MUSKEGON – Ca’Mari Reese is quickly becoming the name to watch in West Michigan high school football.
On Friday night, Reese led the Cardinals to a 39-7 victory over Muskegon Catholic Central at Kehren Stadium. Stepping into the starting role after senior Peyton Babbitt went down with a hand injury, Reese continued his breakout stretch, rushing for 190 yards and four touchdowns on just eight carries. His scoring runs came from 28, 11, 75, and 43 yards.
This performance followed last week’s 270-yard, two-touchdown effort in a close win over Manistee, showing that Reese has given the Cardinals a huge spark on offense.
The game also featured a fun moment when senior lineman Jequaris Jones, who usually serves as the team’s holder on extra points, scooped up a bad snap and tried to run it in for a two-point conversion.
The 6-foot-4, 278-pound senior barreled toward the end zone and stiff-armed one defender before being brought down just shy of the goal line. While it didn’t result in points, it was a memorable moment that had his teammates and fans fired up.
Orchard View began the season 0-3 against a tough schedule that included Oakridge, Whitehall, and Montague. With two straight wins, the Cardinals are starting to gain momentum and improve their play heading into the second half of the season.
The team has shown steady growth on both sides of the ball, with players buying into the system and playing more cohesive football each week.
Reese nearly added a special teams touchdown to his night as well. He returned a kickoff 80 yards for a score, but the play was called back due to a penalty. On the very next snap, he broke free for a 75-yard touchdown run.
Last week, Reese was caught short of the end zone on a long run after tiring out late in the play. This week, he finished strong and showed even better conditioning.
Orchard View’s defense made its presence felt throughout the game.
- Kenyon McCauley led the unit with 10.5 tackles.
- Lawrence Spencer added 8.5 stops.
- Corey McCain contributed 7.5 tackles and also scored on a short rushing touchdown.
- Chris Theile added a 38-yard touchdown run on offense.
Muskegon Catholic Central (2-3) scored its lone touchdown on a nine-yard quarterback keeper by Bode Zygmuntowski in the second quarter.
Running back Timmy Railling had another strong game, rushing for 101 yards to surpass the 100-yard mark for the second straight week. Zygmuntowski added 100 rushing yards and also led the defense with 7.5 tackles.
Orchard View now sits at 2-3 and is building momentum heading into next Friday’s road game at Fremont in West Michigan Conference Lakes Division play.
Babbitt’s return later this season will give the Cardinals another dynamic option at quarterback, but for now, Reese’s emergence has provided a huge boost to a team that is starting to find its rhythm.
Muskegon Catholic Central will look to bounce back at home next week against Shelby.
A big thank-you to our SportsNut contributor, who was on-site to cover the game and capture all the action for SportsNet. Your support helps us keep local sports coverage strong and connected to the community.
