MUSKEGON TOWNSHIP – The Reeths-Puffer football season has already had its ups and downs.
The Rockets entered Week 5 with a couple of bright spots, defeating St. Johns and Wyoming. But they also had their disappointments with losses to Grand Haven and Zeeland East.
The disappointments continued on Friday with a lopsided 48-8 loss to Zeeland West in an O-K Green Conference game.
[1]The Rockets are now 2-3 on the season and have a pair of tough local games coming up on the schedule, against Mona Shores and Muskegon.
“We have 10 sophomores who are playing a lot,” said Reeths-Puffer coach Matt Bird. “Our seniors are leading us well and I am proud of them, but the program is just in a tough spot. It’s the mental side of things that are kicking our butts.”
The good news for Reeths-Puffer is the future is very bright with many underclassmen on the roster, including standout sophomore running back Brody Johnson.
Johnson struggled a bit on Friday, however, rushing for 54 yards on 15 carries. He also scored the lone touchdown for the Rockets.
“You don’t have many sophomores who have done what he has done so far,” said Bird about Johnson. “There is just great football knowledge around here and he wants to be around it.”
[2]The Rockets had a chance to score first in the game, but fumbled the ball around the Zeeland West 10-yard line.
It looked like Reeths-Puffer stopped the Dux on their first possession on fourth down with a fumble recovery, but the official said Zeeland West running back Skyler Geurink gained enough yards to get a first down and that he was down before the fumble.
“That was a tough call,” Bird said. “We got the fumble and all of a sudden they told us he had forward progress and he still looked like he was a yard short.”
The Dux scored on the next play with a 60-yard run by Cade Overweg to take a 6-0 lead with 25 seconds left in the first quarter.
Zeeland West added another two scores on its next two possessions with a 66-yard touchdown run by quarterback Trevor Wallar and a 53-yard scamper from Overweg.
The Dux led 22-0 with 5:32 left in the second quarter.
[3]Reeths-Puffer finally broke the shutout with 34 seconds left in the first half on a two-yard run by Johnson to cut the deficit to 22-8.
But the Dux quickly responded, going 65 yards on five plays which resulted in a one-yard touchdown run by Geurink to give Zeeland West a 28-8 halftime lead.
Overweg scored another long touchdown for the Dux on the first possession of the second half on a 59-yard catch from Wallar to increase the advantage to 34-8.
Zeeland West added a seven-yard touchdown run by Parker Holman with 9:00 left in the game, then closed out the scoring with a six-yard scamper by Joey Arendsen.
The Rockets were led by quarterback Ben Veihl, who was 12-for-21 passing for 136 yards. Tayte Vanderleest caught six passes for 63 yards.
[4]