Zeeland West football grounds Reeths-Puffer in rebound win

ZEELAND - It took the Zeeland West football team a few days to get over the sting of dealing with its first loss of the season last week to Muskegon Mona Shores.

The Dux pushed the fast-forward button during the middle of this week, though, and it showed on Friday night, as Parker Holman returned the opening kickoff 90 yards for a touchdown to get his team rolling just 14 seconds into the game in Zeeland West's impressive 30-12 win over Muskegon Reeths-Puffer in a battle of two state-ranked teams.

"That was the first time (I've ever taken a kickoff back for a touchdown)," Holman said regarding his game-opening fireworks. "I almost did it last week when I got down to about the (opponent's) 20-yard line, but it got taken back (due to a penalty). I honestly think that was a complete game-changer. Reeths-Puffer is a really good team and they're a lot different than last year. Doing that I think just set the tone that we were here to play."

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Zeeland West coach John Shillito was proud of the way his players responded against a quality opponent.

"It was a good win," he said. "Our kids really played hard and we faced some adversity with four defensive starters out and (starting running back) Rolando (Robelin) out on offense. I thought starting on Wednesday our kids kind of turned a corner and said 'You know what, let's go do this.' We had holes to plug and our first two practices of the week weren't very good. Our guys did a nice job blocking it up (on the opening kickoff), Parker hit it, and he's hard to catch when he gets out into the open."

Ranked No. 7 in Division 3, Zeeland West (6-1, 4-1 OK Green) forced Reeths-Puffer (5-2, 3-2) into a three-and-out before embarking on one of their patented lengthy offensive possessions. The Dux took nearly eight minutes off the clock in a 17-play, 88-yard drive, with Holman racing into the end zone from 6 yards out to make it 14-0 with 2:39 left in the first quarter.

Reeths-Puffer, who came into the game ranked No. 8 in Division 2, responded less than a minute later, as Tayte Vanderleest made a leaping 31-yard catch to help set up Brody Johnson's 4-yard touchdown run. The point-after attempt sailed under the crossbar, keeping the Zeeland West lead at 14-6.

After stopping the Dux on their next possession, it appeared as if Reeths-Puffer might tie the game when quarterback Brady Ross found his way into the end zone on a fourth-and-goal play from the 4-yard line late in the second quarter. The Rockets were called for an illegal procedure, though, and Zeeland West's Skyler Geurink broke up a pass in the end zone on Reeths-Puffer's subsequent attempt from the 9-yard line to thwart the drive.

Zeeland West fumbled just two plays later (it was their first fumble on offense all season) and Reeths-Puffer took over at the Dux 17-yard line. They took the ball down to the 6-yard line, but Ross fumbled and Zeeland West safety Keaton Hendricks fell on top of the ball to help the Dux stop another Reeths-Puffer drive inside their own 10 and preserve their eight-point halftime advantage.

"It felt great (to recover that fumble) because we stopped them from getting a touchdown and getting back into the game," Hendricks, a sophomore who was starting his first game for the Dux after playing the first half of the season on the J.V. team, said. "Varsity is a lot faster (speed-wise), so you just gotta go with your gut and do what you know. I was super nervous right at the start, but as the game went on, I got more comfortable and just eased into it. Our team works so well together and we're just all really good buddies. That's what makes us so good."

Brody Maas capped off an 11-play, 50-yard drive that took over six minutes with a 1-yard touchdown plunge to move Zeeland West out to a 22-6 lead with 1:37 to go in the third quarter.

Ross had a 3-yard touchdown run on the Rockets' next possession and appeared to be headed for the corner of the end zone on the 2-point conversion, but Holman had other ideas as he stood Ross up inside the 1 and helped keep Zeeland West ahead by two possessions at 22-12 with 9:38 remaining in the game.

Geurink closed out the scoring with a 6-yard touchdown run with just four minutes left to play.

"That's just summer prep, that's weight room, that's just a lot of practice that goes into that," Holman said of his crucial two-point stop. "Honestly, it really (stunk) losing last week, but you gotta move on. You gotta play the next game and finish off the season.

Going against a team like that and beating them like that is just a great feeling."

Shillito noted a few key moments in the game as being turning points for his team.

"To me, the two (defensive) stops at the end of the first half were gigantic," he said. "It was 14-6 at that point, so those were big."

The stop of the 2-point conversion was big as well because that kept us at a two-score game. Hayden Reider made a gutty play by going to get the ball and recovering an onside kick when we really needed it."

Holman paced Zeeland West with 21 carries for 112 yards and the two touchdowns. Maas rushed 15 times for 78 yards and a touchdown, while Geurink chipped in 57 yards and a touchdown on 14 carries.

Defensively, Evan Walters recorded a sack for the Dux.

This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: Zeeland West football grounds Reeths-Puffer in rebound win