football players

MUSKEGON TOWNSHIP - You can look at Friday’s Reeths-Puffer-Mona Shores football game several different ways, at least from an R-P perspective.

The Rockets have been talking all year about closing the gap with the top teams in Muskegon County, and they have clearly done that.

Mona Shores had to work much harder than most people expected to gut out a 15-0 victory over the Rockets.

The Sailors did not get on the scoreboard until the final second of the first half when they kicked a field goal, then had to rely on their defense to clinch the win in the second half.

The Rockets also played Muskegon tough back in Week 3, only losing by eight points.

That means the Rockets lost to the Big Reds and Sailors by a combined 23 points this season. Last year that total was 68 points, so progress has definitely been made.

“I think we’re doing a good job,” said first-year R-P Coach Cody Kater.  "We’ve been in every game we’ve played this year. We don’t believe in moral victories, but the kids can be proud of the way they fought.”

On the other hand, the Rockets might have upset the Sailors, or made the game even closer, if they hadn’t shot themselves in the foot by throwing two interceptions, allowing a blocked punt that turned into a touchdown, stalling on several drives deep in Mona Shores territory, and committing several penalties at key moments of the game.

The Rockets had a similar experience last week in a loss to Zeeland West.

“I think the biggest takeaway is understanding moments and winning those moments,” Kater said. “Tonight we might have understood those moments, but we didn’t execute.”

Reeths-Puffer is now 5-3 on the season and may have to beat Lansing Everett on the road next week to sew up a Division 2 playoff spot.

If the Rockets make it, they could very well end up playing Mona Shores again in districts.

“We may get another opportunity,” Kater said. “It’s do-or-die now from this point forward. The good thing is that we’re playing meaningful games here at Reeths-Puffer.”

Reeths-Puffer showed that it came to play early in the game, taking the opening kickoff and driving from its own 22 to the Mona Shores 14 on 15 plays.

The drive stalled on downs on an incomplete pass.

Mona Shores answered with a long drive of its own, using 17 plays to move the ball to the R-P 15 before a fumble ended the effort with 8:45 left in the second quarter.

The Rockets started their next possession with a big play when quarterback Brady Ross hit a wide-open Brooks Johnson with a 45-yard pass, giving R-P another great opportunity in Sailor territory.

But that Rocket drive proved futile, as well, when the home team turned the ball over on downs again, following in incomplete pass from the Mona Shores 25.

The Sailors used the rest of the first half to drive from their own 25 to the R-P 9-yard line with one second left on the clock.

Mona Shores quarterback Johnathon Pittman had the big play on the drive, keeping the ball on third down and rushing from the Sailor 41 to the R-P 27 for a 32-yard gain.

Kicker Kaden Pulaski hit the 26-yard field goal as the clock expired and Mona Shores went to the locker room with a 3-0 lead.

The Sailors were forced to punt on the opening drive of the third quarter, and the Rockets were set to do the same from their own 45-yard line, but the kick was blocked by Mona Shores’ Octavio Alverado and was scooped up and ran in by Brandon Bankard. 

The PAT kick failed, leaving the Sailors with a 9-0 lead with 4:26 remaining in the third.

Reeths-Puffer’s Tayte Vanderleest took the ensuing kickoff, broke several tackles along the sideline and made it all the way to the Sailor 35, but the 46-yard return was called back on a holding penalty.

The Rockets had to start their drive back at their own 20 and advanced to the 44, but Mona Shores’ Ke’Waun Farnum ended the threat when he picked off a long pass at the Sailor 21.

Mona Shores punted again after a 10-play effort, and the Rockets had the ball on third-and-11 at their own 38 when Bankard picked off a pass, and the Sailors got the ball back at the R-P 40.

The visitors scored four plays later on a seven-yard touchdown run by Dahmir Farnum, the PAT kick failed again, and the Sailors had their final margin of victory.

The Rockets aided the Sailors’ final scoring effort with a 15-yard penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct.

R-P quarterback Brady Ross had an impressive game on the ground , churning out 86 yards. He had a tough night in the passing department, completing 6 of 21 throws for 97 yards with two interceptions.

Brody Johnson gained 59 yards rushing for Reeths-Puffer while Vanderleest had four receptions for 29 yards.

Caiden Bolduc led the Rockets defensively with four solo tackles and 14 assists.

Kater said the game will be a valuable learning tool for his team, because there are big challenges still ahead.

“We’re going to take a lot of this in and move forward in a good way,” the coach said.