NORTON SHORES - The Reeths-Puffer soccer team addressed a few big priorities in its convincing 4-1 victory over Mona Shores at the home of the Sailors on Tuesday night.
First and foremost, the Rockets maintained possession of the Causeway Cup, the special trophy that the two rival teams play for in a designated game each year.
The Rockets have now won the Cup for three years in a row.
They also kept scoring goals, which is a welcome relief from several weeks when points on the scoreboard were few and far between. They only scored one goal in five games between Sept. 2-13, but have now scored 26 in their last six.
R-P's Cohen Beck does a celebration back flip. Photo/Jeremy Clark
Reeths-Puffer also continued its winning trend as it prepares for Division 2 districts to begin in just over a week. The Rockets are now 5-1-1 in the last six games.
This is the time of year when teams want to peak, and the Rockets seem to be doing that.
“We wanted to use this as a test for districts,” said R-P head coach Kody Harrell, whose team is now 12-4-3 overall and 5-3-1 in O-K Green conference play. “The biggest thing is using all of this to put our best foot forward – finding out that this is what it takes tactically, and this is what it takes from an emotional standpoint - to win these kinds of games.
R-P's London Carpenter collides with the Mona Shores goalie. Photo/Jeremy Clark
“The boys are playing with a lot of passion, and they are really starting to click together. We’re full strength now, too. London Carpenter was out with illness for a couple of weeks, and we got Jesus Hidalgo through the exchange program. He wasn’t with us the first time we played them.
“So we had two new players in the starting 11 this time. It just shows how deadly we can be when we’re full strength.”
About the only thing that didn’t get completed in the game was Cohen Beck’s first three-goal hat trick of his varsity career.
Beck, a standout senior midfielder, had a great game, scoring two goals in the first half to bring his season total to nine.
Beck takes a shot at the Sailor goal. Photo/Jeremy Clark
He had two great chances in the second half to add a third goal – one on a breakaway that was broken up a few yards from the Mona Shores net by a trailing defender, and the other on a penalty kick that Beck shot wide to the left.
He was still selected as the game MVP by his teammates, and said it was a lot of fun to score a few times and help beat the Sailors for the second time this season.
“It’s a little frustrating, especially on shots you know you should put in,” said Beck, a third-year varsity player. “But I knew we would be able to finish the game, anyway.
“This is my first season in the attack, my first time as more of an offensive midfielder, and I have really enjoyed it.”
R-P's Zac Sousa Sampson rips a shot. Photo/Jeremy Clark
Beck was asked about the joy of beating the rival Sailors, something R-P has now done six games in a row, dating back to the 2023 season.
“It’s always great,” he said. “Since I have been at the varsity level, we haven’t lost to Shores. It’s something we take a lot of pride in, winning every year.”
The Rockets were a lot more productive on Tuesday than they were the first time they played Mona Shores this season, when they barely escaped with a 1-0 win.
They controlled the ball and dominated the game in the first half, when they scored all four of their goals.
R-P's Owen Ritsema (13) battles for the ball. Photo/Jeremy Clark
Owen Ritsema got things going for R-P with about 33 minutes left in the first half when he took a long pass, broke in alone on the Mona Shores goal and buried his shot.
Beck scored his first goal on a breakaway of his own, with 19:25 left in the half.
Carson McCollum got on the scoresheet by blasting a long shot from just outside of the box past the Sailor goalie, putting R-P up 3-0 with 14:36 left on the clock.
Beck added his second goal with 9:51 left before halftime, to complete R-P’s scoring.
Carpenter watches as his shot gets blocked. Photo/Jeremy Clark
The Rockets could have extended their lead to 5-0 before the break, but a penalty kick was stopped by the Sailor goalie. R-P had a 10-0 advantage in shots on goal in the first half.
Mona Shores broke the shutout early in the second half with a goal by Chase Coburn.
The Rockets will host powerful Byron Center, which has already clinched the O-K Green championship, on Thursday, then will wrap up the regular season with a game at Big Rapids on Saturday.