WHITEHALL – While the 2026 season may not have been everything the Reeths-Puffer football team hoped for, it still ended on a bright note with a 28-12 non-conference victory over Whitehall on Friday.
The Rockets sent 11 seniors off the high school field for the final time as winners in the renewal of a local rivalry game that had not been played since 1984.
R-P finished the season with a 4-5 record, and two more victories than it had in either of the two previous seasons.
R-P's Jamichael Williams dives for the end zone. Photo/Nick Fuller
“It’s awesome,” said R-P senior quarterback Braylon Swain. “We just stayed consistent and it paid off. All we wanted to do was go out with a win, whether it was perfect or ugly. A win is just what we wanted.”
The win was even more impressive because the Rockets spent the week practicing with only 24 players due to injuries, illness or ineligibility.
The Rockets most notably were without senior running back Ke’Ondre Sanders, who finished the season just 46 yards shy of 1,000 yards.
But the guys who remained buckled down and made sure the season ended on a high note.
R-P's TJ Henderson puts a hit on a Whitehall runner. Photo/Nick Fuller
“Our guys showed up,” said R-P head coach Cody Kater, who said the mentality at practice this week was to keep fighting all the way to the end. “This group has done that more than other groups, starting with all the work in the offseason.
“The seniors really did a great job of showing the underclassmen what has to be done going forward.”
R-P's hunger and fight showed immediately from the start, when the Rockets forced a punt on Whitehall’ first possession.
Reeths-Puffer then marched 75 yards over 13 plays to take a 7-0 lead when Swain connected with Hunter Adams for a 16-yard touchdown pass.
Williams breaks a tackle. Photo/Nick Fuller
The game remained 7-0 until the first play of the second quarter. when Whitehall cut the deficit to 7-6 on a one yard touchdown run by Liam Leeke.
The Rockets responded by going 83 yards over eight plays and taking a 14-6 lead on a 12-yard touchdown run by Jamichael Williams with 9:22 left in the second.
The final score of the first half came on a second one-yard touchdown run by Leeke, which cut the Rocket lead to 14-12 at halftime.
After a scoreless third quarter, Swain found Brendan Guikema with a five-yard touchdown pass to extend the lead to 21-12 with 9:39 remaining.
R-P's Connor McManus (7) runs the ball. Photo/Nick Fuller
The final score of the night came with just 2:44 left when Swain completed a pass to Williams, who then broke loose for a 19-yard score.
Swain finished his career as a high school quarterback by completing 17 of 26 passes for 237 yards and three touchdowns.
“He’s continued to play at a high level,” Kater said about Swain. “He’s really efficient with where the ball needs to go, and he’s good at getting his eyes to the right spot.
“He’s been consistent and has put in the hard work. As a program you really want a guy like him, so it was great to see him finish with a performance like this.”
Williams and Brendan Guikema celebrate. Photo/Nick Fuller
Williams led all receivers with nine catches for 140 yards and one score while also adding a rushing touchdown.
Ty Ross led the R-P rushing game with 44 yards on nine carries while Connor McManus totaled 22 yards on six carries.
McManus also had a fumble recovery on defense while Ross had an interception.
