MUSKEGON — Reeths-Puffer’s success in coach Cody Kater’s first season also sparked success for one of the team’s best players, Tayte Vanderleest, who signed Wednesday to play football at Central Michigan.
WHITEHALL — Whitehall senior Graycen Shepherd received big-time attention fairly early in the recruiting process, including a scholarship offer from Bowling Green last June. However, he found home in-state, and signed Wednesday to play at Division II Northern Michigan.
WHITEHALL — Whitehall seniors Nate Bolley and Jaiden Altgilbers already feel bad for whoever ends up near their dorm at Hope College when both join the Flying Dutchmen football team this fall.
It’s no surprise Whitehall filled up a lot of spots on the all-West Michigan Conference Lakes football team when the squad was announced in late October. The Vikings dominated the league, winning all five games they played by big margins in addition to a forfeit win over Orchard View.
KENTWOOD — It almost goes without saying that a battle between the top two ranked teams in the state would elicit a lot of respect from both coaches, especially after the outcome is a 28-21 thriller in which neither team felt like it was outplayed.
KENTWOOD — For someone to lose Friday’s Whitehall/South Christian regional football final, someone had to make a mistake. Unfortunately, the Vikings, so flawless all season, blinked first, and Whitehall took a heartbreaking 28-21 defeat to end its season in the regionals.
WHITEHALL — Even on a team stacked with veteran performers, Nate Bolley is the sun around which the rest of the Vikings orbit.
WHITEHALL — Whitehall continues to make history and add trophies to its ledger after routing Fruitport 51-26 Friday night for its first district championship since 2014.
WHITEHALL — All too often the old adage ‘whoever wants it more is going to win’ is used in sports, but that changes when the stakes are raised at playoff time. Whitehall knew its pre-district opponent Big Rapids would want to advance just as much as it did, but it was the Vikings who enjoyed…
REED CITY — A few key missed opportunities kept Montague from pulling an upset Friday night at Reed City, and the Wildcats lost a 44-15 decision in pre-district action.
Reeths-Puffer showed off its gutty side in each of its three losses to power programs in the O-K Green Conference, so it was no surprise the Rockets hung around with unbeaten and #15-ranked Forest Hills Central for a good portion of Friday’s pre-district game.
MONTAGUE — Mistakes continued to plague Montague Friday night as the Wildcats committed four turnovers in the first 27 minutes and botched a fake punt in their own end, resulting in four Oakridge touchdowns in a 45-7 defeat to end the regular season.
Reeths-Puffer sputtered through the first half of Friday's regular season finale at Lansing Everett, not scoring a point. The second half saw the Rockets team coaches expected to see, and R-P won a 35-0 shutout to secure their place in the postseason.
Ludington Daily News writer Greg Gielczyk contributed to this story.
MUSKEGON — For two and a half quarters Friday night, Reeths-Puffer executed their game plan against Division 2 #4-ranked Mona Shores perfectly. But a third-quarter blocked punt for a touchdown sunk its hopes for an upset, and the Rockets fell to their rivals 15-0.
Whitehall didn't know Friday if it would have a game next week, but if the Vikings' regular season ended with its 49-8 walloping of Fremont, it was a solid ending.
Whitehall’s week nine football game against Orchard View has been canceled by the Cardinals due to their lack of healthy players, OV athletic director Leroy Hackley Jr. told CatchMark SportsNet.
Reeths-Puffer's O-K Green Conference title hopes faded Friday night with a 30-12 defeat at the hands of Zeeland West.
Montague has relied on its defense all year, and Friday, that side of the ball again showed why.
WHITEHALL — Despite a very sloppy start to the game, Whitehall's West Michigan Conference Lakes victory over Ludington Friday night was never really in question, as the Viking defense dominated again in a 56-6 victory.
MUSKEGON — Whitehall views Oakridge as a benchmark for its program. Just ask them and they'll say so.
Reeths-Puffer coach Cody Kater wasn't entirely happy with the energy level his Rockets played with Friday night, but they were able to grind out the final four-plus minutes of the game and hang on for a 20-18 win over Zeeland East in O-K Green Conference action.
Crucial miscues at key moments were the culprit Friday night for Montague as the Wildcats dropped a 27-7 decision to North Muskegon, dropping to 2-4 on the season.
Reeths-Puffer athletic director Cliff Sandee announced Tuesday night that the Rockets will take the field in the final week of the regular season after all, adding a road game against Lansing Everett. Kickoff for that contest will be at 6 p.m.
Two key miscues on back-to-back plays early in the second half doomed Montague Friday night, as host Ludington ripped off 34 unanswered points in the second half to defeat the Wildcats 34-14.
Reeths-Puffer enjoyed its easiest night of the season so far Friday night at Wyoming, dominating the Wolves en route to a 55-7 win.
WHITEHALL — For Whitehall, Manistee represented one of the trappiest of all trap games Friday night, falling between an emotional and lopsided win over Montague last week and a huge clash at Oakridge next week. However, the Vikings' focus never wavered, and the result was a 56-0 blowout of t…
In a classic letdown spot following the previous week's tough loss to Muskegon, Reeths-Puffer didn't blink and survived an overtime battle with Union, 35-29.
WHITEHALL — Maybe they didn't need the extra push going into a rivalry showdown with Montague, but Whitehall coach Tony Sigmon gave his Vikings motivation all week. Junior quarterback Kyle Stratton said his coach swiped the Bell, the rivalry trophy, from the spot it's occupied in the weight …
MONTAGUE — After last week's tough loss at Ravenna and with a pair of key players sidelined after ejections in that game, Montague responded exactly the way its coaches hoped, dominating early and often to defeat Orchard View 42-6 in the West Michigan Conference Lakes opener.
Reeths-Puffer coach Cody Kater doesn't do moral victories, but as he said, he does believe in learning. His Rockets did a lot of that Friday, pushing Muskegon to the final minutes of a 28-20 O-K Green Conference defeat.
After two weeks of offensive fireworks, Whitehall's defense took a turn carrying the weight Friday, blanking Alpena 50-0 in a neutral-site game at Ferris State University.
Reeths-Puffer’s final regular-season game for 2022 is now vacant after Holland announced earlier this week that it will drop out of the football season after week four.
Montague athletic director Jay Mulder has brainstormed for some time ways to connect the current Wildcats with football alumni from the past, and next Friday, Sept. 9, will mark the first public move toward that end, as the Wildcats welcome 1972 and 1992 football alumni back for the Orchard …
RAVENNA — Montague/Ravenna games have largely been slugfests over the past few years, and Thursday's battle between the teams was no different. Unfortunately for Montague, the Bulldogs' quarterback Hunter Hogan made some big plays and its own offense couldn't finish a key drive late in a 14-…
Whitehall's week two game looked a lot like week one on the scoreboard, as the Vikings again engaged in a back-and-forth shootout before dominating the second half for a 41-30 win over Hastings.
Reeths-Puffer dominated the second half of Thursday night's game at St. Johns, scoring 24 straight points to bring home a 38-14 victory.
WHITEHALL — Whitehall’s dominant performance against returning Division 4 runner-up Unity Christian turned heads around the state, rocketing up the state rankings to the #2 spot. Among those clearly impressed were those on the Detroit Lions state coach of the week selection committee. Viking…
MUSKEGON — Reeths-Puffer got its new era started right from the first moments of Thursday's 32-20 victory over Grand Haven.
After a preseason filled with hype about how good Whitehall could be this season, the Vikings delivered a spectacular performance Thursday night that vindicated every word of it and created some more besides.
Thursday's season opener was a heart-in-the-throat type of game for Montague, but junior Paul Olson played a huge role in making sure it ended well, making two huge plays late in a 20-17 Wildcats' win.
MUSKEGON — The “blank slate” and the chance to change the culture at Reeths-Puffer attracted Cody Kater to the football coaching job. Now, he’s on the precipice of the first public stress test of his new culture — the season opener against Grand Haven.
MONTAGUE — Last season, Montague entered the schedule a massive question mark, with a first-time head coach and all-state stars departing. The Wildcats proved any chatter that they’d fall off was premature, winning a share of the West Michigan Conference title and claiming a district champio…
WHITEHALL — You don’t schedule a week one game against a program the caliber of Unity Christian, which was the Division 4 runner-up last year and has been to the semifinals or beyond in four of the past six seasons, if you’re not confident in your team.
MUSKEGON — New Reeths-Puffer football coach Cody Kater has kept things mostly quiet around the program in his first summer running things, and that’s been by design. However, the Rockets were able to get out in front of the most important stakeholders they have this week — their future players.
Reeths-Puffer will host a free youth football camp for future Rockets July 21-22 at the school’s youth fields.
MONTAGUE — After two years away because of the coronavirus pandemic, the Detroit Lions Football Education summer camp returned to Montague this week to spread the gospel of football to kids age six through 14 through a four-day skills camp.
MONTAGUE — Montague had good reason to celebrate National Signing Day Wednesday as four senior Wildcats confirmed their college sports destinations with a small ceremony at the high school.
MUSKEGON — Muskegon County called Cody Kater home last week, as he accepted the head coaching job at Reeths-Puffer. Athletic director Cliff Sandee announced the hire last Friday.
After a one-season layover in Georgia, former Montague football star Cody Kater is returning to the White Lake area, this time as a head coach. Kater accepted the Reeths-Puffer head coaching job this week, R-P announced Friday morning.
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