The third week of the high school football season is here, and conference play begins in full swing on Friday night! A quick preview of the games airing live on Michigan Sports Radio:
Coopersville vs Fruitport
The Broncos are off to a blistering start, winning their first two games in the 2021 campaign by a combined count of 84-30, scoring exactly 42 points in each victory. Coopersville’s defense stepped up last week too, as they shutout Wayland. This week, they begin OK Blue play against the Fruitport Trojans, who enter with a 1-1 record after last week’s tough loss to Cadillac. The Trojans’ defense will have their tallest task against this explosive Broncos attack on Friday night. Last year, Fruitport won 28-21, their second straight win in the series.
Forest Hills Central vs Northview
The Forest Hills Central Rangers enter Friday’s OK White opener with a 1-1 record after a last-second loss to Grand Blanc. They will take on Northview, who has started a surprising 2-0 under first-year head coach Ryan Oshnock. FHC won 37-10 last year, their second straight victory in the series.
Grandville vs Caledonia
The Grandville Bulldogs bounced back after a tough loss to Glenbard West, as they cruised to a 50-0 victory against UD Jesuit last Friday. OK Red action will kick off against one of the area’s surprise teams in Caledonia. The Fighting Scots have outscored Holt and Lowell 76-14 to start the season at 2-0 for the first time since 2015. Last fall, the Bulldogs thrashed the Fighting Scots 42-7.
Forest Hills Eastern vs Grand Rapids Catholic Central
The Forest Hills Eastern Hawks bounced back for their first victory last week, taking down Holland Christian 34-7. At 1-1, OK Gold play begins with the tallest task imaginable, two-time defending State Champion Grand Rapids Catholic Central. The Cougars, winners of 24-straight games, have impressed in wins over Lapeer and Merrillville Andrean so far this season. In last year’s match-up, GRCC won 28-3, their ninth win in ten all-time meetings.
East Grand Rapids vs Grand Rapids Christian
OK White play begins for the Pioneers and the Eagles on Friday night. After a tough opening loss to Zeeland West, the Pioneers impressed in a victory over South Christian. Grand Rapids Christian has failed to get in the win column, losing to two of the area’s toughest teams in Unity Christian and South Christian. These two teams have played 18 times, including every season since Grand Rapids Christian joined the OK Conference in 2008. In 2020, Grand Rapids Christian won 22-15, their third straight season with a victory over East Grand Rapids.
Reed City vs Tri-County
A pair of undefeated clubs in the CSAA-Gold meet with the driver’s seat in the conference title race up for grabs. Reed City, the stronghold atop the standings in the Gold the past few seasons, will welcome Tri-County to town for the big game. The Coyotes shook off a non-conference loss to Cadillac with a league opener against Grant. Tri-County is undefeated after thrashing Lakeview and Chippewa Hills to the tune of a 92-7 margin. The Vikings have not won in this series since 2003 when the teams were both in the Western Waterways Activities Conference West. In the most recent meeting in 2019, it was 50-20 Reed City.
Big Rapids vs Newaygo
The Cardinals began CSAA-Gold play last week with a victory over Fremont, 40-13. They will look to build on their conference record with a showdown against Newaygo. The Lions are currently 0-2, suffering a close loss to Kent City and a loss last week to Central Montcalm. Currently riding a six-game losing streak, the Lions lost to Big Rapids 48-20 in last year’s playoff opener.
South Christian vs Middleville
The Sailors took a tough loss last week, falling to East Grand Rapids. They will to bounce back this Friday in their OK Gold opener against the Middleville Trojans. Middleville started the year with a 30-6 loss to Hastings, before they had to forfeit against Byron Center last week as a result of COVID. Last year, South Christian won 28-7, their second straight victory in the series.
Rockford vs East Kentwood
The OK Red season opens for both teams on Friday night, but the two programs enter with different momentum. Rockford took down Sterling Heights Stevenson by fourteen points, and followed that up with a 35-6 win over Cedar Springs. East Kentwood on the other side, lost to Muskegon and Brother Rice by a combined total of 80-7. There wasn’t a match-up last year in the shortened season, but in 2019 the clubs split two meetings.
Central Montcalm vs Fremont
The Hornets, 2-0 on the season, will continue CSAA-Gold play against the Fremont Packers. Central Montcalm took down Morley Stanwood and Newaygo in the first two weeks, outscoring their opponents 57-27. Fremont has started 0-2 this fall, with losses to Ludington and Big Rapids. Last year’s game was cancelled as a result of COVID, but the Hornets won 33-8 in 2019.
West Catholic vs Allendale
The Battle of the Falcons kicks off the OK Blue slate for both teams. Allendale’s defense has been strong, allowing just seven points in eight quarters. West Catholic has shown their strength on offense, scoring 71 points in two victories. This is the second straight year that Allendale has opened 2-0, while it’s the first time for West Catholic since 2016. Last fall, West Catholic defeated Allendale 34-12.
Freeland vs Bridgeport
The Falcons are 2-0 for the tenth time in eleven years, as they defeated Alma 40-7 in last week’s TVC-Central opener. Freeland will now look to take on Bridgeport, a team that has struggled in their first two weeks. In two defeats, Bridgeport was outscored 18-63. It’s the fourth straight season that the Bearcats have started with consecutive defeats. Last year, Freeland escaped with a 29-22 victory. The Falcons have won all seven match-ups in this series.
Swan Valley vs Essexville Garber
The Vikings have lost their first two games against Cedar Springs and Frankenmuth, two strong programs. As a result, they are 0-2 for the first time since 2004. They will try and return to the win column when they take on Essexville Garber. The Dukes are 2-0 after easy victories against Carrollton and Bridgeport. Last season, Garber defeated Swan Valley twice, 56-32 in the regular season and 21-14 in the playoffs.
