MUSKEGON – Just a few years ago, Riley King was a determined kid who very much wanted to be a football kicker.

He joined the Fruitport varsity football team as a junior, but wasn’t very good, and only got the chance to try two extra points all season.

King worked really hard after that season, got much better, became Fruitport’s regular kicker in his senior year and did pretty well.

Most kids would have called that good enough, but King still wanted to kick. He contacted various colleges looking for a chance, but found no takers. He finally turned to Nate Smith, his former head coach at Fruitport who is also the general manager of the West Michigan Ironmen.

That got him a tryout with the Ironmen, and he was initially cut during preseason workouts. But the team called him back a few days later, and he got his big chance on Friday night.

King made the most of it, converting 9 of 11 extra point attempts in the Ironmen’s overwhelming 81-0 season-opening victory over the Michigan Falcons in front of a big crowd at Muskegon’s Trinity Health Arena.

The Ironmen will open their league season next Friday at home against the Pennsylvania Union.

“It was a fun night,” King said on the field after the game, as he signed an autograph for a young fan. “I honestly did not think I was going to be that busy. Eventually I thought they were going to start going for two-point conversions, but they just let me keep going. I was very happy with what I did.”

The reason King was so busy on Friday – and likely will be all season – is because the Ironmen score a lot of touchdowns, just like they have through their 10-year plus one game history.

They certainly lit up the scoreboard on Friday night,  from the early minutes to late in the fourth quarter.

It all started when veteran quarterback Alex Carder connected with Tyler Bruce for a 15-year touchdown pass on the team’s first offensive play from scrimmage, and the rout was on.

Carder ended up throwing 10 touchdown passes, including two apiece to Bruce, Tyler Hunt, Toni Sok and DavVeon Taylor. Luke Sallee caught the other TD pass.

The Ironmen defense was also devastating, and gave the offense great field position all night. The West Michigan D held the Falcons scoreless on 12 possessions, which is very hard to do in arena football, where the field is only 50 yards long and most of the plays involve passing.

Josh Fusco scored a defensive touchdown with a 48-yard pick-six. Hunter Cherneski had a really amazing night, piling up three safeties and scoring six points by tackling opponents in their own end zone.

Fusco had a second interception, as well, while Jalon Simpson added one pick. LeRoy McKay and Darean Freeman had fumble recoveries for the Ironmen.

“I always preach that defense wins championships, and I am going to keep preaching that,” said Ironmen head coach Terry Mitchell. “Arena football is an offensive game, but when your defense steps up, you are halfway home.”

The big win was a familiar story for the Ironmen, who have a long history of overwhelming weaker opponents. Over the years, some fans have complained that the team wins too many games in blowout fashion, and sometimes there isn’t much drama.

But can the team be blamed for doing things right and playing so well, year after year?

The opposing teams are comprised of a lot of former college players, just like the Ironmen. Most of their players are working guys who can’t practice every day, just like the Ironmen.

But few arena football teams perform nearly nearly as well as the Ironmen, and that’s a real point of pride for Coach Mitchell and the rest of the organization.

“We go out and recruit players who are coachable, and on top of that we have a great coaching staff, great general manager and great ownership,” Mitchell said. “The team we just played, a couple of their guys came up and asked when we will have our next tryout cause they want to join. I said that will be next year.

“We pride ourselves on always having a team that will go out and do well for the fans and for the city of Muskegon.”

Part of the Ironmen’s success has to do with player retention. Really good players want to come back, year after year, because the Ironmen do what it takes to keep winning, and everyone wants to be part of that.

The Ironmen welcomed back 16 players from last year’s American Indoor Football league championship team, and the veteran presence was obvious on Friday night.

“As soon as the season is over every year, I have guys messaging me, saying how they can’t wait to get back to practice,” Mitchell said. “It’s how we carry ourselves, and how we practice and prepare for games. Our players all get along and like to be with each other, and our coaches all like to be with each other.”

As much as some might complain about all the easy wins, the fans seem to enjoy it. On a zero-degree night with icy roads in Muskegon County, a really nice crowd of 1,426 showed up for the season opener and made a lot of happy noise.

“It was a really good turnout,” Mitchell said. “It just shows the love that the fans have for the Ironmen, to see so many come out in freezing weather to watch us play. It means a lot to the players. It fires us up.”

SCORING SUMMARY

FIRST QUARTER
WM – 13:25 Alex Carder 15 pass to Tyler Bruce (kick good) – 7-0 WM
WM – 8:06 Carder 11 pass to Bruce (kick good) – 14-0 WM
WM – 3:34 Carder 23 pass to Tyler Hunt (kick good) – 21-0 WM
WM – 0:00 Josh Fusco 48-yard interception return (kick good) – 28-0 WM

SECOND QUARTER

WM – 11:21 Carder 1 pass to DavVeon Taylor (kick good) – 35-0 WM
WM – 6:07 Carder 25 pass to Tyler Bruce (kick good) – 42-0 WM
WM – :55 Carder 13 pass to Hunt (kick good) – 49-0 WM
WM – :33 Carder 12 pass to Toni Sok (kick failed) – 55-0 WM

THIRD QUARTER
WM – 11:27 Hunter Cherneski safety – 57-0 WM
WM – 8:21 Carder 44 pass to Sok (kick good) – 64-0 WM
WM – 5:45 Carder 3 pass to Taylor (kick good) – 71-0 WM
WM – 0:00 Carder 7 pass to Luke Sallee (kick failed) – 77-0

FOURTH QUARTER
WM – 13:08 Cherneski safety – 79-0 WM
WM – 2:20 Cherneski safety – 81-0 WM