MUSKEGON TWP. – Over the course of a hectic high school football season, there really isn’t much time for players to think about what they have accomplished, or what they could have done better, over their years in the sport.
There is always a next game coming up, always another opponent to prepare for.
But this Friday is Senior Night for the Reeths-Puffer football team, and the last chance for the Rocket 12th graders to take the field at Rocket Stadium as they battle Byron Center.
For senior offensive/defensive lineman James Helferich, the week has provided a chance to reflect on his years in football, and how he views his performance.
He is quick to admit he has some regrets. He believes he could have accomplished more if he had applied himself harder in his earlier years.
R-P's James Helferich
“I wish I had cared more,” he said. “I wish I had put work in outside of football, for football. I wish I had been thinking about it all the time, and trying to get better. I think I could’ve been a lot better than I am now.”
But high school is all about learning and personal growth. What students are like when they arrive is much less important than the finished product.
In that respect, Helferich can hold his head high on Senior Night, and be proud of the service he gave to the R-P football program.
Helferich decided to push himself hard going into his senior season.
He used the guidelines from an app to improve his diet and gain some needed weight.
Helferich (72) pass blocks for quarterback Braylon Swain.
“I thought I was eating enough, but I realized I wasn’t eating nearly enough,” he said.
He also put a lot more time into weight training, to turn his new weight into muscle.
“My weight room PRs (personal records) dramatically increased,” he said.
Helferich said he also started paying closer attention to various aspects of the game, and how he could play better.
“I have been focused on football and thinking about plays, much more so than in the past,” he said. “If I don't understand something, I make sure I understand it with the coaches, I will talk to Coach Niklasch over and over until I fully understand something.”
As a result of all that, Helferich emerged about 30 pounds heavier, and much stronger and smarter, headed into the season.
Helferich makes sure an opponent stays down while Swain throws.
The improvements have come in handy, because he has a much bigger workload this year.
He went from being a starting offensive lineman last year to a starting lineman on both sides of the ball this year, and he’s handling the double assignment well.
“The understanding of how to block, and how important footwork is, has dramatically improved,” said R-P head coach Cody Kater. “His ability to put the weight on has made him more reliable on both sides of the ball.
“He has played with more of a violent, physical streak because of that. He has done a really good job on offense and defense.”
Helferich has also matured from a leadership standpoint, and has become a vocal presence for the many younger players who dominate the R-P roster.
Helferich lines up for a play.
A really good example came last Friday, when the Rockets lost a 21-19 heartbreaker at Forest Hills Northern. The game was very important to R-P’s push to make the state playoffs, and the players were feeling pretty low when it was over.
That included Helferich, but he kept in mind that there were two more games left on the schedule, so there was no time for too much grieving.
He figured, if the seniors were calm in such a tough moment, the younger players might pick up on it and not overreact to the tough defeat.
“Friday night sucked, but I was trying to keep everyone together after the game,” Helferich said. “I wanted to lead by example and make sure nobody saw me in a bad state.”
Kater has noticed the leadership growth in Helferich.
“He’s been incredibly committed to football in the last year and a half,” the coach said. “He does everything we ask him to do. He didn’t speak up much early in the season, but as it’s went on, he’s found his voice, and it’s helped us as a program.”
Helferich gets some sideline coaching.
Helferich knows there is a lot of football yet to play, first with Byron Center on Friday, followed by a Week 9 game at Whitehall.
He has not given up hope that the Rockets can finish strong and still make the playoffs.
But he is emotional when he thinks about playing his last game at Rocket Stadium this week, because he knows how much he will miss it.
“I don’t know how I’ll be,” Helferich said. “My mom is going to cry. I know after the game it’ll be bad. But on the field, it’ll be game time and I’m going to have to hold it together.”
When the season is done and his R-P career is finally over, he knows how he wants to be remembered.
“I love football and I love Reeths-Puffer,” he said. “There is no place I’d rather be than Reeths-Puffer. I hope that I leave behind a fight to win and a fight to be better attitude. I want to leave behind a fight to be the best you can be attitude, whether that’s on the field or off of it.”
