MUSKEGON TWP. - Back in 2022, Brady Ross was the senior starting quarterback for an improving Reeths-Puffer football team that was trying to return to respectability.
That Rocket team had a lot of work to do, after going 3-6 the year before, and everything did not go perfectly.
It started off the season with a few big wins, then stubbed its toe with an early loss to Muskegon.
But the team kept plowing ahead and improving, and eventually finished with a 6-3 record and made the playoffs, a first for R-P football since 2013.
Now Brady is in his fourth season as an assistant coach for the Rockets.
R-P assistant coach Brady Ross and R-P sophomore Ty Ross
While he’s only 21, and a student at Grand Valley State University, Brady developed a lot of respect for R-P head coach Cody Kater in the one season he played for him, and eagerly offered to join the coaching staff for the school he loves.
From his unique perspective, as a player and now coach, Brady said he sees a lot of similarities between that 2022 squad that made the playoffs and the current R-P team.
Like the 2022 team, this year’s Rockets are coming off a losing season (2-7 last year), and have had mixed success in the early going, with nice wins over Greenville and Grand Rapids Northview, but also two frustrating losses to Grand Haven and Muskegon.
Brady believes the Rockets have the talent and capability to have the same type of turnaround his team experienced in his senior year, by pulling itself up and attacking the rest of the schedule with hard work and focus.
“One hundred percent,” said Ross, who coaches the R-P defensive backs. “When you look at it, talent-wise and from a depth standpoint, I just like the structure of this team. We have a solid group of seniors, a lot of help from the juniors, and some sophomores who are up on varsity playing fruitful minutes. When I look back on my senior year, it was kind of the same thing.
“I think a big part of that, too, when you are trying to come back from a losing season, you have to have some belief from the players and have them trust in the coaches. I think we have seen a lot of movement in that direction, more than there was in the last few years.”
Brady Ross coaches from the sideline. Photo/Joe Lane
One of the young players Ross is impressed with is his little brother, sophomore linebacker Ty Ross.
Ty developed his inspiration to be a Rocket football player four years ago, as a seventh-grader watching Brady and their other brother Bryce play on that 2022 team.
‘“It was always the highlight of my week, watching them play and dreaming of me being out under the lights on Friday nights,” he said. “It was all I ever dreamed of.”
Ty earned a spot as a starting linebacker this year, and has made the most of it through four games this season.
He has registered a total of eight tackles and eight assists so far, with two tackle coming in each of the four games. He had a really good game at Muskegon last Friday, registering two tackles and two assists, with two of the tackles being for losses, including one sack.
Ty Ross (20) on the field against Grand Haven. Photo/Jeremy Clark
Ty admits he was not feeling super confident before his varsity debut in the season opener against Greenville, but says he’s happy with the way he has developed.
“Honestly, in the first week I was terrified, really nervous,” he said. “I was terrified that I was going to be the one who screwed something up for the team.
"I am happy with the way I have played, but the only reason it's happened is because of my coaches (defensive coordinator Paul Siembida and linebacker coach Sam Bauer). I have spent lots of hours and film time with them, and have had a lot of one-on-one conversations with them. I really feel like they have prepared me for this.”
Brady says his little brother is coming along just fine.
“We knew what he was capable of, for sure,” Brady said. “I think he has done a really good job. He has been locked in with everything. He continues to improve, and he’s been taking the advice of his position coach and our defensive coordinator and doing a great job with it. He’s on the right track, for sure.”
Brady is not surprised by Ty’s success, because he knows how motivated he has always been to become an R-P standout, and where that motivation came from.
Ty gets advice from his coaches. Photo/Jeremy Clark
“He has always prided himself in finding ways to be better than Bryce and I, whether it’s being bigger, faster, stronger, or with on-field success,” he said. “He wants it all. But at the same time he’s always willing to take advice from us to better himself.
“Regardless though, at the end of the day he wants to find team success, and do something Bryce and I couldn’t get done, and that’s to win a playoff game for this community.”
While Brady may be a proud big brother, he's also a coach on the defensive side of the ball, and doesn’t hesitate to tell Ty a thing or two when he doesn’t do something right.
“He’s not my position coach, but he will still get on me for some things,” Ty said. “If he knows I can do better, he will tell me.”
“He’s a strong kid, he’s a fast kid, and he’s capable of a lot of different things,” Brady explained. “If he’s not having a good day, I will just try to help him get back on the right mental track.”
Ty during last week's Muskegon game. Photo/Jeremy Clark
Both of the Ross brothers were extremely disappointed last Friday when the Rockets played the Muskegon Big Reds tough, only trailed 13-0 at halftime and 19-7 in the second half, before five turnovers finally caught up with them in a 45-14 loss.
“I feel like a lot of miscues happened throughout the game, but at the same time, it was still fairly close,” Brady said. “Just a few things that got away from us, especially the whole turnover thing. If we can clean that up, it’s an entirely different game.”
“I felt we played a really hard three quarters, it just came down to the little things,” Ty said. “Turnovers really got to us. But other than the last few minutes, it was a battle. I think we played them pretty even.”
The brothers also believe R-P has what it takes to beat Mona Shores at home this Friday, in the second of back-to-back rivalry games against area powers.
“We have a lot of talent on this team,” Brady said. “It comes down to how we’re going to respond to different situations. When we get hit in the mouth, we have to be able to hit them just as hard. I truly believe this group can be in any game it chooses to be in.”
“We have what it takes to go win,” Ty said. “It’s just going to come down to the little things in the game. It’s going to come down to discipline and the little things that matter. It’s going to be a battle.”
