The new guy on the job often gets tasked with addressing unfinished business.
Item No. 1 for new Reeths-Puffer head football coach Cody Kater is finding a way to beat Grand Haven.
That’s something the Rockets have struggled with in recent years. Reeths-Puffer is 1-6 against the Buccaneers in the last seven encounters, and most have been season-opening games.
Last year R-P fell to Grand Haven 18-6. In 2019 the Rockets lost 24-0 and in 2018 they fell 27-0. Reetjs-Puffer last beat the Bucs in 2017 by a score of 28-10.
The two teams will meet again on Thursday night at Rocket Stadium at 7 p.m.
New Reeths-Puffer head football coach Cody Kater.
Kater is aware of the sluggish track record against Grand Haven, but he’s cautious about putting too many expectations on his very young team this early in the season.
The Rockets don't have a lot of returning starters from last year's team, and they’re still adjusting to the new coaching staff, so there’s a definite learning curve involved.
“We are 1-6 in our last seven opportunities against Grand Haven, and the kids and the coaches know about that,” Kater said. “The other piece is that we’ve not reached our potential yet. We are working on creating a healthy environment and growing and becoming our best selves
“We haven’t talked much about it being a make-or-break game, but we have discussed it as an opportunity to come and put on a halfway decent performance. It’s an important game and we all understand that, and we’ve been working very hard to prepare.”
There will be a lot of excitement at Rocket Stadium on Thursday, mostly due to the arrival of Kater, who was the quarterback of two state champion football teams at Montague and the offensive coordinator for another one.
R-P linemen work on perfecting their technique at a practice last weekend.
Kater, a first-time head football coach, admits that he will be excited, and perhaps a little nervous as well.
“I think I’m more nervous about the preparation than I am about the actual performance,” said Kater, who takes over an R-P team that finished 3-6 last year. “We just want to make sure we have our ducks in a row.
“It’s a big night. I remember my first night as head coach of the Montague girls basketball team, when we started with back-to-back home games. I remember being pretty nervous at the time because of the buzz around town. But that experience helped me, playing in a lot of big games helped me, and being an assistant football coach helped me.
“I know it’s a big milestone night in my career. I have a lot of friends coming in to check it out.”
Coach Kater talks to senior quarterback Brady Ross during team camp in July.
Kater said his young team has shown a tremendous amount of growth and improvement over the summer, and he likes the direction it's headed in.
A big plus has been the players’ attitudes. Team practices have been long and grueling, but the players have shown a great deal of energy and enthusiasm, knowing they will be writing the first chapter in a new era of Reeths-Puffer football.
“There are two things you can bring to every single practice – effort and energy,” Kater said. “We keep the bar raised pretty high on those things - you can't wait for game night and just turn them on - and the kids are buying in to that.
“We have to have a lot of effort and energy. We preach it, ask for it and celebrate it when we see it. The kids are responding. Not all teams do that. It shows how hungry they are for growth.”
Rockets will have tools to work with
While the Rockets will lack overall experience this season, they do have some very strong players returning from last year.
That list includes junior tailback Brody Johnson, who rushed for more than 1,000 yards as a sophomore in 2001.
Senior receiver Tayte Vanderleest should also have an exciting season, following several big games last year. He caught four passes for 62 yards, including two touchdowns, in a win over Wyoming, and had six catches for 63 yards in a loss to Zeeland West.
Kater is also excited about junior receiver Brooks Johnson, who could have an “explosive year,” according to the coach.
Rockets tailback Brody Johnson in action last season.
Starting quarterback duties will fall to senior Brady Ross, who got some experience at the position last season. The offensive line will be anchored by returning seniors Justyn Clark and Hunter Allison.
A few more experienced players return on defense. Seniors Caleb Zimmerman and Omillion Wyrick will be back on the line, and junior Caiden Bolduc returns at middle linebacker.
Also in the linebacker corps will be Brooks Johnson, Antrell Jones and seniorTyviea Williams. Vanderleest will lead the secondary from his safety position and junior Bryce Ross also returns as a safety.
R-P receiver/safety Tayte Vanderleest
Grand Haven, like Reeths-Puffer, has a very young, inexperienced team, but Kater said there is talent on the Buccaneer roster.
“They are big and athletic up front,” Kater said. “Their running back is returning, their defensive ends seem to be long and athletic, their quarterback is quick and their defense seems to be well-coached.
“Kyle Jewett (a former R-P head coach) is their offensive coordinator, and he has a bit of an understanding of what Reeths-Puffer is all about. He’s done a great job with their offense, they are going to give us some different looks, and we will have to play sound defense.”