By: Nate Dreyer
Photo courtesy of Miles Postema
Only two weeks remain in the chase for O-K Conference titles, and the MHSAA post season is right around the corner. Sunday the boys brackets will lock in, and time is running thin for teams to get those critical final wins and improve their odds to get a seeded district spot, and the possible all-important first-round bye.
Friday this week, LIVE on MSR we’ll see huge clashes that will decide conference titles in Rockford vs. E.K., (Boys and Girls) Unity Christian vs. Coopersville, and Zeeland West vs. Muskegon and more… But, Tuesday (and Wednesday) have equally big matchups, with everything covered on MSR!
Tuesdays Games:
Rams and Eagles – Round Two
The O-K Red runs through Rockford: With the Rams boys holding a 2 game lead and the Rockford girls up by .5 games going into the week’s action. And what a week it is, as the Rams will have to see Hudsonville on Tuesday night before hosting E.K. Friday in a game that could anoint the boys as conference champs and give the conference lead to whichever girls team comes out on top.
Hudsonville’s boys have been playing spoiler as of late, and shaking up the top of the standings, as they look for a late run to try and secure a come-from-behind conference championship. After beating E.K Friday, 56-48, the Eagles boys are hunting another win – as they look to hand the Rams their first loss in 13 games and first loss in the league all season.
It will be a great battle all-around, but the duel between stand-out senior guards Andrew Landis and Brayden Szamrej will be outstanding. Landis for Rockford has been scoring just south of 20 points per game the last two weeks and is one of the area’s deadliest shooters. And Szamrej for Hudsonville has been playing equally as well lately after delivering the win on Friday with his ability to score at all three levels while also distributing for others.
The girls match-up also is huge as Hudsonville will look for a season-defining upset win as they prepare for a district that will feature the likes of state title contenders Byron Center and East Kentwood, while Rockford’s girls look for an all-important win to set up a game with the Falcons for ‘all the marbles’ Friday night.
O-K Red Clash at East Kentwood
Grandville and East Kentwood’s boys each suffered slip-ups on Friday on their home floors, as the Bulldogs fell to red-hot Rockford and the Falcons dropped two games off the Ram’s unbeaten league pace with a loss to Hudsonville.
They now will look to right the ship, with two weeks remaining to try and pull off a come-from-behind effort to steal the conference crown from the streaking Rams. The Falcons were able to run by the Bulldogs in the second half of the first meeting at Grandville, 51-39.
The big-man battle of D1 prospect Christian Humphrey-Rembert for Kentwood and GVSU-bound Cam Regnerus for Grandville will be a great one to watch. Regnerus averaged 22.5 points in the Bulldogs two games last week and is playing as well as ever. But, ‘CHR’ is a dynamic three-level scorer that will test the Bulldogs center outside and in when they are matched up.
Watch the battle to control the pace, as Coach Thomas’s Falcons are comfortable at an uncomfortably-high pace and will look to push that, while Grandville has resorted to a move to a zone defense and slower-paced offense in the past two years in games vs. Kentwood to try to slow the high-flying Falcons down to their physical, grinding style.
The stakes on the girls side are the same as in Hudsonville, as a Grandville team that contended well with Rockford for a half and has been playing some of their best basketball will be looking for an upset over E.K., who needs a win to stay at one-loss in the ‘Red’ and set up the winner-take-all showdown with Rockford Friday night!
Catholic Central Looks to Avoid Slip-Up vs. FHE
The G.R.C.C. boys have been among the absolute best teams in the area since the turn of the calendar to 2024 – They haven’t dropped a game to a single team from the state of Michigan (their lone loss coming at the 2K24 Showcase to Lima (OH)), despite having dealt with some injuries to leading scorers Zay Larthridge and Durral Brooks. Brooks has now again returned the the lineup with vengeance and will look to power the Cougars to a repeat of their first meeting with Forest Hills Eastern – they won that one 82-55.
C.C. still has a trying schedule coming up outside of their O-K Gold slate, as they play big-time matchups on each of the next two Saturdays – Including Detroit MLK this Saturday at the Wilson Chandler Invite being hosted by GRCC. So the Cougars are looking for some momentum going into those games and the playoffs in a loaded D2, along with the wins needed to capture a conference title.
Wednesday Game:
West MI’s Best Play for the Second Time in Six Days on Wednesday
Friday night Calvin University played host to the most hotly-anticipated matchup of the season, as the area’s top two ranked teams and state title contenders, GR Christian and Northview met for the first time. It was the exact back-and-forth affair that was to be expected, with the Eagles, bouncing-back from an upset loss vs. Byron Center on Tuesday, winning 54-43 and knotting Northview with one loss at the top of the O-K White.
After their scheduled first meeting was postponed due to weather in January, Wednesday night will be the pair’s second game in six days, and this time they will, in-all-likelihood, determine the O-K White championship in the rematch of the year.
The matchups in this one are endless, The Ryans brothers – E.J. and Cam – for Northview are each 6’4”+ guards that can defend at all levels and help lean into the possession-by-possession, skill vs. skill game that Northview HC David Chana plays. E.J is committed to play at the next level at Western Michigan and sophomore Cam has a wealth of options – including an offer he picked up over the weekend to play for Big 12 power Iowa State.
Christian senior Jaylan Ouwinga is on his way to Toledo next year, and can impact the game with his 6’9” frame at all levels and score on the break or in the half-court (and can defend at any speed and almost any position as well). Athletes like Ouwinga power a GR Christian team that can be both one of the fastest, and most efficient teams, in the state on both ends of the floor.
The names on the list run on: Brady Swartz, for Northview and Nathan Johnson for GR Christian on the Wing. Malachi Hooser Picking up one of the Ryans brothers in the backcourt for the Eagles, and on and on….
It will be, in-all-likelihood, the regular season game of the year in west Michigan and the GAME NIGHT crew will bring their ‘Radio+’ coverage with scoring, booth cam, & more for the live play-by-play. Broadcast goes live on WEDNESDAY night at 6:30pm!
Live coverage starts from Catholic Central at 6:45pm!
As always, be sure to keep an eye on the ‘Listen Live’ page throughout the day as other big time games will get added to our live coverage! And, shake back in here before the games Friday as we preview the likes of Rockford/EK, Unity Christian/Coopersville, & Muskegon/Zeeland West – which will all be LIVE on MI Sports Radio!
Conference standings, schedules and more are also always available right here on MichiganSportsRadio.com, so you have nowhere else to roam, if you are looking for everything high school sports in west Michigan & beyond!
