We have reached the start of conference play, and in several divisions of the OK Conference, week three will feature massive matchups and rivalries that may, in-part, determine the fate of the conference title races already.
Let’s get into another packed week of games that you can find LIVE Friday night, right here on MSR!
ROCKFORD (2-0) vs GRANDVILLE (0-2)
Don’t let the records fool you, this classic OK-Red rivalry game may wind up being the determining factor in the race for the Red in 2024… And in all likelihood will be the first of two match-ups between a pair of teams that may be prepared to see each other in the playoffs for the 4th time in 5 seasons.
Rockford have won every matchup with the ‘Dawgs since their 2019 regular season game at Bulldog Stadium, and the 2024 version of the Rams could prove to be one of the best that Coach Brent Cummings has had in his 5 seasons on the Rams sideline. Tough wins over state powers Cass Tech and Muskegon opened the year for the Rams and now they host another big one vs. rival Grandville. The Rams scored 28 points in each of the first two games of the year, we’ll see if they can open up the offense with junior QB Brayden Daniels this week as a Bulldogs defense allowing 47 points per game comes to town.
Grandville has suffered back-to-back heartbreaking losses in the closing seconds after they rallied from 3 scores down vs. elite teams Pickerington North (OH) and Davison the first two weeks of the year. If the Bulldogs can avoid the turnovers that have hit them in the first half of each game, along with some special teams and defensive mistakes in the first half and control the game script – The Bulldogs may be able to pull off the road upset. 2023 All State RB Jayden Terry already has 7 touchdowns this year, and his flanking back Easton Suidinski scored 3 times on his own last game, helping make this maybe the most dangerous Power T offense coach Eric Stiegel has had in his 11 seasons with the Bulldogs.
FREELAND (2-0) vs SAGINAW SWAN VALLEY (0-2)
Few teams have taken care of business as impressively as Freeland to open the 2024 campaign, as they backed up a 54-6 week one win over Saginaw United with a 44-0 blanking of Bridgeport last Friday. The Falcons get to come back home this week and take on Saginaw Swan Valley, who is still looking for their first win of the season, and are fresh off a tough 63-27 loss to an always stout Frankenmuth team that looks like a real title threat again this year.
The Freeland defense will be the story in this game, as we’ll see if the Swan Valley attack will be able to get anything going vs. the Falcons. Freeland allowed just a total of four yards in the shutout win last week, if they can put together that type of defensive performance, their stout offense that also has been racking up the points will be able to easily create a 3-0 start.
COOPERSVILLE (1-1) vs LOWELL (1-1)
Coopersville suffered a surprising loss last week vs. West Catholic, falling 63-28 in a game that was thought to be the one that the Broncos might have been able to get past the Falcons after losing several close games to their W.C. rivals in the past couple of seasons. The Red Arrows also come in at 1-1 after they were able to defeat Mattawan following a 28-0 loss for a young Red Arrows team the first week of the year vs EGR.
This first game of the Rivers City Alliance schedule for each will also be the annual Lowell ‘Pink Arrow’ cancer fundraiser charity game.
This will likely be an old-school game, as both coaches have talked about their physicality as a key to winning games this season. Because of that the play from each QB may wind up having to make the difference with stout units up front for each team, in particular we’ll see if Coopersville senior QB Beau Harris can shake off the tough game against West Catholic and lead Coopersville to a conference-opening win, of if the Red Arrows can stake the early claim at the top of the conference.
CENTRAL MONTCALM (1-1) vs. CHIPPEWA HILLS (0-2)
Central Montcalm is fresh off a tough losing in an expected run-first and defensive struggle vs. Newaygo last week and looking to get back on the right track with another home game this week against 0-2 Remus Chippewa Hills.
The Hornets had the lead 12-7 in the early second half, before giving up 14 unanswered and falling to coach Ralph Munger’s Lions. This will be a good chance for a veteran Central team to bounce back vs. an 0-2 Chippewa Hills team in a CSAA Red vs White crossover game.
GR CATHOLIC CENTRAL (2-0) vs PONTIAC NOTRE DAME PREP (2-0)
The Catholic Central Cougars take their first road trip of the season to play one of the best games of the week in a cross-state private school clash. Pontiac Notre Dame Prep, like GRCC, comes in at 2-0 on the year with some impressive wins in really tough contests – notably taking down perennial state title threat Jackson Lumen Christi last week.
This could be a preview of teams that could meet later on in the D5 playoffs and will be another chance for growth out of C.C. freshman QB Odin Spencer, who accounted for a pair of scores last week in a hard-fought win over St. Thomas More (ONT). Spencer will be seeing a very stout Notre Dame defense that was able to slow the typically ground-dominant option attack of Lumen Christi last week – we’ll see if Catholic Central trusting their first-year QB to go to the air early and often will be in the cards in the Cougars attempt for 3-0.
NEWAYGO (2-0) vs GRANT (1-1)
On the other side of the coin from the Central Montcalm/Newaygo game is the 2-0 Lions, who reached that mark for the first time since 2014, and are now only one win away from matching their 2023 win total. Grant will have spent their week licking some wounds and looking to take out some revenge on the Lions after they fell 56-6 to Tri-County on their home field last Friday Night.
This will be an old-school running attack that matches up the Newaygo flexbone triple option offense against Tiger’s ‘T’ offense. Tri-Country really controlled things on the ground in the big win over Grant last week, so the Tigers will have to shore up the ground defense to make this one the physical back-and-forth run-battle we are hoping for.
TRI-COUNTY (2-0) vs. MORLEY-STANWOOD (1-1)
Tri-County pulled off one of the most impressive wins that we had on MSR air in week two as they controlled every aspect of the game in a big 56-6 win over Grant. They now host a 1-1 Morley Stanwood team as they look to repeat the type of dominance they had on the ground and on defense last week.
Morley-Stanwood comes into this road trip off a tight 20-14 loss to Kalkaska last week that followed a dominant 59-0 win the first week of the year over Holton. So, this is a Mohawks team that has already shown an ability to play in a couple different styles of game. We’ll see if the stingy Tri-County defense can hold, or if the ‘Hawks put up closer offensive numbers to their week one performance.
JENISON (1-1) vs. HUDSONVILLE (1-1)
A pair of 1-1 rivals that each had very different week one’s vs.week two’s that now begin OK-Red conference play in a very interesting clash. After a bit of a surprising loss the first week of the year to Howell, Hudsonville bounced back in a huge way last week, as they picked up a 14-12 win over reigning state D2 Semifinalist East Lansing. EL has one of the more dynamic multiple offensive attacks in the state and a future ‘power 4’ running back, so the defensive performance from the Eagles is certainly one that stands out from the game.
Jenison won their first game for 2021 state champion head coach and Hudsonvill- native Josh Lucas as he begins his run as the head coach of the Wildcats this year, as they shut out Kalamazoo Central 14-0 for a week one win. They would be on the other side of things week two, falling 28-6 to a good looking Forest Hills Northern team on their home field.
On the whole, this will be one of the most interesting games of the week, as we see where the veteran Eagles are coming off their big win and if the young and new-look Wildcats can bounce back for their new coach.
COMSTOCK PARK (0-2) vs. FRUITPORT (0-2)
Comstock Park hosts a possible get right game for a pair of squads that have picked up a tough 0-2 start to their 2024 campaign’s. The hosting Panthers of Comstock Park fell to the early powerhouse that has been Tri-County in week one and then fell again last week, 37-8, vs. a very solid looking Holland Christian team.
On the other side, Fruitport will look to pick up their first win of the season after they opened with a big loss to rival Spring Lake in week one and another one to Big Rapids in week two. We’ll see which OK-Silver conference rival will be able to put a 1-0 in the conference standings page at the end of this one.
WEST CATHOLIC (1-1) vs. SOUTH CHRISTIAN (2-0)
Here’s a great ball game – A week 3 non-conference rivalry game between a pair of teams that each have state championship dreams in their respective divisions (and that were each last champions in 2022). South Chrisitan and senior QB Carson Vis have found their offensive mojo so far, scoring 6 TDs in each of their first two contests against GR Christian and EGR.
West Catholic has one of the most impressive and somewhat surprising wins of the week in the way they did it last week. As the Falcons went on the road to Coopersville and easily handled their old conference rival 63-28 to avenge their week one loss to Ohio powerhouse Cincinatti Elder. Expect a ton of points out of a couple of dynamic offenses in this classic rivalry.
FOREST HILLS NORTHERN (2-0) vs. FOREST HILLS CENTRAL (2-0)
Together, the three Forest Hills schools sit at a perfect 6-0 combined mark through the first three weeks of the year. That won’t be true after FHN and FHC meet in a non-conference cross-town clash in week three at Forest Hills Northern’s Husky Stadium. The Huskies have been maybe the surprise of the three to be 2-0, but have maybe been the most impressive, allowing a total of 16 points through two weeks and winning with the type of defense and run game that FHC has used to such great effect over the years.
For the Rangers, it’s been business as usual under new head coach Dave Fortino and the reigning D3 state champions. They earned a 7-0 win over Portage Central last week on the road and gave up only 10 the week before in a 21-10 win over Reeths Puffer. Long story short, they can still play defense and run the ball and control the clock over at FHC. Two neighbors that want to do the same thing in order to win, who will do it better?
MANTON (0-2) vs HOUGHTON LAKE (1-1)
It’s been a rough start for Manton in their first season on MSR, as they have yet to score through two weeks and have given up 55+ in both contests to open the year. The Rangerswill look to get more back on track and build things a bit as they take on Houghton Lake. The Bobcats are 1-1 on the year and are looking to build a winning streak after they won over LeRot Pine River last Friday night.
ZEELAND WEST (2-0) vs WHITEHALL (1-1)
Zeeland West has rocketed up to our number two spot on the RE/MAX United Power Poll this week, and for good reason – This is a true state title threat team for coach Shilito and the 2-way play of senior QB/Safety Trey Sloothaak has put him among the best players statewide through two weeks as the D3 Dux collected wins vs. D2 Muskegon and D1 West Ottawa.
After falling to Unity Christian week one, a very talented Whitehall team led by Cam Fall-Thompson in his first year at QB (he’s a WMU WR commit) bounced back with a big offensive performance, taking down Orchard View 54-7. We’ll see if the talented Viking swill be able to match some of that offensive production and contend with the Dux, or if West is ready to make another statement win before they begin OK-Gold play.
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There’s a look at the huge week of live games that you can find right heer on MSR, make sure you don’t miss any of the action live and on-demand. Also, check in throughout the week to see more coverage than anyone on high school football – As we feature recaps,columns, polls, podcast, preview shows, and preview articles to help recap the week and prime you for game day every week!
