The seventh and final football preview in the 2025 MSR Football Preview series comes from the OK Red. The largest conference in the area, both in numbers and enrollment, the Red is a gauntlet each season. Expect more of the same, with seven teams capable of making the postseason. An argument could easily be made for any of the top four teams to be a preseason favorite in this league.
OK Red Predictions
- Grandville
- Hudsonville
- Rockford
- East Kentwood
- Caledonia
- Jenison
- Grand Haven
- West Ottawa
Caledonia (4-5 in 2024)
Change is in the air in Caledonia. The Fighting Scots are under the direction of a new head coach, Whitney Bell, and the team will play in a newly renovated Ralph E Meyers Memorial Stadium. Coach Bell is no stranger to the program after serving for many years on the coaching staff, recently as defensive coordinator. That experience will be useful for the Scots, as they return seven starters on that side of the ball, including Lincoln Senti in the secondary and Brien Martin and Liam Moore up front. This strength will allow the other side of the ball to continue to find their stride in the early stages of the season.
The biggest x-factor for this season will be the success of new quarterback Bryce Backus. Backus, despite never starting at the high school level, has already garnered some impressive Division 1 recruiting attention as a rising junior. Fortunately for the young signal-caller, he can rely on returning star wideout Aaron Collins. The development of Backus will be vital to this team’s ability to return to the postseason in Bell’s debut.
East Kentwood (5-5 in 2024)
Last year, Tyrone Spencer injected some new energy into the Falcons program, as they raced out to a 3-1 start on their way to the playoffs. EK narrowly got knocked out by eventual State runner-up Hudsonville in their playoff opener, so the program is hungry to snap a postseason win drought that dates back to 2019. This year, it all starts at quarterback with phenom Kayd Coffman. The senior and Michigan State commit threw for 12 touchdowns last year, and he has weapons to exceed those numbers this season. The biggest target for their offense is Jesse Phillips, who will have his choice of opportunities to compete at the collegiate level as well. He is joined by Ahman “Mitey” Edmonds, who will look to build off of his strong junior season as a pass catcher for Coffman.
James Jones, an all-conference selection last season, returns to anchor the Falcons’ defense. They will look to put together some consistency on this side of the football, after allowing 30+ points in five games and holding opponents to seven points or fewer in four games. If their defensive tenacity can match their offensive explosion, expect the Falcons to be in the mix for the OK Red when they get to late October with a two-week stretch that features Hudsonville and Grandville.
Grand Haven (2-7 in 2024)
After a strong first three weeks that saw Grand Haven start with two wins, they narrowly fell to Caledonia in Week 4, 36-28. This began a six game losing streak that crushed the Bucs’ season. Despite this skid, there is hope on the Lakeshore for the first winning season since 2019.
Over the years, battles in the OK Red are decided on the ground and in the trenches. Head Coach Andrew Biedenbender can feel confident that his team can compete in those facets, in large part due to All-State tailback Andrew Willemsen. The rising junior had a phenomenal season in 2024, reaching the end zone eleven times. He will feel confident running behind several returning offensive lineman this fall. If the Bucs can find the answer at quarterback and maintain physicality on defense, they have offensive weapons to compete in this league. Grand Haven is certainly no pushover for any team on their schedule.
Grandville (6-5 in 2024)
The Bulldogs played one of the toughest schedules in the state last year, and their 0-3 start showed that. They then won six of seven games to earn a rematch with Hudsonville in the District Finals. Grandville was unable to knock off their rivals, suffering a narrow 19-16 defeat.
This fall, they look to be the favorites in the conference thanks in large part to the best player in West Michigan. Jayden ‘Tank’ Terry is the latest of the “Terry Boys” to electrify football fields around West Michigan. With several Division 1 offers in his pocket, and over 5000 career rushing yards, he spearheads the vaunted Grandville “T” offense. On the defensive side, Garrett Nawrocki, an All-Conference player in 2024, is back to stifle opposing fronts. Running and defense wins in the cold games in November, and Grandville has the horses in both of those aspects of the game. Expect this team to be at the top of the OK Red, and to have a real shot to be of the final teams playing football this November.
Hudsonville (12-2 in 2024)
One of the best stories in 2024 was the success of the Hudsonville Eagles. They reached the State Championship game for the first time since 2004, falling to Cass Tech. While they will have to reload at certain positions, they do return two key offensive weapons in Brady VanLaecke and Owen Haarsma. VanLaecke is expected to take over at quarterback, despite playing other skill positions in his previous varsity experience.
The biggest challenge for Hudsonville may be ensuring that things get going from the jump, and they get enough wins to qualify for the postseason. They begin the season with Byron Center and East Lansing, two perennial powerhouse programs, before jumping into OK Red action, so they will need to take care of business in games that they are expected to win. Brent Sandee has built Hudsonville into a consistent contender in this league and in the postseason, and I would expect the same again in 2025.
Jenison (4-5 in 2024)
The Wildcats had a strong first season under head coach Josh Lucas last year. After a 1-3 start to the year, they upset Rockford, finishing the year with a 3-2 stretch. They were scoreboard watching on the final weekend, and they were the first team left out of the playoffs. This year, they will look to build off of that momentum and look for their first playoff berth since 2020.
Brody Schuiteman, an all-conference player from a season ago, is back to lead both sides of the football from the running back and linebacker positions. Parker Felgner is also back, returning as the quarterback, and he has the McKinneys (Mason and Max) back as weapons in the passing attack. There are some questions in the trenches on both sides, and that continued development will determine the success that Jenison experiences this fall.
Rockford (7-3 in 2024)
The Rams had a strong 2024 campaign, before bowing out to Grandville in the playoffs. This year, they do return eight starters on defense, but question marks run large on the offensive side of the ball.
Luke Ahern, an All-State defensive back who committed to Ferris State, will seek to prey on poor throws from opposing quarterbacks. They also bring back three strong linebackers in Carter VanderTuig, Sam Cumming and Wyatt Colson. This unit will be as strong as any in West Michigan, and they should allow the offense some time to grow as they adapt to new pieces in the system.
Brayden Daniels is back at quarterback, where he had 23 total touchdowns, an almost-even split on the ground and through the air. Jax Eichbauer is his key returning target, but there are question marks in the trenches, as they have no returning starters on the offensive line and several players competing for carries in the backfield. With a difficult non-conference slate against Saline and Muskegon, there may be some early hiccups for Rockford, but this team should continue its playoff streak that extends back to 1995.
West Ottawa (1-8 in 2024)
Pat Collins and the Panthers struggled in the 2024 season, mustering just one win. This year, they will look to rebuild and improve on that mark. This 2025 team is one that has several unknowns on each side of the football. They return very few starters, which gives many players an opportunity to earn their role on this football team. Elijah Reynolds is the star here, as he plays tight end and linebacker. Reynolds, who is committed to Central Michigan, will look to provide leadership and experience on both sides of the football.
