We are officially past half-way in the 2025 season and last week maybe opened up as many new questions as it also was able to provide clarity on some boring questions that developed in the early part of the season. Some surprising loses, some dominant wins, and some other teams rolling on all marked a very interesting week… here’s a look at my four biggest takeaways from this week.
FIRST DOWN: RAMS Rousing Statement
Grandville hosted Rockford in the week’s most highly-anticipated matchup, health for each team was a factor as Rockford was getting key defensive pieces Luke Ahern and Sam Cummings fully back from injury, while also watching the status of 2nd-year starting QB Brayden Daniels. All while, of course, Grandville would be without all-state RB Jayden Terry after his multi-week injury suffered last Friday.
Rockford threw the first surprise, and the first haymakers – as they would ultimately start sophomore QB Casen Whitford, who diced up the Grandville defense for a 14-0 Rams lead at the half. It would be Rockford’s stifling defense that would lead the way all night, stonewalling the Bulldogs – who were minimally even able to find a first down throughout the game, en route to the program’s first shutout loss since the 2017 season.
Rockford in this game, when paired with their win over EK last week, have now established themselves with the clear early upper-hand in their chase for the OK-Red and have long-since eliminated any questions that may have been out there about the 2025 version of the Rams after their week one loss to Saline (the state’s #1 ranked team in terms of playoff points). The Rams dominance and size on both sides of the line, especially stood out to me watching this game from the sidelines on Friday. They are a massive team that is going to have an edge there vs just about any opponent they face, especially on teams that want to run the football down their throat as Grandville typically would, just running into a brick wall rotation of multiple sizable defensive tackles for coach Cummings’s team.
No rest for the weary here… Rockford next week plays Hudsonville in what very likely may prove to be the OK-Red championship game this season.
SECOND DOWN: The Salad Bowl City Keeps Winning
Speaking of Hudsonville, winning has been contagious city-wide there so far in 2025.
The Eagles moved in convincing 42-0 shutout fashion to 5-0 with a win over bordering rival Jenison last week on the road. Meanwhile across town, Unity Christian also has been rolling again – they took down the 2023 state champion FHC Rangers 52-16 as they were able to pile on the points themselves as well.
There’s been no letdown despite losing some key pieces off last year’s championship game runner-up Eagles, the defense has been locked in never allowing more than 21 points in a game, and 10.8 per game overall. And the offense led by Sr QB Brady VanLaecke has been similarly good, now putting up 42 points in back-to-back weeks, and peaking right on time to play Rockford on the road this Friday in their first big test of the season.
Unity also had a ton of turnover from last year’s team that surprisingly fell, despite the #1 ranking in the state in D4, in the district title game to South Christian. Their offense has been reminiscent in many ways to the 2020 and 2021 teams (the latter of which set the all-time MHSAA scoring record), piling on the points every week. They have scored five or more touchdowns in every game and have crossed the 50 point threshold in 3 of their 5 games. The ‘Saders hunt for the Ok-Gold crown reaches it’s biggest test this week, as they travel to Zeeland to take on the reigning D3 state champion West Dux.
THIRD DOWN: BC Bulldogs Bite Back
Staying with the trend of reigning state runner-ups, Byron Center and coach Marc Cisco also are looking to defend a trip to Ford Field in D2 this year, but had to deal with massive amounts of turnover at almost every spot on the field. Because of that, it was a surprisingly slow start to the year for the Bulldogs, 1-3 through four games and coming off a big 46-17 loss to Muskegon in week four.
Week five, they had to see a top-five team in our power poll, and a state title contender for many, in Mona Shores. The Bulldogs were able to grit out a shootout upset in overtime over the sailors 42-35 on their home field.
Byron Center still has the ability to lean on returning stand-outs like junior RB/LB Cam Payne and could have the momentum and schedule ahead of them to take a piece of the OK-Green crown this season. They will see Union, Reeths Puffer and FHN before closing the year against Morris (IL).
FOURTH DOWN: Defense Wins (OK-Black) Championships
We are in an era of the sport where offenses are scoring more than ever, with teams finding ways to get more creative with explosive downfield plays, creative option schemes, and more that seems to create shootouts every week at every level of the sport. But, the OK-Black is fighting back on that this season.
The Black is going to be one of the best league championship fights to watch down the stretch with GRCC, Northview, EGR and Holland Christian all right within striking distance. But, if you are going to win – you are going to need to be able to grind it out on defense, run the ball and win on the margins – and last weekend showed that.
EGR went into previously unbeaten Northview and ground out a 10-3 win, last Friday. Coach Josh Shattuck before the season said that they were updating their offense to get back to controlling the ball and grinding out wins with a more powerful approach paired with their elite defense – they’ve shown that in 2025 – never giving up more than 10 points from week two onward after they gave up 40 to Lowell to start the season.
GRCC is unbeaten, they earned a tough 10-7 win over EGR last week and were right back at it this week, taking down TK 10-0. Many thought it would be a high-flying offense leading CC to to a possible state title run this year, instead it may be their possession of one of the state’s most elite defenses that is leading the way.
What about the other two contenders right in it? Well they could be the trend breakers… Northview and HC have each shown an ability to pile on points and their earlier Northview-won matchup between the two in week four ended 35-28. But the Wildcats fell in a defensive slugfest last week and now HC stares at a trip to EGR where the same defense-first fate could be ahead of them.
If you want to win the OK-Black this year, get ready for a war every week, and you better be able to play some defense…
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Week 6 is now on the docket, featuring a possible OK-Red ‘championship’ game between Hudsonville and Rockford, the same in the OK-Gold with Zeeland West and Unity Christian, plus that EGR/HC matchup mentioned a bit earlier… and much more!
