Reeths-Puffer, despite not having its A game, hung around with O-K Green conference power Muskegon Friday for three quarters, but a series of miscues down the stretch turned a fairly close game into a 45-14 Big Reds runaway.
The Rockets (2-3, 0-1 O-K Green) trailed only 19-7 when the fourth quarter began, but surrendered a long touchdown run, fumbled a kickoff to Muskegon, and - after managing a fourth-quarter score of their own - gave up a kick return score to end the scoring.
In all, the Rockets turned the ball over five times, an impossible number to overcome at the best of times, let alone against a team the caliber of Muskegon.
"It was a game our boys will go back on film and think, we have to go figure out how to play and win," R-P coach Cody Kater said. "We fumbled four different times, and we can't do that. We have to understand how to win."
R-P's second fumble may have been the most damaging. The Rockets, having already given Muskegon one short field that turned into a touchdown drive, drove most of the field - led by Dre Sanders, who totaled 110 rushing yards - and got to the Big Reds' one-yard line. They went for it on fourth down, hoping to make it 13-7, and instead fumbled the ball away.
Despite that, R-P still only trailed 13-0 at halftime. Muskegon extended the lead to 19-0 in the third quarter, but the Rockets powered in a Jamichael Williams touchdown to make it 19-7 early in the fourth.
That's when Muskegon began pulling away, with help from the Rockets.
Another point of frustration for Kater, beyond the fumbles, was that several players went down during the game with cramps despite cool temperatures.
"We still have kids cramping," Kater said. "I'm not sure how to fix that. I've never been part of that."
Williams found the end zone again for the Rockets on a touchdown pass from Braylon Swain - Swain had 182 yards passing - but the Big Reds returned the kickoff for a touchdown to slam the door shut on any end-of-game momentum that may have created.
Kater said his team did well to hang in with Muskegon for three quarters, but emphasized playing four strong full quarters, something the Rockets did in week one and, in his opinion, replicated since.
"Our guys can hang their heads up high, but we played three quarters of football, and we have to figure out how to play four quarters," Kater said.
