MUSKEGON TOWNSHIP - There were a lot of positives for the Reeths-Puffer football team in its dominant 48-7 win on the road over Grand Rapids Union last week.
Perhaps the biggest was the performance of senior quarterback Antrel Jones, who started the season with a big game against Grand Haven, was injured and missed the second game, and had been up-and-down in the weeks since.
There were mostly ups for Jones against Union, who completed eight of nine passes for 113 yards, including three touchdowns, and rushed six times with two touchdowns, including one covering 53 yards.
The better Jones does, the better the Rockets do, and head coach Cody Kater was thrilled to see his progress.
Photo/Tyler Lirones
“It was one of his better games,” said Kater, whose team will host winless Wyoming on Friday in R-P’s annual Homecoming game. “We have been hoping to see from him what we see in practice, and it felt like Friday was one of those moments. He did a good job of being a complete quarterback, rather than just throwing or running.
“He got some things to go his way early on and made the right decisions. I think that gave him confidence.”
Kater was also very impressed with the way his team continued to focus and show steady improvement in all areas.
That’s been happening every week lately, including in the Muskegon game on Sept. 22, when the Rockets lost but showed a lot of composure, Kater said.
Photo/Tyler Lirones
“The third and fourth quarters of the Muskegon game were the most focused that I’ve seen our team play,” the coach said. “The Union game was one of our most focused, organized and executed games. We are pretty upbeat because the kids are getting better and buying into our messages.”
Kater noted that the last two Reeths-Puffer/Union matchups were barnburners that ended dramatically, with Union winning 43-42 in 2021 and R-P winning 35-29 last year.
This year the Rockets took control right away, building a 28-0 lead by the end of the first quarter and cruising from there.
Several Rockets besides Jones had very good games. Senior running back Brody Johnson continued his monster season by rushing for 122 yards and two touchdowns and catching three passes, including one touchdown reception.
Bryce Ross had two catches, including one touchdown reception. Caiden Bolduc led the defense with 10 tackles, including two for losses, while Elliot Schneider had seven tackles, including one sack and two for losses.
Photo/Tyler Lirones
None of that success occurred because Union is a terrible team, Kater said. The Red Hawks returned nine starters on both sides of the ball this season and had two victories coming into the game.
The difference is that the Rockets are maturing, gaining confidence and becoming more skilled, mostly because of their determination to look closely at themselves and correct their deficiencies, Kater said.
“Our methods over the last four weeks have been day-by-day and finding ways to get better,” the coach said. “The kids are starting to buy into it and we’re finding ways to improve as a team. That’s all you can really ask for.”
Last season, after six weeks, Reeths-Puffer was 5-1. After Friday’s easy win, the 2023 Rockets are 4-2.
Photo/Tyler Lirones
But last year’s squad had a rough go of it after the great start, losing three of its last four games. This year’s team seems to be trending much better in a lot of ways, Kater said.
That’s good news, because after the Wyoming game the Rockets will face two very big challenges, against Zeeland East on the road and currently undefeated Zeeland West at home to wrap up the regular season.
“Last year we were putting out a lot of fires,” Kater said. “We had some kids quit around this time because they weren’t getting the football, and later on for one reason or another. Right now I can’t sniff any of that with this team.
"Our guys are buying into the one game, one quarter at a time mentality, they are getting closer and closer as a team, and I think they are getting stronger as the season goes on.”
