Today, the Pioneers take on Orchard Lake St. Mary’s in the Division 3 Semifinals. “We hope to go out there and play like we have in the whole season and work our butts off and come out with the win.” Olsson stated.

It’s been four years since the Pioneers have made it this far in post-season play and no matter the outcome of today’s game it has been a terrific season for Coach Peter Stuursma and his team. Malewitz said, “The journey has been a blast and let’s hope to keep going.” The winner of today’s game will advance on to the state championship at Ford Field in hopes of becoming the 2015 state champions.

Rockford at Grand Ledge

Defense wins championships, and it’s clear that both teams understand that. Grand Ledge comes in undefeated but I’m less impressed with their strength of schedule than I am with the Rams. They share two opponents in common, West Ottawa and Holt, where both teams had their way in blowouts, for what it’s worth. The Rams cycle through players like I’ve never seen, in a way that allows them to have fresh legs all the time. For as much as both of these teams score, Grand Ledge has a legitimate edge offensively scoring over 42 points per game. Given their recent offensive domination, and the fact that they get a little home field advantage makes the offer hard to pass up. Don’t overthink it, they’re 11-0.  

That being said, I am going to overthink it, I like the Rams in this one. I think the conference battle that the OK Red gives helps to prep teams for games like this. Rockford has had to battle in more games and has been better tested than Grand Ledge. I think that mental toughness is brought to light in this game. Rams advance.

Division 2

Muskegon at Lowell

I look back at the matchup of Muskegon and Mona Shores, which happened twice, and in the moment I didn’t think there could be a more exciting matchup. Then I started to write about this one. I’ll say it; this matchup trumps the Mona Shores v Muskegon one and I’m absolutely torn as to who I think will win. Here goes.

The Big Reds notched a very impressive and convincing win against Mona last week to hoist a District title. In my opinion, they outplayed Mona Shores in the first meeting, but didn’t get the end result. Their speed and big play ability is what makes them so dangerous and the way they get after the football really wears opponents down. It’s not just one or two guys that stand out, it’s that this roster has 4 players that can score at any point (Pimpleton, Hill-Mckay, Pittman, Copeland). At the end of the day they are undersized, which is one of the very few things that could limit Muskegon moving forward.  

I look at Lowell on paper and scratch my head trying to imagine what it would take for this team to be beat. They were exposed in the first game of the season when they lost 42-40 against Walled Lake Western who happens to be 11-0, while having a fist full of all-conference players. Lowell is physical, strong, and disciplined, this 10-game win streak is no joke, and they really haven’t had a close game since week 1. The offense scores in bunches, and the defense has had multiple shutouts, I really don’t have any evidence as to why I would pick against them.

In the end, in the end, in the end. It’s that point in time, anyone got a coin I can use? In the end I’m going with the Big Reds. This team is fast, but I mean they are really, really fast. Their speed is unmatched and I think it will be hard for Lowell to contain. If this turns into a shootout, I don’t know that Lowell will be able to go toe-to-toe. If it’s a grind-it-out type of game, I think that plays into the advantage of the Red Arrows. Flat out, you’re not going to want to miss this one.

Division 3

East Grand Rapids at Mount Pleasant

Statistically these two teams are carbon copies of one another. The biggest difference is that East runs the ball a lot more effectively than Mount Pleasant does. That being said, the Oilers don’t focus as much on their ground game. Speaking of which, you’d imagine that someone would eventually figure out how to slow down the running back by committee scheme that the Pioneers run. Coach Stuursma would say otherwise, and rightfully so, if it ain’t broke, why the heck try to fix it. Bryce Henkey is running harder and harder each game looking like a kid who won’t be stopped. Hand it to that offensive line, they deserve as much credit as Henkey does. Mike Clifford split out wide demands attention keeping defenders at bay, next thing ya know, East is in the end zone. 

Mount Pleasant may have more firepower? Or at least deserve to be recognized offensively, but in the end I’m taking the Pioneers, I think they will ultimately dictate what tempo the game is played at and grind it out. This EGR team is built off of toughness, and they just get it.

Division 4

Remus Chippewa Hills at Forest Hills Eastern

What hills do you think are better, the forest hills out east, or the remus chippewa hills? I don’t know, I thought it was a fine question, I’m not a geography expert, maybe someone reading this is? Sorry. Anyways! Another great regional matchup! Jack Clark and Caden Peters head the Hawks offense that has been nothing shy of intimidating all season long.  Meanwhile we have a Chippewa Hills team that is equally explosive and loves to air the ball out, pushing the tempo. I really like the win that Eastern has over West Catholic 48-15, and feel like that was the turning point for me. What it comes down to is how the Hawks handle the offense of Chippewa Hills. The Warriors have shared the love offensively this season and are no stranger to putting up big points. It’s another one of those situations where, in a shootout, I’d probably go with Chippewa Hills. However, I think FHE can and will buckle down enough defensively to get the win.

Unity Christian at Zeeland West

I’m not in the business of counting anyone out, this is high school football, anything can happen. But…there’s always a “but”, right? But Zeeland West is way too powerful. These two teams met 3 weeks ago in a game that was dominated start to finish by the Dux, 52-6. I wish I could sit here and tell you that the margin of defeat wasn’t indicative of the gap between the two teams, but I’d be lying to you. Unity has a great football team, I can’t take anything away from them and that’s the reason why we’re taught not to play the comparison game. I love Unity’s grit. The Bos brothers are fun to watch, this whole team competes, and I have been impressed with their defense in a few different games.

In the end I’m going with the Dux. This is a downhill locomotive running at full speed, and it’s going to take a David and Goliath moment to keep this team from a state title. Maybe Unity is that David, but I’m taking Goliath in this one.

Division 5

Grand Rapids West Catholic at Menominee

This makes back-to-back undefeated opponents for the Falcons after they took out Reed City last week. West Catholic is back on the road and looking to continue to prove themself. The Flacons have huge upside and definitely have the feel that they can make it back to state. But, Menominee is perfect thus far at 11-0 and are rolling with home field advantage. West Catholic is going to have to bring all they’ve got and then some in order to advance. Gaetano Vallone and Denny Alt will be the difference makers for West Catholic, and I like the Falcons to steal another one on the road.        

Division 6

Constantine at Northpointe Christian

11-0 against 7-4, records don’t always tell the full story, but it will in this one. Look for Northpointe to do a lot of what they did in weeks 2-10. Just a hunch. Constantine (35ppg) and Northpointe (39ppg) come in averaging a very close points per game amount, we know both offenses can get after it.  Constantine has won dramatically in their last two contests, an overtime victory against Schoolcraft 31-28, followed by a 49-48 win over Watervliet last week. Northpointe was no stranger to drama as well with a 31-28 escape against Montague for the district championship. In the end, Mustangs advance.

“Bryce is more of a run you over kind of back, he’ll put his head down to get the extra couple yards.” Solberg stated about Henkey’s strengths. Henkey also pointed out Solberg’s strengths of how he plays the game. 

“Matt is a lot shiftier than me, he can move side to side two times faster than I ever could and he is better in the open field, a lot better.”

Last week the Pioneers had a big win over the Grand Rapids Christian Eagles in the first round of playoffs sending the Eagles home. Henkey agrees it was a big win for their team. 

“It was great to beat a rival like them. They were one of the teams we wanted to beat in our season. It is very important and it was an awesome win to get our first playoff win in four years.”

Tonight the Pioneers take on the Zeeland East Chix. “We hope to play hard, get the win and have fun,” Solberg stated. The Pioneers spent this week reviewing film and focusing on ways to prepare for tonight’s game. “I think we need to focus on stopping the pass. Their quarterback was really good last week and he threw for a lot of yards and I think if we stop the pass and run the ball well, we will be in a good position to win,” says Henkey.  

With this season being the last for this duo, they hope to take away all of the memories that came with playing football and being a part of this team. Because their season is not quite over yet, there are still memories to be made with the hopes of advancing further in playoffs with a win tonight.

Hudsonville @ Rockford

In terms of production, the Rams have without a doubt the most unpredictable offense in the OK Conferences as game in and game out the workload is coming by committee. Rockford uses a host of ball carriers, sometimes as many as 7 different backs having multiple touches. One game you’ll see the ball thrown 25 times (in a win against Caledonia) and other games where it’s as low as 5 attempts (in a loss against Mona Shores). Unfortunately for the Rams, they will be without QB Jason Whittaker as he has been sidelined with an injury. Tyler Bradfield will be the signal caller for the 3rd straight week as he has done most, if not all, of his damage with his feet. What sticks out most about this team is their defense. The defense is only surrendering 12.3 points a game and has 3 shutouts to go with it. Three of the four times that opposing offenses have scored 21+ points against the Rams they have come out victorious.

As for the Eagles, the win last week against Kentwood broke a two-game losing streak and one of those games was a 28-27 loss to Rockford. Now these teams meet again with a little more on the line. Dalton Agers, Bryce Elliot, Jack Mandryk, and Jared Blum highlight the offense at the quarterback, running back, and receiver spots. I like the Eagles chances if they can win the battle at the line of scrimmage and challenge the running game of Rockford. This was a heckuva battle back in week 9 and I don’t expect things to let up much.

In the end I like the Rams to come out on top in this division 1 showdown. I think their depth and ability to get so many fresh legs involved will wear away at the Eagles. Rockford onward.

Division 2

Byron Center @ Lowell

The Red Arrows have smothered opponents ever since they took one off the chin in week one against Walled Lake Western 42-40. Lowell has outscored their opponents by a score of 431- 122 this season and has also pitched 3 shutouts. You’ll see a running back by committee approach for the Red Arrows as a lot of their damage is done on the ground. At this point I’m not sure what’s more impressive, their offense or defense..

At 8-2 the Bulldogs have shown a tremendous amount of grit this season. Their two losses came at the hands of Zeeland West (likely to run the table in D4), and Forest Hills Northern (7-3). I really like what they have been able to do this season, with this team you’re guaranteed 48 minutes of focus and hard-nosed football. The Saltzgabers tend to keep Byron in every single game, and you won’t find two players their size running as hard as they do. On the defensive side of the ball, I really like the motor on Issac Amborse, but that defense will certainly have its hands full.

In the end I like Lowell, in a lot of ways for the obvious reasons. Byron Center is a very solid football team, but at the end of the day they have the unfortunate task of running into the big red Giant, Lowell.

Muskegon @ Mona Shores

YIKES! I sit here and look at this matchup going back and forth, back and forth. You cannot deny the athleticism on either side of the ball for both teams. On paper you’d give the advantage to Mona Shores as they have four Division 1 athletes on offense (Roberson, Broersma, Burse, and Trovinger) and that doesn't include Dom Shermeta who bailed the Sailors out the last time they played Muskegon (Mona Shore victorious 21-18) with 176 yards and 2 scores. Mona Shores had their hands full in week 8 as it was the Big Reds who gave Mona a defensive challenge that they never saw coming. Mona Shores had some issues up front with more than enough penalties to take them out of the game. Trovinger is going to need to make better decisions through the air, and likely will have to handle a blitz heavy defensive unit. If he can clean it up a bit and get more production from the 3-headed wide receiver trio, I really like Mona’s chances to advance.

On the other side of the coin, you’ve got a Muskegon team that proved that they belong in the same breath as the undefeated Sailors. The Big Reds have shown inconsistencies this season and at times look like they lack motivation. This won’t be the case on Friday, the boys will be ready to play. Copeland, Pimpleton, and Pittman have to find a way to get things going earlier for Muskegon rather than having to dig themselves out of a giant hole again (Muskegon trailed 21-3 in the 3rd quarter). Muskegon’s speed gave Mona fits in week 8 almost completely eliminating the air attack that the Sailors had used to cruise to a 10-0 record. All focus will be on the ground game of Mona seeing how Shermeta torched Muskegon for 176 yards in the first meeting. Two huge questions will make or break this matchup for me. Can Muskegon do what they did to Trovinger again, or will he and the offense adjust? And, can Muskegon keep pace early, if Mona is able to get back to their explosive offensive ways?

In the end I’m taking………… The Big Reds. I know it seems unlikely that they can make the Mona Shores offense as one-dimensional as they did in the previous matchup, but the overwhelming speed that I saw on October 16th leaves me here shaking my head. Speed doesn’t slump. Big Reds advance.

Division 3

Zeeland East @ East Grand Rapids

The visiting Chicks have had a Jekyll and Hyde type of season in the win column winning their first three, dropping the next three, and now ride a 4-game winning streak. Zeeland East has the ability to erase leads rather quickly with their pass heavy... really heavy, approach. In fact, we saw it in week 4 against Grand Rapids Christian as they trailed 24-6 late to start the 4th quarter. The Chicks have scored 32+ points in 6 of their 7 wins including 63 points in week 8.

EGR has been Steady-Eddy this season, and that’s not a bad thing. They run a pretty simple offense, but run it well with Matt Solberg and Bryce Henkey leading the way in the backfield. The one-two punch at running back has proved to be very successful while they slowly but surely wear teams down. Give credit to the offensive line for the work that they have done this season. Jon Olsson will likely be limited this week with a hand injury that has forced him to give up his starting quarterback role to Michael Malewitz, who has been everything he has needed to be in his role.

In the end I’m going with the Pioneers. I love this team’s character and willingness to do anything that they have to in order to win. I think they will be too much, physically, for the Chicks.

Division 4

Benton Harbor @ Zeeland West

There is no denying the beauty of what Elliot Uzelac has done, not only for the Benton Harbor football program, but for the city as well. Uzelac took a team that was winless in back-to-back years, while going through 5 coaches in 3 years, to a monumental win last week against Dowagiac as it was the first ever playoff win in school history. Shoot, the story even made headlines on ESPN. Congrats to coach Uzelac, to the young men suiting up every Friday night, and to the fans who have backed them all season long. This program is going in the right direction and has a great immediate future. Just not that immediate...

The Dux are the Dux are the Dux are the Dux. This team has won 5 straight conference championships and 3 state titles since it’s start back in 2005. A 10 win season isn’t much of a blip on the radar for Zeeland West as of late.

In the end The Dux are just too experience, loaded, and smoothly operating to drop this one. Quack, quack, quack.

Comstock Park @ Forest Hills Eastern

The Hawks have put together a special season as they sit at 9-1 with their lone loss being against Northern by just 2 points (26-24). Eastern has had an interesting season on paper, with a very high quality win over an even hotter West Catholic team early in the season, 45-14. Outside of their loss to FHN, and a 6 point win against Wyoming, Eastern has won every game by at least two scores. Which leaves me with the question, how well can they play when pressured down the stretch?

This is the second time I will reference this, after the first time I swore I’d never use it again. I promise this is the last… “Quality loss”. I keep going back to the 38-28 loss that Comstock had against Zeeland West and think, what does this mean? Can I learn anything from this? Comstock Park and Forest Hills Eastern have four opponents in common; Cedar Springs, Wyoming, Greenville, West Catholic. Against the four teams Comstock went 3-1 losing 42-35 to West Catholic, while Forest Hills Eastern went 4-0. What sticks out to me, other than the polar opposite comparison of the West Catholic game, is the way in which Eastern was able to manhandle Cedar Springs, giving up 12 points as opposed to the 38 that Comstock gave up to them. I don’t mean to get too critical, but I’m just judging what I can see.

In the end I like the Hawks to advance. I think this is could really be a big year for Eastern and I think top to bottom they are going to be too much for the Panthers to handle.

Hudsonville Unity Christian @ Grand Rapids Catholic Central

Unity Christian came out of the OK Green with two losses while sporting a 7-3 overall record. I take a look at their three losses and think, (West Catholic, Byron Center, Zeeland West) it would have been nice to get one, but you can sleep okay at night knowing you lost to three very, very good teams. However, losing all three of those games also makes me wonder where it is exactly Unity belongs. The Bos brothers have been all that you could ask for, and a little more this season as the offense has put up 50+ points on three different occasions.

The Cougars come in at 9-1 with their only loss being on the road at EGR 28-14. The offense moves best when the ball is in the hands of Dom Forbes, even if that means 35 touches. The Cougars use his legs early and often which takes a huge amount of focus off Joe Ens making his job a little bit easier at quarterback. Antonio Strong has been great as a relief option when Forbes isn’t getting all the touches.  

The two teams have two opponents in common, South Christian and Holland Christian in which both teams are 2-0, for what it’s worth. In the end I don’t think Unity will have an answer for Forbes defensively. Panthers move on.

Division 5

West Catholic @ Reed City

These two teams met up last season in the state semifinal as the Falcons came out victorious. A lot has changed for both teams as this time around it’s Reed City with the advantage in the win column. The Coyotes come in at 10-0 while West Catholic sits at 8-2. Can Reed City stay perfect and avenge last season’s loss?

Gaetano Vallone and Denny Alt are the two players to keep an eye on for the Falcons. The high-powered offense has been able to string together a 7-game win streak while scoring 47 points a game during that span.

In the end I like the Falcons to take home a victory in the battle up North in what could be a very high-scoring affair.

Division 6

Montague @ Northpointe Christian

A clash of perfection. Both teams are red-hot coming in at 10-0 respectively. The most noteworthy stat in this matchup has been the lockdown defense of Northpointe giving up an OK Conference low 7.6 points per game. And not to mention, the Mustangs are scoring at a rate of 38.5 points per game. I like the Mustang juggernaut to continue their dominance and advance to the next round.  

Mike Clifford has had a successful season for the Pioneers on both sides of the ball. As a wide receiver and a defensive back, Clifford works extremely hard out on the field to help his team succeed and being surrounded great teammates helps him do so. Clifford comes from a talented athletic family. One of his older sisters, Lily Clifford, received a D1 scholarship to run track at the University of Michigan. Sometimes being younger, there are expectations to uphold, and pressure that comes along with it from family. However, for Clifford, that is not the case. 

“I wouldn’t say it’s pressure, but I mean it’s more help and support than anything. They know what I am going through and just want to push me to get better and do the best I can.” 

As Clifford looks to finish up his last season as a Pioneer, the possibility of playing college football is on his mind, but he has not made any permanent decisions as to whether or not he will further his career.

Playoff Bound:

Tonight the East Grand Rapids Pioneers take on the Grand Rapids Christian Eagles in the first round of playoffs. Last time the Pioneers faced the Eagles, they fell short of the win. Clifford said that their team has spent a lot of time re-watching game film from the last time they played the Eagles looking for mistakes to correct in order to play the best game they can. 

The Pioneers have made improvements to make sure they are fully prepared for this game against the Eagles. 

“Our defensive backs have been working on coming up and filling the holes that we didn’t really do a good job on last time we played them and just really shaping up all the mistakes and things we can do better” Clifford stated. 

With the possibility of the season ending at anytime, Clifford says his teams main focus is to just take it one step at a time, one practice at time, and one game at a time working hard each day and see what happens from there.

The Bulldogs lost in week 2 to an undefeated Forest Hills Northern team that isn’t taking anybody lightly, but the Bulldogs have found a way to right their wrongs and sit a 4-1. I like the grit that the Saltzgaber’s and company have shown for the better part of the season and can appreciate the way the defense has gotten after it as of late.  Up next for the Bulldogs is a Holland Christian (3-2) team that has shown moments this season.

In the end I’m going with the Dux. If nothing else, you be the one to pick against a team that has done what they have statistically. I think Zeeland West will wear down the Byron defense, and from there the Dux will be too hard to match score for score. The two teams meet up in week 7 to decide their fate. 

OK Red: The Red was able to push 5 teams into the playoffs last season as this season it’s looking a little less dominant. Nevertheless, the Red is still going to be possibly the toughest conference to predict with the way that Rockford has come on in the last couple weeks. The Rams lost their season opener at Saline as Virginia Tech commit, Josh Jackson led the way with 5 touchdowns. In Rockford’s 3 wins they have shut out two of their opponents while giving up 20 points to the other. See the trend? Rockford’s second loss came at the hands of Mona Shores, we have already said plenty about this bunch, but for what it’s worth the game ended 31-10.  The Rams have had a pretty balanced attack thus far offensively as Whittaker, McKellar, and Bradfield have grabbed a touch of the spot light.

Hudsonville grabbed a huge win last week against Grand Rapids Christian (3-2) 31-24 as they come in with just one loss (4-1) at Zeeland East (3-2) in week 3. Bryce Elliot and Jared Blum have started to connect well in the last few outings and the Eagles are getting solid production out of Dalton Agers. Hudsonville has a tough one against East Kentwood this Friday.

As for the Falcons, their world was rocked a bit by Jenison (3-2) in week 5 as they lost 28-7. Maybe a trap game as they were looking ahead at Hudsonville? Evan Maday has stepped up as the leader for EK this season as he’s seen help from Joseph Gomez and Andre Welch. Now let’s not overreact, the Falcons have done enough to earn our respect and still control their own destiny as far as a conference championship is concerned.

In the end I like…. well…. okay…let’s see here, can I take all three? In the end I like Kentwood to come out of the Red. I think... Chances are that this conference will come down to the very last minute as Hudsonville and Rockford square off at Rockford to end the regular season. EK has a chance to really get out in front and put the pressure on as they play host to the Rams and Eagles each in the next two weeks.

OK Silver: I hate to be the spoiler here, but Northpointe is going to win the Silver. From what we know about the Silver, and Northpointe is that, larger than life QB Spencer Peterson is doing some of the heavy lifting for the Mustangs as he set a state record for rushing touchdowns in a quarter in his first game with the team (after transferring and sitting out a season). The Mustangs defense has limited opponents to 0, 7, 6, and 8 points in their last four games.

OK White: Yikes, your guess is as good as mine. East Grand Rapids has wins over Catholic Central, Caledonia, and Grandville while their only loss came to Muskegon in week 4. Jon Olsson and Mike Clifford have been firing on all cylinders which has really kept defenses honest in trying to contain Matt Solberg, again, trying to… as he has rushed wild for the better part of the season so far. The balanced attack makes EGR a very attractive pick to come out of the White as they take on GR Christian this Friday.

Grand Rapids Christian has been quite hot and cold this season as they have dealt with injuries, but more importantly seem to be lacking a bit of focus from time to time. The Eagles nearly gave wins away to South Christian and Zeeland East, as they weren’t able to shut the door on big leads. Last week the Eagles dropped their second loss of the season to the Hudsonville as they look to take on EGR next. If Christian High can remain focused and really put the pedal to the metal I truly think the sky is the limit. I like what I have seen for the most part out of any of the three guys in their ground attack (Jordan Smith, Matt Ellis, Davaunte’ Dickens) as well the big play ability that Luke Thompson brings each time he is on the field. Lucas Fotis has also shown big moments when he’s able to get through his progressions in the pocket. Tyler Lamica and a blitz-heavy unit anchor the defense for the Eagles. Focus gentlemen, because your upside is very dangerous.

Finally, that brings me to the Lowell Red Arrows, who have pitched three shutouts through 5 games thus far. The Red Arrows are posting an impressive 46.4 points per game while outscoring their opponents 232- 61. Lowell has the toughest remaining schedule, not necessarily because of who they play, but when they play whom, as they have Caledonia next and end the season playing EGR and GR Christian.

As for Mona, the Sailors have given up the least amount of points per game of any team in the OK Conferences through 5 weeks (7.6 points per game) and have outscored their opponents 219-38 (last 3 opponents; Rockford, Caledonia, Zeeland East). Fact of the matter is, this Mona Shore defense is tougher to score on than Vladislav Tretiak in his run with the Soviet national team in the 1980 Olympics. (C’mon, let me give some love to the Miracle on Ice!). When it’s all said and done, my vote is with Mona to take home the conference crown (and a state championship for what it’s worth). At the end of the day,Mona Shore’s personnel and speed may be too much to handle. Darece Roberson (Western Michigan Commit), Hunter Broersma (Western Michigan Commit), Kobe Burse (Miami Ohio Commit), and Tyler Trovinger (Oakland Commit, baseball) all load up the offensive end for the Sailors, who have been scoring in bunches all season long. What a treat this could turn out to be, but for now, let’s take things one week at a time and enjoy the journey!

OK Blue: The two favorites to come out of the Blue are Comstock Park (4-1) and West Catholic (3-2). Quarterback Pat Naughton is one of the most experienced signal callers in the area and is heading into his third season as a starter. (Last season, as a junior, Naughton racked up 27 total touchdowns on his way to an All-Conference selection in the OK Blue.) Now in his senior campaign he and the Panthers are back at it as they started conference play 1-0. Just 2 weeks back Naughton posted a 5-touchdown game as the Panthers routed Greenville 42-0. The sole loss for Comstock came on the road in week 4 against Zeeland West (5-0) by a score of 38-28. Monterio Smith helps to highlight the spread attack for the Panthers this season and posted a 4 score game in the same outing against Greenville.

Gaetano Vallone leads West Catholic offensively with 17 total touchdowns this season, 11 coming through the air while 6 have been on the ground. Undefeated Forest Hills Eastern, and Jackson Lumen Christi have beaten West Catholic, but the Falcons have bounced back in the last two games scoring 103 points along the way. The conference champ could be a coin toss at this point, but in the end I’m putting my bet with the more-experienced Panthers. We saw last year how valuable veteran quarterbacks were to teams, and the extent that they can lead a team in games down the stretch.  

OK Bronze: To this point it’s a race to week 9 as the two current un-beatens, Forest Hills Northern, and Forest Hills Eastern, look to remain that way as they will go at it head to head to decide it all. For the Hawks, Jack Clark came up huge while posting 6 touchdowns in a 48-15 win over West Catholic (3-2). Eastern’s offense is averaging just over 44 points a game while giving up 22 points a game. So long as the Hawks can continue to score it they should be very tough to beat down the stretch of conference play.

Forest Hills Northern, averaging 43 points a game has been steam rolling opponents as of late, not to mention Jake Martin’s 8 touchdown game just a week ago giving him 24 touchdowns through 5 weeks. The Huskies do boast a quality win as they took out Byron Center 40-28 back in week 2. Byron Center has since won all it’s games and punched their way back into the top ten in our Power Rankings.

I’m taking Northern to come out of the Bronze. Their win on the road is loud enough to convince me up to this point. We will see if either team can keep their perfect record until the meet up to end the regular season.

OK Gold: I like Grand Rapids Catholic Central to take things home in the Gold, plain and simple. The Cougars lost 28-14 in a dogfight to a very convincing East Grand Rapids team at Memorial Field in week 1. Dom Forbes has settled in and is the workhorse for the Cougars as they have since had a margin of victory of over 17 points a game and look to stay hot as they take on Wayland Union in week 6. Barring injuries, I think it’s a safe bet to see Catholic Central run the table in the regular season and come in red-hot as they look to make a playoff push.

- Casey Rutledge 

Entering the night, South was in a very familiar position as this marks the second consecutive year that they have started a season 0-2. However, South wasn’t able to right the ship on Friday as Unity took control in the 2nd quarter and never looked back. The Crusaders ran away with a 40-22 win and must enter the week with intensity as they prepare for a West Catholic team that will be hungry to avenge a week 3 loss to FHE.

What we learned:

•          Rebuild to reload

•          Back-to-back impact games for Unity

•          Playoffs not out of reach for South

•          Unity’s ceiling

Anyone who is reading this that has followed South Christian knows that they lost a barrel of monkeys worth of personnel from last season, 18 starters to be exact. I also promised myself that I wouldn’t use that as an excuse, or bring it up more than once this season, so here is my one time, and forgive me for the reminder. Any team that needs to rebuild as much as the Sailors is bound to face adversity and a potential rocky start. At the same time, this sort of cycle and player turnover happens at some point to every team, players graduate and holes must be filled. South sits at 0-3 with their next opponent being an undefeated Forrest Hills Eastern team that is giving the score keepers about as much hassle as each team they have encountered, by averaging 51 points a game. What I’m saying is that the combination of fresh talent, mixed with an absolute ruthless schedule to start the season (Grand Rapids Christian, Caledonia, Unity) may lead to confusion as to what this team is really capable of. The rebuilding process is one that can haunt a season, but reloading often precedes the former. South is down, but with the right amount of patience and persistency, this season could take a turn for the better.

Unity has struggled with South in the past but made a statement on Friday as to what this season can potentially hold. Let us remember, however, the most important game is always the next one, and Unity will have its hands full with a West Catholic team that is determined to iron out some early season wrinkles. Yes, West Catholic has struggled to a 1-2 record to start the year, but this is a team with plenty of talent, and a game changer in Gaetano Vallone. If Unity can take care of business in week 4, I like them to run the table until predictions are halted with an October 23rd matchup with the Dux of Zeeland East, and a probable conference crown on the line.

All that was said earlier for South leaves hope for post-season promise for the Sailors. The magic number for the Sailors this season will be 5. Five wins will most certainly get South to the post season, and I feel that that is entirely within reach. South is going to have to take a game from either Catholic Central and or FHE, outside of winning the 4 games in between. I predict that the Sailors will find a way to reach the playoffs, as I’d take them as the favorite in 4 of their next 5 games (Ottawa Hills, Hastings, Middleville TK, and Wayland). Like I said earlier, this is a deceptive 0-3 team that has to be the best 0-3 team in the state, for what that’s worth… In order for the Sailors to get there, they must find a way to be more productive on the ground (and on the offensive line), which naturally will take some pressure off of Dykstra. The junior QB has plenty of upside, but also a handful of improvements and make. All that being said, coach Tamminga is going to have to find a way to keep these kids motivated. At 0-3 the focus from the beginning of the year may be shifted, but the season is far from lost.  Patience, patience, patience, my friends, it will all come together.

It’s no shocker when I say that Unity goes as the Bos brothers go, both on the offensive end and the defensive end. Both of these kids have playmaker ability and have what it takes to lead Unity into a deep playoff run, and heck, maybe even a shot at state. The biggest of games will come for them on October 23rd (Zeeland West). Unity’s ceiling can get increasingly higher if Christian Bos can find a touch more consistency through the air. Yes I said it, through the air. Bos has thrown the ball just 12 times this season, with each one having the chance, in the power-T offense, of going all the way. The play action pass is a backbreaker if completed on opponents when dead set on the run as that was on display against South on Friday. The play action pass can take the top off the defense if the secondary doesn’t stay home. Things could get very interesting if the Crusaders can stay injury free leading up to a week 9 showdown against the Dux.

Coaching History: Stuursma started his coaching career at Forest Hills Central High School where he spent three years. His next stop was the University of Northern Colorado where he coached as a Grad Assistant for one year. Following that, he ended up at East Grand Rapids (where he attended) for one year. Subsequently he returned to his Alma Mater Hope College and coached for one year before returning to East Grand Rapids where he currently is coaching his 16th season.

Game Plan: Going into tonight’s game vs. Caledonia, Stuursma would like to see his team improve on minor errors on the field. “We have to respond to Caledonia’s physical presence, they are very good up front,” Stuursma also added as a key to this week. Last year when East faced Caledonia they came out with a tough loss at home to the eventual OK White champion Scots. “They beat us handedly last year on our field. And I said to our guys after the game, they beat us in the weight room." After a solid week of practice and with a healthy squad, Stuursma is confident in his team as they take the field against the Scots. With a 2-0 season record, East is prepared and hopes to keep their undefeated record intact as they begin conference play.

- Crysta Paganelli                                                                    

The two met in what was anticipated to be a thriller down to the wire. It was a thriller all right, sorta, for one team. Christian High took an early 7-0 lead after a smooth first drive as Jordan Smith scampered in from 5-yards out. Freeze there, and stay frozen for the rest of the game. Meanwhile, Muskegon answered immediately when Kalil Pimpleton (known as KP from here on out) used a zone read to go 42-yards to the house. I’ll save you the dramatic tension, Muskegon scored 42 unanswered points as they had a 1-yard Andrew Ward touchdown, KP to PP Copeland on a 16-yard catch, Jared Pittman 3-yard blast up the middle, KP to Terrion (Kool-Aid) Hill-McKay on a 17-yard fade, and finally Copeland capped off the scoring for Muskegon from 18 yards out. The Big Reds made quick work of the Eagles by a final score of 42-14.

Understand a few things. I’d like to tell you “this Muskegon team is a sure-fire State Champ (simply judging by what we saw tonight)”, but explain to me what happened just a week ago in a 15-12 loss at Detroit Catholic Central? Or how about the Eagles? In week 1 they put together a very complete first half, slumped in the 3rd quarter, but regained focus to rattle off a brilliant last drive as Luke Thompson flexed his guns and Lucas Fotis looked as impressive as any QB in the OK Conferences. Both teams had a Jekyll and Hyde turn around in week 2, which leaves me to wonder what words to put on this page. One game at a time I suppose.

 
Things we learned tonight:           

•          Let’s not crown a champ too early

•         Add speed to deception and watch the magic unfold

•         The little things make the biggest difference

•          Where’s the ceiling at

I made the mistake after week 1 of getting a giant eagle tattooed on my chest. I swear… Okay, fine, it was a temporary tattoo, but still. I talked Don Fellows boys up, praised Fotis and Thompson and shared with a few friends the fits that the Eagles would give Muskegon this week. And then it all blew up in my face. The last thing I’m going to do is write the Eagles off, that’s folly, but I want to make a point that the high school season is to be taken one week at a time. Tonight Muskegon was the better team; their defense gave the Christian High offense fits, and the Big Reds ran the pistol offense to perfection from the opening kickoff. Week 2’s Muskegon team would have crushed week 1’s. If Muskegon can find a way to get after it like they did tonight, for the rest of the season, let’s just say they’ll be more than ready when they face off against Mona Shores. However, if Muskegon slips back to their week 1 form, they could fall victim to a tough non-conference schedule. In all, the Big Reds sent a message tonight, but depending on what they do against a steam-rolling Grandville team next week may give us all the reasons to believe.

Pimpleton, Copeland, and Hill-McKay each had player-of-the-game worthy performances tonight as they ran the pistol offense like a well-oiled locomotive. The jet-sweep/misdirection action was enough of a twist to get ball carriers down field and into the open before even the Eagles knew who had the ball. Christian High’s defense looked to be a step behind, and you’re never going to win a track meet if you give the faster team a head start. Pimpleton was equally impressive while throwing the ball from time to time when Muskegon mixed it up. Hill-McKay was an impressive and trusted target in addition to lighting up ball carriers on the defensive end. Speed never slumps, and Muskegon doesn’t seem to have any plan of slowing down.

The scoreboard looked ugly, but the scoreboard never tells the full story. Christian High didn’t help themselves, giving the ball away 4 times and botching 2 punts. Three of the 4 Eagle’s turnovers came while the ball was in Muskegon territory (one being inside the 15-yard line) and a punting miscue left the ball at their own 28-yard line. What I’m saying is, though they may be excuses, Christian didn’t do much to make things tough for Muskegon. It’s the little things; taking care of the ball and capitalizing on special teams that can win you ball games. Ironically, Muskegon did both things well and came out victorious. Eagles fans can’t run and hide, like we said earlier, let’s take one game at a time. This team has the pieces they need.

Muskegon is as fast of a team as you’re going to see, that’s a fact, but are they versatile enough to hang with Mona Shores. The Sailors look to be the favorite to come out of the Black, as well as having a very realistic shot at avenging a state championship loss from last year. I’ll come out and say it, Muskegon’s defense will need to step up in a HUGE way if they want another shot at state this year. Look no further than their week 3 matchup against another run-heavy Bulldog team from Grandville. The ceiling for Muskegon, when at their best, is a state title. If Pimpleton can stay mistake free he gives this team a legitimate shot at running the table.

As for GR Christian, they’ve got some work to do as they were exploited tonight. Luke Thompson disappeared as Fotis never looked comfortable without his go-to man. The defense is much better than what they came out with tonight and will have to dig deep to find out how this season will turn out. I think this team has the necessary confidence, or at least I saw it in week 1. When they are in sync as they were for 3 quarters in week 1, they have the means to make a deep playoff run.

Week 2 was a bit of an unpredicted one. Some teams have made use of hot starts while others have an uphill climb as we near conference play. The one thing we are sure of is that high school football is back and better than ever! Tune back in for week 2 recaps and a full week 3 coming soon!

BOOYAH! 

It was all Eagles after two quarters taking a 25-6 lead into the half as South used two field goals to get there. I’m not sure what coach Tamminga said at halftime that sparked the Sailors, but I suggest he keep the audio recording and give it to me before my next math exam.  

South charged backed with a big 3rd quarter followed by an electrifying interception returned all the way for a touch down by Tarik Williams (2 INT on the night) early in the 4th quarter that left us all wondering, “is this really going to happen”?

Grand Rapids Christian stayed composed putting together a masterful two-minute drill led by Luca Fotis and Luke Thompson as Jordan Smith punched in a final touchdown with under a minute left from 5-yards out to give Christian High the dramatic come from behind win 32-28.  

Things we learned tonight:

• Luke Thompson passes the eye test, and then some
• Eric Dykstra will settle in, and South will be just fine
• I'll pick Tyler Lamica 1 v 1 in a bullfight
• I'd better see John Masselink kicking on Saturdays next season

On the first play from scrimmage Lucas Fotis connected with Luke Thompson on a 48-yard pass down the sideline, and with a stretched out fingertip catch Thompson wasted no time showcasing his athleticism, speed, and catching ability. His best catch of the night came in the 2nd quarter as Fotis lofted up a ball in the corner of the end zone, Thompson got around the defender while reaching back and hauling in the one handed touchdown. This was good enough for a second look, and a third, maybe even a fourth. Then finally, with 1:30 remaining Thompson out ran the Sailor secondary on a deep post route while diving and bringing in a ball that was nothing short of back breaking for South, down to the 5-yard line, all but sealing the game for the Eagles. Not to mention in warm-ups I turned to Sam asking him what he thought Thompson ate in the off-season, this kid has filled out! I’m really interested to see what the season holds for Thompson as he was forced to play out of position last season after Patrick Hall went down with a season ending injury for the Eagles. Which allows for a nice segue, Lucas Fotis was nothing short of impressive last night. He looked calm and navigated the pocket very nicely for a first year starter. He’s got confidence, and the game to back it up.

Eric Dykstra and the Sailors got off to a slow start in the season opener as they trailed 25-6 going into halftime. Dykstra couldn’t seem to get in a rhythm with any of his wide-outs as the first year starter seemed a touch anxious, not getting any deeper than his first read. Then the 3rd quarter happened. We saw a totally different QB, one with a bit of moxie about him, and a control for the game that we didn’t see moments earlier. The Sailors went on a 22-0 run that included touchdown passes of 5 and 21 yards, the ladder being a flawless ball thrown to Trey Vredevoogd, the very talented sophmore that opened the eyes of all who were in attendance on Friday in his own right. In the end South battled back and gave the Eagles absolutely all they could handle. Had it not been for a 41-yard jaw-dropping diving catch from Thompson with 1:30 to play, South may have completed the unlikely comeback. Obviously Dykstra will need a few games under his belt, as any first year starter would, but I expect this kid to pick things up quickly and have South in a position to compete week in a week out. 

It took about one play for Tyler Lamica to fill hole that was created after Jack Bates, the leader of the Christian High defense last season, graduated. Lamica notched 81 tackles in his junior campaign and came back looking bigger, faster, and stronger. Lamica gets down field quickly and in the defensive scheme of the Eagles, blitzes relentlessly. Lamica was all over the field playing with a controlled yet reckless abandon as he led the defense with 9.5 tackles and several QB hurries. Look for Lamica to have a sure breakout season as one of, if not the best all around linebacker in the OK White.

John Masselink booted field goals of 39 and 32 yards that both would have been good from 50. He also made it a habit of launching his kick-offs into the end zone and single handedly eliminating the special teams game of Christian High all night. Special teams gets over looked at the high school level and in a lot of ways can be an x-factor in a game. Masselink has put work in at wide receiver and will look to emerge as a dual threat option for South this season.

High school football is back and what a treat week 1 was! We’ve got a great selection of games ahead in week 2 and look forward to full coverage. Stay tuned.

- Casey Rutledge

After the Eagles first touchdown they fought a tough battle to hold the Sailors to only two field goals, making it a 25-6 lead at the half. After halftime the Sailors took the field ready to anchor down on the Eagles. On the Sailors first drive to the goal line, Chase Brink caught a 5 yard touchdown pass making the score 25-13. The Sailors kept on sinking the Eagles in the 3rd quarter when a 21-yard pass attempt to Vredevoogd was caught for a touchdown making the score a close game of 25-20.

As the game reached the 4th quarter, the Sailors wasted no more time to take the lead over the Eagles for the first time of the game by intercepting Eagles QB Lucas Fotis’ pass and taking the ball 75 yards down the field for a touchdown. The Sailors achieved a two-point conversion attempt to make it a 28-25 game With each student section chanting back and forth, “I believe that we will win,” it was anyone’s game at this point. The Eagles were not ready to surrender as they made a huge stop on the Sailors 4th down pass, which fell incomplete making it Eagles ball with only 2:30 left on the clock. Eagles, Jordan Smith ran the ball in for a 5-yard touchdown taking the lead 32-28 with only 56 seconds left to play. The Sailors did not give up as they made attempts to get down the field, but unfortunately fell short as the game came to a close with an Eagles victory. 

- Crysta Paganelli

And here…we…go!

To round out the ’14 season, we had two OK teams bring home state crowns: West Catholic and South Christian. Like both of these teams, many of the contenders in the OK conferences were senior-led programs. I’ve sent some files to the MHSAA and am waiting to hear back on my eligibility as a 22-year-old, so for you coaches out there, realize that you have an athlete on the other end of this blog that has 5.5 speed and can blend in well on the bench. Cheers to the class of 2014/15, but it’s time to fill roles and find new faces worth of the “Big Man On Campus” title.

We are looking to get even more interactive this season with interviews, short spoofs, awards, videos, and more. We hope that you are as curious and enthused about this season as we are, and we encourage you to keep up to date with everything MSR-related from day to day. Help us spread the word that MSR is THE place to be for high school football!

Stay tuned.