MUSKEGON — Reeths-Puffer may have graduated 10 seniors, including the program’s all-time leading scorer, from last year, but so far the Rockets have not looked like a team in transition.
The Rockets, already with an impressive season-opening road win under their belts, routed Big Rapids in their home opener Tuesday night, 9-1, to move to 2-0 on the season. (R-P edged East Grand Rapids in its first game, 2-1.)
“It’s a testament to their hard work in the summer,” R-P coach Kody Harrell said of the strong start. “We’ve got a great strength training program. We worked out all summer in the weight room. We really got after it like a football team this summer, and really the last two summers we’ve been doing that. It’s started paying some dividends this year.”
Harrell credited strength coach Aaron Szura and trainer Olivia Schroeder for implementing a program that has the Rockets playing quicker and with more agility than they have in the past.
R-P entered the season needing to replace nearly 40 goals from superstar Liam Smith, now at Western Michigan University - where the Rockets went Thursday to see Smith play against Vermont in a top-15 matchup. No single player could realistically expect to replace that kind of production, and the Rockets haven’t tried; seven different players scored a goal in Tuesday’s win, led by two each from Carson McCollum and Nick Clemens.
“One of our slogans is like what they say at the park, ‘I’ve got next,’” Harrell said. “That’s been our slogan with these kids. We love Liam and all those (graduated) seniors, but we’ve got next, it’s our turn. I think the kids are just using their own competitive energy and everything they’ve learned from Liam and some of those other seniors.”
Clemens opened the scoring early in Tuesday’s game before Big Rapids answered with an impressive 30-plus yard shot, perfectly placed by Rhys Kilpatrick. However, from there R-P took total command of the game, dominating ball possession and creating scoring opportunities one after the other. Six different players scored the first six goals, and all seemingly in different ways.
First it was Trenton Hanks going top shelf to beat the Cardinal keeper. Then, a great pass from Saif Abunayla set up Owen Ritsema for a goal. After that, London Carpenter - the last of the Rockets’ run of Carpenter boys - fed Ian Wright for a score. McCollum bagged a penalty kick with just over a minute left in the first half after being fouled in the box.
McCollum, who also had two assists in the game, and Clemens appeared to be the leading forces propelling the Rocket offense forward, though many others contributed as well. Harrell said their speed sets them apart.
“Once they receive the ball and then that direction change they make, that next move after receiving the ball, is a lot quicker, a lot more explosive,” Harrell said. “They both play very high-level club soccer, so you could tell that they got a lot of playing time and worked on a lot of things with their club teams in the spring, and it’s paying dividends. They’re another year older and another year more confident.”
A beautiful McCollum pass resulted in a header goal by Zac Sampson early in the second half, and R-P cruised to the mercy rule win, ending the game with 13:16 to play. However, they didn’t end it before showing off a nifty trick play off a corner kick, in which two Rockets feigned kicking the ball before Gavin Wright stormed in and fired a terrific shot from over 20 yards out for a goal.
Harrell said he wasn’t concerned with showing future opponents that play because the Rockets have so many options that come off of it.
“That play has five plays off of it,” Harrell said. “It’s like a triple option in football...We showed that one but there’s definitely more that come off of that. We were just letting the boys have some fun. They even looked over (asking,) ‘Who shoots it?’ I said, ‘Your choice. You decide.’ It’s constantly instilling that faith and confidence in our players too.”
R-P’s motto this year is CHOP, an acronym for Community, Honor, Ownership and Perseverance. The Rockets showed nothing Tuesday to dissuade fans from thinking plenty of CHOPping is yet to come this fall.
“It’s definitely a great start, but we don’t want to peak Aug. 20 either,” Harrell said. “Hopefully, the boys are having fun and learning, and we build on that.”
