By: Nate Dreyer
Photo courtesy of Miles Postema
January 12 was set to be one of the biggest nights of the season with marquee clashes across Michigan Sports Radio air, in a fluid situation, a lot of that scheduling has been changed. With impending blizzards and inclement weather moving in Friday evening, schools have begun to push many of the contests up to Thursday night (tonight) or other planned schedule options.
Be sure to keep an eye on team/school social media accounts as well as where broadcasts on the ‘Listen Live’ page here are moved to. But, it still is a massive couple of nights in conference play, regardless, here’s a look at some of the prime-time matchups on Michigan Sports Radio tonight and tomorrow evening.
OK-Red Showdowns
A pair of OK-Red doubleheaders provide some of our biggest action, led off by a game among the favorites to win the OK-Red crown on the boys side, and two of its top competitors on the girls side. East Kentwood visits Hudsonville and the new Hudsonville Fieldhouse, for what sure is going to be a packed and raucous atmosphere, regardless of the weather conditions and night the games are played.
East Kentwood’s boys are among the top teams in the state and are seriously hitting their stride in OK-Red play as Christian Humphrey-Rembert, Jah Hatchett and the Falcons have won their first two OK-Red games (over WO and Jenison) by a combined 149-58, along with throwing in a huge showcase win over fellow state title contender Brother Rice at Albion College last Saturday.
The Eagle boys also are flying high into this weekend, they’ve opened the conference season with wins over Grand Haven and Caledonia and now ride a 4-game winning streak, going back to the opening night of their new arena. The outcome of the OK-Red boys title for 2024 may very well come back to this matchup when the season is said-and-done, our Ron Cox is on the call for that one at 5:45.
Ron also will stay on the air for video coverage of the girls Falcon/Eagle battle, as two of the top programs year-after-year in the OK-Red look for a big win to try and keep pace with the state’s top-ranked Rockford Rams.
Speaking of the Rams, they host a double header tonight in their annual ‘Hoops For Haiti’ games. On the boys side, both Grandville and Rockford are rolling and will be set to recreate their battle from last year where defense led the way as both teams earned a split, and each defended home court. The Bulldogs will be in a unique spot, as they will be playing back-to-back nights coming off a dominant win over West Ottawa in a track meet that saw four Bulldogs score in double digits.
The top girls team in the state resides in Rockford, and the Lady Rams will look to keep their early season dominance over a Grandville girls team also being forced to complete a back-to-back after a tough loss to Gabby Reynolds (27 points scored) and WO. Last time out Rockford took down previously unbeaten Grand Haven, 55-38.
Bird Bowl Triple Header
Zeeland East and Zeeland West will engage with their next-door neighbors a night early, tonight from Zeeland West High School. The GAME NIGHT on MI Sports Radio crew will have video coverage starting at 5:00 of a packed night of hoops action.
First at 5:30 the girls take to the court, followed up with always-fun coverage of the Unified basketball game, and then to close the evening Merritt Alderink, Luke Bakker and the Dux of West will take on B.J. Walker, Layne Risdon and the Chix, as each look to get to 3-0 in the tough OK-Green conference to start 2024!
OK-Blue Clash
Coopersville and Hamilton played some classic contests on the boys side in 2023, and again the OK-Blue may wind up being decided between these two programs. The Boys start out the night as (recent) Calvin commit J.T. McIlwain and the Hawkeyes look to recreate some of last year’s heroics over the Broncos vs. a Coopersville team that is reloaded, good as ever defensively and in prime position to take the Blue this year.
The girls game also features a fun contest as standout Jr Kaitlyn Geurink and the Hawkeyes look to defend home floor and win their second game in a row after taking down Allendale on Tuesday. The Broncos ladies also come in set to play with an edge as they are looking to break a 2-game losing streak to start conference play.
CC/Kenowa Clash
The Catholic Central Cougars continue their march now atop the OK-Gold after the conference-season-opening-win vs. South Christian. We have coverage of a boys OK-Gold battle Thursday (tonight). As GR CC takes on Kenowa Hills, the Knights have a young team for HC Mike Moorhead in year one after the departure of now-GVSU stand-out Javion Otten. They’ve won two of their last three and will be looking from the upset against the surging Cougars have been getting a huge boost out of the huge play of Sophomore standout, Zay Larthridge.
–
Again, we have shifting schedules and plenty of changes on their way throughout the day and weekend, so be sure to keep an eye on your team’s social media and website for schedule changes along with keeping an eye on the ‘Listen Live’ page here to see what broadcasts get added and times changed!
While you are at it, be sure to check out standings, schedule, and scores from across West Michigan and beyond, right here on MichiganSportsRadio.com!
