MUSKEGON – Last season, as a slot receiver and kick returner, Myles Walton played a really fun role that didn’t come with a ton of pressure.

He was the really fast guy who used his natural speed and athleticism to create electrifying moments.

Who could forget the game against Zeeland West, when his school-record 95-yard punt return gave Muskegon a thrilling come-from-behind 15-14 victory?

But Walton also dropped some strong hints about his potential as a quarterback.

Who could forget the opening game of the 2020 season, when Walton stepped in for starting QB Amari Crowley and turned in a dominating performance, rushing  for 133 yards and four touchdowns?

That audition obviously left an impression on the coaches, because Walton became the starting quarterback this season, a position of high visibility and scrutiny in Big Red Nation.

He had to dust off his skill set, because he hadn’t played quarterback on a full-time basis since the eighth grade, one year before he joined the varsity. Suddenly he was responsible for the entire offense, and had to learn a lot of new things.

But the senior embraced the challenge and is doing very well, heading into Friday night’s big game at Mona Shores, where the O-K Green conference title and local bragging rights will be on the line.

He’s still using his well-known speed and elusiveness to hurt opponents on the ground. He currently leads the Big Reds in rushing with 448 yards on 46 carries and four touchdowns.

He’s also been efficient through the air. The Big Reds don’t pass too much, because they usually don’t have to, but when they do, Walton has been pretty accurate. He’s completed 16 of 26 passes for 411 yards and five touchdowns, with only one interception.

It’s safe to say that his refresher course in quarterbacking has been successful. He says he still has some improving to do, and plans on pushing himself to get better, all the way through the state finals.

“It was pretty tough,” Walton said, when asked about adjusting back to the full-time QB job. “I had to go back and get used to playing in the pocket again, and get used to knowing where every player is supposed to be on the field. But it’s been a good learning experience. It’s given me some new challenges

“I also had to fall back into a leadership role, and I’m not quite there yet. It’s still a work in progress. But until we reach Game 14 (the state finals) and  we walk off the field with a W, I’m not going to stop trying.”

Muskegon Coach Shane Fairfield says Walton’s stats would be even better, but the Big Reds haven’t had the chance to run that many plays in recent weeks, when they’ve won by blowout scores.

“Last week we only ran 16 plays,” said Fairfield, whose team is currently 5-1 “In the five games leading up to that we averaged 26 plays. It was a lot of one play, score, one play, score. In two of the last three games, we had a running clock in the first half. That minimizes the number of plays and the number of touches.”

Fairfield said Walton has done a great job of adjusting and running the offense, and said he compares favorably with recent Muskegon quarterbacks like Kalil Pimpleton, La’darius Jefferson, Cameron Martinez and Crowley. The only difference is that those guys played quarterback throughout high school.

“The think about Myles is, in his freshman and sophomore years he only played slot and defense,” the coach said. “He didn’t play quarterback at all his first two years, and now you can see his maturity and his growth at the position, week to week. He’s throwing the ball a lot more efficiently, and he’s not just taking off on foot.

“A good example was on Friday. (Defenders) had the pass route covered, but Myles kept his composure, rolled out, set up and threw a 70-yard touchdown pass to (Ernest Young). Normally you might expect him to take off and run. That’s where you see the maturity and the growing understanding of the offense, and that’s what makes him even more dangerous.”

Walton and the Big Reds have improved immensely since Week 2 of the season, when they lost to Detroit Cass Tech 49-14  in front of a packed Hackley Stadium and a statewide TV audience watching on Bally Sports Detroit.

Walton did not have a good game that day, completing only three passes for nine yards and rushing seven times for 15 yards, with one touchdown.

But he turned it on the next week in a tight 28-20 victory over Zeeland West, rushing for 183 yards on 12 carries, including three touchdowns. He showed off his passing touch against Wyoming, going 5-for-5 for 146 yards and three touchdowns in a 62-0 rout. Against Holland last week, he completed a 74-yard touchdown pass to Ernest Young in a 58-0 victory.

Walton said the Cass Tech game brought the Big Reds together in a way that only a humbling loss can do.

“That most definitely taught us all a lesson,” he said. “We’re a very humble team now. I’m not really used to losing. I’m pretty much used to going undefeated every season.

“That game let us know what we needed to work on, and since then we’ve been a lot better. We’ve got a lot of team chemistry, and we’ve all been playing as one.”

Walton said the Big Reds are now inspired by last year’s 21-14 loss to Mona Shores in the first game at renovated Hackley Stadium.

“We beat them my freshmen and sophomore years, but most of my classmates (who played freshman or JV football) haven’t been Mona Shores since the eighth grade,” Walton said. “Then last year, when I was finally reunited with my classmates, we lose by one touchdown. This year is the redemption season. We plan on going in there and delivering the punch.”