He’s got the body of a professional athlete. He’s strong, fit and fast with a heck of a shot. He’ll do a lot for us on defense and sometimes on offense.”
Joining McHugh on the back line to protect the Rocket goal will be junior JT Fansler.
Aiding Smith on the offensive attack will typically be sophomore Nick Clemens. Playing a big role at midfield will be junior Kyler Brainard.
“You won’t see him much on the stat sheet, but he’ll do the dirty work for us,” Harrell said about Brainard.
Kyler Brainard practices corner kicks on Friday.
In goal for Reeths-Puffer this season is third-year starter Gage Hopkins.
“He’s been on varsity since Day 1,” Harrell said about Hopkins, who totaled 120 saves last season. “He’ll be very good and he’s not afraid to speak up. He’s another ultra-competitor. He doesn’t like to lose, and he’s got the respect of everyone on the team. We had some games last year where he got peppered and he really came through for us to keep us in the game.”
The Rockets expect to play various styles of offense this season, with both a fast long-ball attack and a more standard ball-control strategy.
“We’ve tried to teach a lot of ticky-tack soccer,” Harrell said. “We play a lot on the feet and the ball, but we’ll have a healthy dose of the long ball mixed in. The amazing thing about having Liam (Smith) up top is that he doesn’t score just on through balls. He’s a big part of why we can be creative with the style of soccer that we play.”
Players wait for the ball during a corner kick drill on Friday.
With a veteran roster that’s been through the wars, Harrell is looking forward to being more of a manager in 2022, rather than constantly coaching in the traditional sense.
“It’s really fun,” he said. “I’m continuing to help grow and teach these guys, but it’s more about putting them in a position to succeed. I’ll have to mix and match lineups that work well together. It will be kind of a plug-and-play style with a lot of guys who are comfortable and content knowing their role.”
2022 Reeths-Puffer varsity boys soccer roster
Goalkeepers
Gage Hopkins #12 Jr.
Gavin Wright #1 So.
Field players
JT Fansler #4 Jr. (captain)
Liam McHugh #23 Sr. (captain)
Luke Callender #25 Jr. (captain)
Liam Smith #15 Jr. (captain)
Carson Cooper #24 Jr.
Carson McCollum #2 Fr.
Carter Sibson #20 Sr.
Conner Mammen #6 Sr.
Ethan Pennington #9 Jr.
Nick Clemens #7 So.
Kyler Brainard #14 Jr.
Aiden McCollum #18 Jr.
Isaiah VanNoord #11 Jr.
Jackson Larson #8 Jr.
Evan Loveland #5 Jr.
TJ Boone #16 Jr.
Isaac Ritsema #10 Jr.
Owen Ritsema #13 Fr.
Levi Carlson #22 Jr.
Ian Wright #17 So.
Cohen Beck #3 Fr.