MUSKEGON TWP. - Everyone knows what Reeths-Puffer basketball standouts Jaxson Whitaker and Travis Ambrose have done on the court over the past four years.
But even they may not realize how much their success has inspired younger players.
One of those younger guys is Marvin Moore, who was an eighth-grader at R-P Middle School when he first saw Whitaker and Ambrose play a varsity game during their sophomore season.
“I remember thinking, ‘Wow, it’s amazing that they can do that stuff at that age,’” Moore said. "I remember thinking that I wanted to be able to do stuff like them by the time I was a sophomore.”
Now Moore is doing exactly that, playing a strong supporting role alongside the two stars.
R-P's Marvin Moore
Whitaker and Ambrose, seniors this season, are obviously the dominant forces for the Rockets, who are off to a great 6-1 start.
But opponents focus on trying to slow them down and have had enough success to keep a lot of games close.
That’s when a third scoring option has been necessary, and Moore, now a sophomore, has been filling that role beautifully.
One example was in the second game of the season, when Grand Haven held both Whitaker and Ambrose to fewer than 10 points, which is almost unheard of.
Luckily Moore stepped up, scoring a game-high 15 points, including the go-ahead triple late in the game, to help the Rockets nail down a low-scoring 38-34 win.
Another came in a game at Holland West Ottawa. Ambrose scored 24 points but sat through a big part of the second half with foul trouble. Whitaker was held to 14 points that night.
Moore once again filled the gap, scoring a career-high 25 points to help Reeths-Puffer pull out a 78-71 victory.
“It was really about them just focusing on Jaxson and leaving me open a lot,” said Moore, who will join his teammates on Friday night as they open the O-K Green conference season at home against Mona Shores. “I had five threes in that game. After the first two dropped in, I figured it was going to be a really good night.”
R-P fans got a taste of what Moore could do last season, when he bounced back and forth between the junior varsity and varsity as a promising freshman.
He performed well and earned a starting role on varsity this season.
So far he's doing great, averaging 10.4 points per game and giving opponents an extra problem to think about.
After Moore scored nine points in one quarter in a win over Coopersville, R-P Coach Nate Aardema called him “very talented” and said “At times he looks great.”
That’s high praise for a 15-year-old, 155-pound sophomore with limited varsity experience.
“I expected good things from him,” Aardema said. “You can never be sure with the younger guys. He played a little with us last year and showed great promise, and he’s put in the extra work to earn his opportunities.
“He’s a good shooter, and he’s really crafty with his finishes. He can get to the rim and finish with either hand. He’s really smooth. He might not look like he’s working hard, then the next thing you know he’s at the rim.
“He’s a tremendous young man. He really doesn’t have an ego. The older guys respect his talent and ability and work ethic.”
Moore admits he was nervous last year when he played in his first varsity game, on the road against Mona Shores. He also said he was plagued by a little self-doubt throughout the season.
“Before that first game, I remember my nerves almost got the best of me,” he said. “I had just to breathe in and say to myself, ‘It’s just like any other game.’
“Last year I was doubting myself more on my shots and wondering if I actually belonged. Now I feel like I belong and I have a role on the team. I have been putting in extra work, before and after practice, and that has really helped.
“Just knowing I’m out there helping the team gives me a lot of confidence.”
Moore’s emergence, along with the presence of talented junior Brayden Mitchelson and the recent return of third-year starter Antrel Jones (who was out with a football injury) should give the Rockets plenty of extra offense for the rest of the season.
As Aardema puts it, “The more that Antrel and Marvin and Brayden can score, the easier it is for Jaxson and Travis.”
Moore and Mitchelson, along with guys like Elliot Schneider, will also play a huge role next season, after Whitaker and Ambrose move on to college.
Moore says he’s focused on this season, but is also pumped about the rest of his varsity career.
“I try not to think about that too much – I’m trying to stay in the present - but it is very exciting knowing that in the future I will be one of the leaders on this team,” he said.
