***Article by Josh Longstreth
Making their twenty-fourth straight playoff appearance, the Big Reds of Muskegon started their 2023 playoff version in a big way. Muskegon had it going on both sides of the ball as they cruised to a 41-0 win over Forest Hills Northern last week. Since dropping their first two games of the year, Muskegon has won nine games in a row. This is nothing new for a program that has a chance to make deep playoff runs each season. On the other side is no stranger to that success either. The Mona Shores Sailors know what it’s like to have program success. Since 2013, you won’t find many programs that have had as much success. This would be stapled as a big time district title matchup and it came out as everything that was expected.
Muskegon would break through for the first score of the night midway through the opening quarter. Jakob Price would find his way into the endzone on a 27-yard run and with a good PAT, the Big Reds had themselves a 7-0 lead. Mona Shores would feel some urgency and take full advantage. Late in the quarter Andrew Baker would scamper in from 10-yards away to knot the game at 7-7. The Big Reds would come up big late in the quarter. M’khi Guy would dive in from 1-yard away and Muskegon would grab the momentum right back. Muskegon would hold a 14-7 lead after one.
Both defenses would really settle in in the second quarter. Neither offense could get much going and this would set up what looked to be a dandy of a second half. The Big Reds would hang on to the slim lead headed into halftime.
Muskegon would finally be able to get their offense going early in the half. Guy would break free on a 27-yard touchdown run to make it a 21-7 game. Sensing they may have taken the sails out of Mona Shores wouldn’t last long. The Sailors would grab some momentum back on a quick scoring drive as Jonathan Pittman found Micah Carefelle on a 12-yard strike to cut the Muskegon lead to 21-14. Muskegon, then feeling some urgency themselves would bounce right back. Destin Piggee would scamper in from 7-yards out and Muskegon had the lead back at two-scores, 28-14. Back and fourth we went and the two weren’t done in the quarter. Mona Shores wasn’t about to let this one get away and they would answer the call yet again. This time Carfelle would throw a touchdown pass of his own, connecting with Jaeger Johnson from 60-yards. This would cut into the Muskegon lead, 21-28, after three quarters of play.
The Muskegon offense wasn’t going to let up in this one. Guy would reach the endzone, adding another 1-yard dive to the collection. This would make it a 35-21 Big reds lead with plenty of time remaining. Midway through the final quarter, the Sailors offense came to life again. Hayden Terpstra would find some room on a 10-yard run and cut the game to a one score game, again. Leading 35-28, Muskegon knew there was something that was going to have to give. And it was the Big Reds offense who came up big again. Price would put together his biggest play of the night, taking one in from 35-yards away to make it a 42-28. That would put the game on ice as the Muskegon defense was able to limit the Mona Shores offense to stave off any comeback. Muskegon takes the district title over Mona Shores, 42-28.
The Sailors season comes to an end. In what was another solid season for Mona Shores, they wouldn’t be able to limit an explosive Muskegon offense in what would ultimately be their undoing. Mona Shores will lose some pieces, but also returns some vital pieces to a team that should be successful in 2024.
Muskegon had their offense fine tuned all night and the defense came up with some big plays when it mattered most. They’ll look to see if they can keep things rolling when they face a Heritage team who is coming off a dominant win over Midland Dow in their district title matchup. Muskegon was tested in this one but had the moxy to be able to come out on top. The two ranked teams will collide in what should be one of the best matchups out there in regional play.
