The high school football season is here! Our team at Michigan Sports Radio is here to provide coverage for each of the conferences in our area. In this conference, West Catholic is a heavy-hitter once again. There are some interesting storylines to follow here, as several teams return key young pieces from 2024. Two teams will debut new coaches as well this fall.

OK White Conference Predictions

  1. West Catholic
  2. Spring Lake
  3. Wayland
  4. Hamilton
  5. Grand Rapids Christian
  6. Forest Hills Eastern

Forest Hills Eastern (7-3 in 2024)

The Hawks had another solid season in 2024, as they reached the playoffs for the fifth straight year. This fall, they will look to extend that streak under the direction of a new Head Coach. Tim McGee, the nephew of legendary Forest Hills Central and Forest Hills Northern head coach Tim McGee, takes over the reins as leader of the Hawks.

This team is going to be extremely young, with only a handful of key starters returning. Connor Helminski, Drew Ferrick and Jordan Shabazz should contribute offensively, as well as at the linebacker position. This trio of veterans will be the foundational core for McGee’s first season.

Grand Rapids Christian (2-7 in 2024)

Last year was another setback for the Eagles, as they are now 3-15 in their past two seasons after a decade run as one of the state’s top teams. This year, GRC should see some sort of a return to that top standard, with some key pieces back in the mix.

The offense will start with quarterback Charlie King, a rising junior who put together a great campaign as the sophomore signal-caller. He has several offensive linemen back to protect him, including Davis Hutt. On defense, Hutt is an anchor at linebacker. The first three games on this schedule are difficult with South Christian, Wheaton Academy (9-2 in IL last fall), and East Grand Rapids. So although the jury may be out on how many wins these Eagles get, the team should be much more competitive in 2025.

Hamilton (5-5 in 2024)

The Hawkeyes also welcome a new head football coach into the mix, as Zach Harbison takes over the reigns. The former Zeeland East Chix, Harbison will look to continue the expectation of excellence that Phil Koops had established in his tenure.

Brooks Hawkins is a name to know here for the Hawkeyes, as the all-conference tailback should shoulder the bulk of the carries for Hamilton. He will pair up with Hudson Hulst, a quarterback who has the ability to use his legs behind the protection of center Tyler Michelsen. The schedule sets up with a couple of early opportunities for victories. If Hamilton can capitalize on those and keep that momentum rolling, they may be in the postseason conversation in late October.

Spring Lake (3-6 in 2024)

The Lakers were perhaps the best 3-6 team in the area last year, with three defeats coming by a touchdown or less. Flip the results of a few plays, and Spring Lake is playing in October. But instead, they enter 2025 hungry to return to their winning ways.

Ladon O’Donnell emerged as the quarterback late in the 2024 campaign, and he is back to direct the Lakers’ offense. Owen Smies, and his brother Oliver Smies, as well as Brady Hill and Jacob Troast, provide a solid supporting cast in the backfield and in the trenches for O’Donnell to continue to develop and lead this squad. On defense, Spring Lake is experienced, with several key pieces returning. A challenging non-conference that features state power Gladwin, as well as longtime rivals Fruitport and Reeths-Puffer, will dictate whether the Lakers have a chance to play on Halloween weekend.

Wayland (4-5 in 2024)

The Wayland Wildcats return several key starters this fall from a team that went 4-5 a season ago, with a couple of narrow defeats against longtime rivals keeping them out of the postseason. OK White All-Conference defensive end Logan Hall anchors the defense, while several other seniors join him in the front seven. The defensive side of the football is the anchor for this team, as they replace several key offensive pieces.

Running Gibson’s veer-style offense, several players will carry the football throughout the season, and you will likely see that rotation of ball carriers in the early weeks. The schedule does help Wayland early, as they should be in each of their first six games (and favorites in many of them). A tough finishing stretch will once again mean that the Wildcats need a hot start if they look to return to the postseason.

West Catholic (7-4 in 2024)

Landon Grove’s Falcons are once again the head-of-the-class in the OK White, and one of the top teams in West Michigan, regardless of division. Grady Augustyn is one of the area’s top quarterbacks, and the senior leader with 20 passing touchdowns is back to direct this vaunted attack. Aaron Ricord and Connor Olszewski, both all conference selections a season ago, are also back as his top weapons. This could be one of the most formidable offenses in the area. Up front, they have Central Michigan commit Jacob Timmer, a 6-7, 270 pound lineman anchoring the way.

The most exciting weapon on this team may be their kicker, Landon Smith. Smith was nearly perfect on extra points, 42 for 43, and he had a long of 42 yards a season ago. We already saw his clutch kicking ability last year, as his field goal at the buzzer took down Forest Hills Eastern. This is once again a tough schedule for this bunch, as they face South Christian and Zeeland West in non-league play, but West Catholic is used to playing the best of the best. Once they get into the playoffs, they will have their eyes set on getting back to playing football in late November, perhaps even Thanksgiving weekend.