MUSKEGON TWP. - When you hear that winning is not everything, particularly in high school sports, you can believe it.
The opportunity to simply participate in athletics, and be part of a team working toward common goals, means everything to a lot of young athletes.
Reeths-Puffer senior football player Hudson Roberts is a perfect example.
When he arrived in high school as a freshman back in 2022, Roberts figured he would be part of a winning team when he reached the varsity level.
He and his junior varsity teammates watched as the big team posted a 6-3 record in 2022, a 7-2 mark the next year, and advanced to the state playoffs both seasons.
R-P's Hudson Roberts
But the frequent victories came to an end when Roberts and his classmates reached varsity. They have won a total of four games in two years, with one more to go this season, at home on Friday night against Forest Hills Eastern.
Roberts has certainly not enjoyed the losing, but he hasn’t let it ruin the experience for him, either.
He just loves everything about football, and as long as he could look forward to a new season every year, with practice every day and games every week, he was more than happy.
Now it’s all coming to an end for Roberts, and he really wishes that was not the case.
“Sad mostly,” Roberts said, when asked on Thursday how it felt to be headed to his final football practice. “I’ve been playing since the fourth grade, and football has connected me. I would probably have no friends if it weren’t for football. It’s like my main thing, and I am really dedicated and committed to it. It’s the best thing I have ever done. I’ve loved everything about it.
Roberts, lower left, makes a tackle against Byron Center.
“I love coming out here for practice every day. Practices are more fun than the games. I get to be with my teammates every day, and they challenge me to be the best I can be. I’ve known all of them for a long time, and it’s just fun going up against them every day.
“(The losses) are disappointing. We should have done better, but I don’t think it’s the biggest deal ever. Football is my thing, and I was always going to stick with it for as long as I could.”
Roberts' attitude has made him the kind of player that every coach dreams about.
He has never missed a practice or game, and he’s almost always on time. There was one exception, when he accidently missed a team meeting, and felt awful about it.
“I was so pissed off,” Roberts said. “It was on a Monday, my alarm didn’t go off and I slept in. I was devastated. Coach Kater and everyone teased me all day long about it. It was the first thing I ever missed in four years. I felt bad for letting them down.”
Roberts (90) flies in to help finish off a tackle.
Roberts has always given 100 percent in practice and games, regardless of where he stood on the team depth chart.
He stood patiently on the sideline for much of his junior season, when he was a backup and got limited playing time.
Roberts decided he wanted to be a starter as a senior, so he went out and worked even harder in the offseason, and earned a job as a starting defensive end this year.
“It meant a lot to me,” he said. “I was outside working on the track every day after school, and in the summer I was out here every day again, spending about an hour on the track then hitting the weight room. It was a long journey and a good experience.”
R-P head coach Cody Kater noticed how badly Roberts wanted to be a starter and was impressed with the effort.
“He 100 percent earned it,” Kater said. “There are other guys who could have done it, but they are not him. He’s a rock and he’s very dependable for us. Once he got that spot, nobody was going to take it away from him.”
Roberts combines with a teammate for a tackle at Grand Rapids Union.
Kater has always been impressed with Roberts and his approach to the game.
“He has grown a ton from his freshman to his senior year,” the coach said. “He doesn’t get a lot of tackles or sacks because of our scheme, but he never misses anything. He is never a distraction. He’s a total program kid. He doesn’t talk a lot. He just does his job, and focuses on what needs to be focused on.
“He showcases the fact that it’s not about the glitz or being in the spotlight or trying to play college football. For him it’s just about playing, enjoying his time and his teammates and just being a solid kid.”
Earning a starting spot on defense meant Roberts was on the field for a lot of tough times. The R-P defense, with a lot of younger and inexperienced players, has given up a lot of yards and a lot of points this season.
“I feel like we’ve done good in practice,” Roberts said. “We have really good defensive coaches and schemes. We just have a young team, and for some of these guys it’s their first time ever on defense and they don’t know as much.”
Roberts after bringing down a Muskegon ball carrier.
Like a lot of the seniors, Roberts has accepted the responsibility of helping the many sophomores on the team improve and learn what it takes to play at the varsity level.
“I try to do as much as I can to help make those guys better,” he said. “I am always cheering them on, and if they are not doing the right move or stance I try to help them. I always try to bring as much energy as I can for them.
“I think in a couple of years they are going to turn this program around and get in the playoffs again. They are really talented.”
Before the younger guys inherit the program, however, there is one game left to play. While Roberts has never let the losses bother him too much, he very much wants to win on Friday night.
“It’s a really big deal,” he said. “Really big. It’s my last game. We should have won more games this year, and I would love to win one more before I have to leave. This whole week of practice has been way better than every other week. I just feel like everyone wants to just get one more under our belts.”
Roberts said he plans on becoming a big fan starting next season, when he can no longer put on the pads.
“I will probably be at every home game, and maybe some of the close road games,” he said. “I’m a Rocket for life.”