MUSKEGON TWP. - It’s fair to wonder if Brayden Mitchelson might have actually been born in the Reeths-Puffer gymnasium.
After all, he comes from a long line of Rocket basketball players.
If there was an R-P game going on over the past few decades, chances are good that a Mitchelson was either playing, coaching, cheering in the bleachers, or all of the above.
His father, Pat Mitchelson, played for R-P and graduated in 1994. His mother, Nicki (Green) Mitchelson, played on the girls varsity and graduated in 1995.
R-P's Brayden Mitchelson
His uncle and his dad’s brother, Tim Mitchelson, played for the Rockets, graduated in 1988, and later became an assistant coach and head coach for the R-P boys..
Another uncle, Don Mitchelson, played and graduated in 1992.
Brayden’s older brother, Coby Mitchelson, played and graduated in 2022.
His cousin, Kaleb Mitchelson, played and graduated in 2021.
There are more Mitchelsons in the pipeline, as well.
Brayden’s sister, Addison Mitchelson, is a freshman on the girls junior varsity squad, and his cousin, Hank Mitchelson, is a freshman on the boys JV squad.
The point is that Brayden grew up living and breathing Reeths-Puffer basketball, developing his skills, and waiting for his turn to come.
He says his parents were all in on that plan, taking him to the gym to practice pretty much any time he wanted, and even rebounding for him while he worked on his shooting.
“I just remember being at the games a lot as a kid, and just thinking about how I was going to be down there someday, playing on that court in front of all those people,” said Brayden, a senior standout who will lead the 1-4 Rockets in a pair of big home games this weekend, on Friday night against Caledonia and Saturday afternoon against Traverse City West.
Filling big shoes
Brayden’s dream came true two years ago, when he was called up to the R-P varsity as a sophomore and became a starter and solid contributor for two seasons.
This year he’s playing a much bigger role, out of necessity, and he's doing a great job.
The R-P boys were facing a rebuild, following the graduation of Jaxson Whitaker and Travis Ambrose, two of the most productive scorers in program history.
New head coach JR Wallace inherited a handful of returning players, and desperately needed a few to step up and help fill the shoes of the departed stars.
Brayden has answered the call in a big way, pairing with junior Marvin Moore to give the Rockets some pretty big scoring totals.
His most impressive efforts have come in the past few weeks, as the Rockets recovered from a rough start to their season and finally broke into the victory column.
Brayden scored a career-high 28 points against Grand Haven on Dec. 13. One highlight came when he lofted a very long shot from the R-P zone in the final seconds of the third quarter, and it hit the backboard and went through the hoop just as time expired.
While the Rockets lost the game in overtime, 75-70, the fact that they pushed a quality Grand Haven team so hard showed they have more potential than people thought.
“It wasn’t the outcome we wanted, but it was a really fun game, and it showed that we could compete,” Brayden said. “Grand Haven is a really good team.”
He followed that up with an 18-point effort Dec. 20 against Sparta, helping the Rockets break a four-game losing streak and secure their first victory of the season.
Brayden did his most important work at the free throw line, sinking five of six attempts in the final 39 seconds to help seal the 60-59 win.
“It was so exciting, to get our first win and Coach’s first win,” he said. “We know what we can be, and now people are finally able to see it, too. We had a couple close ones, and we were finally able to hang on at the end. It was a huge boost of confidence.”
The sight of Mitchelson at the line at the end of a close game probably worried a few fans, because free throws have never been his specialty.
But he’s the type of kid who works hard to address his weaknesses, and he’s made himself a much better performer at the line.
"Being a leader, I knew I had to get up there in the moment and help get our first victory," Brayden said. "I knew I was going to get to the line a lot this year, so I had to step up with that. When I practiced in the offseason and the free throws weren't going in, I just stayed and kept shooting until they went in."
'It's always been in him'
The statistics show just how much Mitchelson has stepped up this season.
Last year he averaged eight points per game, while this season he’s averaging 18.2 per game.
While some may be surprised by that startling increase in production, Coach Wallace is not one of them.
He says Brayden may not be the fastest or most naturally gifted athlete, but he's an intelligent player who understands the game and pushes himself hard.
“I think he’s always been capable of it, and now he has to be the guy,” Wallace said. “He’s comfortable in his own skin, that’s the biggest thing, just knowing who you are. He’s a guy you can set your watch to. His attitude never changes and he’s always willing to take on more responsibility.
“It’s always been in him, and now he has the chance to highlight that.”
Wallace calls Brayden a “chameleon” who can hurt opponents in different ways, by scoring from the outside or driving to the rim for layups or free throw opportunities.
The coach also thinks he can be an effective post player, and is planning to get him the ball down low in the paint more often.
“I am intrigued, and I’m looking forward to getting him different shots in different spots,” Wallace said.
Brayden said he was not nervous about following in the very big footsteps of Whitaker and Ambrose.
“I just feel like me and Marvin were both ready to step into the role,” he said. “We did a lot of work in the offseason, and I played with (Whitaker) for a long time. He was someone I could look up to and see how he did it.
"I just feel like stuff is coming together. I am making open threes, getting to the basket and getting to the free throw line."
He says winning is a big motivation, particularly in a season when most observers expect the Rockets to lose a lot.
Brayden played for very good R-P teams as a sophomore and junior, and doesn't want to go out on a losing note.
"I feel like it was the defense, which is coach's big thing," he said, when asked what the Rockets were struggling with in the early weeks of the season. "Those first few games we missed some assignments, but now we're getting a few steals and some easy layups. We're finally coming together, getting used to each other and getting closer.
"I think all of us want to win some games we're supposed to lose and surprise a lot of people this year."