Reeths-Puffer has been a star-led team the past few seasons, first with 1,000-point career scorers Ariel Walker and Sophia Hekkema, then last season with Brooklynn Tornes and Irelyn Niklasch. This year, the Rockets are preparing for a much more collaborative effort as they hunt for wins.
“I think we’ll be a much more collective group of girls this year,” R-P coach Rodney Walker said. “We don’t have one person that will stand out and lead like in the past...I think it’ll be a fun group of girls to watch because there’s no one dominant player this year.”
R-P lost most of its scoring and rebounding with Tornes’ and Niklasch’s graduations, but there’s a deep group of players hoping to fill those gaps. As the players sharpen their games on offense, they’ll rely heavily on defense and effort to carry them. Walker said he’s hoping to force a lot of turnovers and capitalize on them.
Five seniors will lead the team both on the court and off. Savannah Lockwood, Chloe Brainard and Jenna Terpstra bring the most experience, having played solid minutes last season, but Mya Swain and Ma’Kaia Riley-McGuffey should also be important pieces to the puzzle.
Lockwood enters the season as the team’s most accomplished shooter from outside, and Terpstra provides midrange shooting. Brainard should spearhead the team’s defensive efforts.
Several younger players should have an impact, too, and it’s a talented group that will set the stage for future Rocket success. Sophomore Jaslynn Kops is a defensive ace like Brainard, and seems to have a boundless well of energy.
“She is definitely one of those defensive stoppers,” Walker said of Kops. “She’s got a great motor and doesn’t really get tired. She plays hard on both ends of the floor.”
A pair of freshmen should see playing time, too. Raquel Walker, sister of Ariel and daughter of the coach, brings imposing height - she’s six feet tall - and she and classmate Trinity Moore should bring some rebounding to the team. Abrianna Do should be able to get involved as well.
With so many players vying to get on the court and so much production that needs to be replaced, Walker is hoping this season brings a very competitive group.
“We expect to be in every game and hopefully it comes down to whoever has the ball last,” Walker said. “I don’t think we’ll be a team that will come in and blow people out, but I think we’ll be competitive and play with a lot of grit. I think these girls are on the same page to do that. I think the biggest key point this year is defensively. We’ll be the best lockdown defensive team that we possibly can, switching up different things we like to do.”
The Rockets look forward to a realigned O-K Green Conference, where they don’t totally know what to expect from their league mates - except, of course, from consistent power Muskegon.
As the Rockets lean on their veterans while building for a promising future, Walker is looking forward to seeing what his team does.
“We’re looking to really be able to compete and building in the things we’re going to be able to do in the future,” Walker said. “This year will be an exciting year to see what those younger classes do in terms of measuring themselves in a varsity environment. It’ll be interesting to see how they measure up.”
