Brady Ross has had quite a head-spinning season.
His world has literally changed, at least from an athletic perspective.
A year ago Ross was not very well-known in the area, even among Reeths-Puffer football fans.
He started a few games at quarterback last season, but it was for a team that ended up with a 3-6 record and didn’t make a lot of headlines.
But this year, under new head coach Cody Kater and his staff, the senior has quickly developed into one of the better signal-callers in the area.
R-P senior quarterback Brady Ross.
Ross has become a dual-threat QB, although he doesn’t overwhelm opponents with any single aspect of his game.
He doesn’t have blazing speed, but he’s a tough, elusive runner who gets a lot of important yards and has a nose for the end zone. He doesn’t have a rocket of an arm, but he completes a lot of shorter passes and has his share of touchdown throws.
He made his presence known right out of the gate this season, throwing a 20-yard touchdown pass to his brother Bryce Ross on the Rockets’ first offensive play from scrimmage in the season opener against Grand Haven. He also ran for three touchdowns in that 32-20 win.
It was quite a debut for the new No. 1 quarterback, but Ross took it all in stride.
“When you simplify everything down, it’s just football, and you do whatever you’ve got to do to make a play,” Ross said the day after the game.
Ross (12) celebrates with his brother Bryce (2) after throwing him a touchdown pass.
Ross had another very big game in Week 2 against St. Johns, rushing for 108 yards and four touchdowns. In the close loss to Muskegon he completed 13 of 19 passes for 123 yards. In an overtime win over Grand Rapids Union he rushed for two touchdowns and completed 10 of 14 passes, including one for a TD.
Against Wyoming he ran for two touchdowns and passed for another. Against Zeeland East he passed for 118 yards and one touchdown, and against Zeeland West he completed 18 of 25 throws for 114 yards and ran for a touchdown.
Coach Kater notes that Ross has accomplished a ton despite having limited prior experience as a varsity quarterback.
“He has grown a ton since February when we started throwing the ball back and forth,” Kater said. “He didn’t have a lot of meaningful reps under his belt before this season, so for him to grasp all the things we’ve been doing and be our emotional leader is great. It couldn’t happen to a better guy.”
Ross finds running room against Zeeland East. Photo/Joe Lane
Talking to Ross, you would never know that anything out of the ordinary has happened. He maintains his very calm, understated personality and takes his success in stride.
He doesn’t seem surprised by his performance –self-confidence is not an issue - but it’s a quiet confidence, not arrogance.
“I feel like I’ve come a long way, but I’m obviously not perfect,” said Ross. who was recently elected by his teammates to be one of three team captains.
Ross notes that he’s been a quarterback since the fourth grade, so he’s never felt overwhelmed by the challenges of the position.
He says he’s benefitted a great deal from working with Kater, who was an All-State high school quarterback at Montague and a starting quarterback at Central Michigan University.
“Ever since he came, in January or February, he got me and the wide receivers and we went out to throw in the morning,” Ross said. “We’ve been working on it for a while now.”
Ross takes a snap in R-P's game against Wyoming.
Kate is thrilled with the growth he’s seen in his quarterback.
The coach notes that Ross is very calm – “almost too calm at times,” he said – but added that his approach is exactly what’s needed in a quarterback, particularly for a team that’s been in several very close games.
“He’s even-keeled all the time,” Kater said. “He understands the big picture, he’s not lost in the moment, and you love that in your quarterback. He’s able to lead guys through those big moments in games.
“He’s an elusive runner who’s able to move the chains, he’s improved in his passing and improved in his decision-making. In the open field he’s shifty and can finish runs. This program has not been in a ton of meaningful games in recent years, but this year he’s been in some big-game moments and he’s shown up.”
Ross is not afraid to take the blame when things go wrong.
Ross breaks a tackle and heads for the open field.
In last week’s 30-12 loss to Zeeland West, which dropped the Rockets to 5-2 and knocked them out of the O-K Green championship race, he fumbled inside the ZW five-yard line, one of several key mishaps that doomed Reeths-Puffer that night.
“We were in the red zone a couple times and couldn’t punch it in,” Ross said. “I was the one who fumbled the ball in the red zone. I could have been better. I do take that game to heart a little bit. I take it personal.”
Ross is not the type to dwell on negatives, however. He views his bad moments as opportunities to learn and grow, and he’s very excited about the chance to play conference leader Mona Shores at home on Friday in a big rivalry game.
“I’m really excited to play a team like that, especially at our house,” Ross said. “There’s a lot on the table. We can make a statement. We still have a lot to prove over the next few weeks and we have to focus.”