Regional football preview 2026: Michigan Sports Radio zeroes in on 3 local games

BY SCOTT DECAMP

For Michigan Sports Radio

It’s never wise to sleep on a Hudsonville Unity Christian football team, especially one coached by Hall of Famer Craig Tibbe.

Kenowa Hills coach Don Fellows knows this. He knows this Friday’s 7 p.m. Division 4 regional championship showdown between Kenowa Hills (10-1) and Unity Christian (7-4) at the Knights’ field will require discipline, toughness, and patience.

Despite starting the season 2-2 and sitting 5-4 after nine games of the regular season, Unity Christian is still doing what it has done exceptionally well over the years: Win, especially in the playoffs.

The four teams that defeated Unity Christian this season – Dearborn Divine Child (56-28), South Christian (34-33), Zeeland West (36-0), and Portland (28-24) – are still alive in their respective playoff divisions.

Unity Christian lost a 23-22 heartbreaker to Divine Child in last year’s Division 4 state title game at Ford Field.

In these playoffs, the Crusaders’ offense has erupted in a 46-18 win over Spring Lake and 49-23 victory over Forest Hills Eastern.

Fellows knows what to expect from the Crusaders: A ball-control wing-T offense that is capable of producing big plays but also limiting the opponent’s number of possessions.

“They want to control the football, they want to wear you down a little bit mentally,” Fellows said about the Crusaders. “Coach (Tibbe) is a great coach. He reminds me a lot of John Shillito. They’re going to kind of be patient and try to find the kid that’s taking some plays off and they’re going to run at him. Then they’ll slow you to death, slow you to death, and pop a big one.

“We’re talking to the kids (about) having the right mindset,” Fellows said. “This is going to be a slower tempo game and we’ve got to be ready to play and take advantage of what they give us.”

The winner of this game advances to the Nov. 21 state semifinals against the victor of South Christian (10-1) and Portland (11-0).

The Kenowa Hills vs. Unity Christian showdown is one of three that will be featured on Michigan Sports Radio livestreams this weekend:

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FRIDAY

DIVISION 4: Hudsonville Unity Christian (7-4) at Kenowa Hills (10-1), 7 p.m. 

DIVISION 4: Portland (11-0) at South Christian (10-1), 7 p.m. at Caledonia

SATURDAY

DIVISION 1: Portage Central (10-1) at East Kentwood (11-0), 1 p.m.

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Kenowa Hills has scored points in bunches this season, shattering the school record with 504 to this point (45.8 per game). 

Senior quarterback Grayson Fellows (Michigan Tech commit) has been sharp in the passing game, going 142-of-209 (68 percent) for 2,374 yards with 25 touchdowns and three interceptions. His top target, senior Central Michigan commit Will Fussman, has caught 51 passes for 950 yards (18.6 per reception) and 13 TDs.

The Knights’ running game has been very effective, too, which could be key against the Crusaders. Senior Lundon Hampton, a Michigan commit, has rushed for 1,514 yards on 198 carries (7.6 per attempt) and 31 TDs.

“I’m excited because of how well we’re running the ball,” said Fellows, who highlighted the play of all-conference offensive linemen Collin Moradi, Miles Vandop, and Joey Borst. “(The Crusaders) obviously run the ball well and I think it’s going to come down to who can run the ball better and more efficiently, win field advantage, and it’ll come down to turnovers. Both teams are probably going to score. We’ve got to take care of the football and be patient.”

According to Fellows, all-conference defensive players Macoy Bertolini and Zander Yost have played a huge role in the Knights’ success, as have two-way starter Noah Kilts and Zac McCarthy.

Kenowa Hills and Unity Christian have played only two other times before, in OK White games in 2003 and 2004 – both won by the Knights in lopsided fashion.

This is Kenowa Hills’ third straight home playoff game, and fourth consecutive contest played on the Knights’ field. Fellows said that helps the team keep its same routine, which is an advantage.

“I always say, you never know what you’re going to get out of 17-year-olds, or a 15-year-old,” Fellows said. “But I think the fewer distractions you can have, the better off we are. We’re staying in the same routine that we’ve had all season from a weekly schedule (standpoint). In practice, we haven’t cranked it up. We haven’t done anything extra. … 

“I think keeping kids in the same routine, being able to practice at home every single day and then be able to play at home for three straight weeks – actually, it’s now been four – it has been a blessing.”

Here are previews for the other two games that will be featured on MSR this weekend:

DIVISION 1

Portage Central (10-1) at East Kentwood (11-0), 1 p.m. Saturday

In the first two weeks of these playoffs, home-standing Portage Central has eliminated OK Red schools Hudsonville (21-14) and Grandville (33-18). The Mustangs take aim at a third straight OK Red team with a regional title on the line, but the challenge is much greater this time: Powerhouse East Kentwood at Falcon Stadium.

With its bevy of playmakers and prolific offense (48.1 points per game), East Kentwood is considered by many a legitimate contender for the Division 1 state title.

At the same time, EK coach Tyrone Spencer is no stranger to deep playoff runs – having done it several times and winning state titles while at Detroit King – so he knows to not overlook anybody. Portage Central advanced to the Division 2 state semifinals last season before making the jump to Division 1 this season.

“They beat Hudsonville, who I thought was a pretty good team. Grandville had a really tough schedule this year.  They present a challenge, man,” Spencer said about the Mustangs. “They’ve got some good athletes. No. 4, the Camden Noe kid, he’s tough to bring down. He’s athletic. He can run, and they have more than that. … They’ve got some ball players, man.”

The 6-foot-4, 220-pound Noe is a 4-star prospect, according to 247Sports. The versatile junior has received offers from several Power 4 schools, including Michigan, Michigan State, and Notre Dame.

As stated, East Kentwood features several playmakers. Senior quarterback Colin O’Connor has been very effective distributing the football, completing 161 of 229 passes (70.3 percent) for 2,458 yards with 31 TDs and five interceptions.

O’Connor’s top pass-catching target is senior Stephan Jones, a Grand Valley State commit, who has 58 receptions for 1,024 yards (17.6 per catch) and 17 TDs. A whopping nine players have caught at least one TD pass this season for the Falcons.

EK’s running game has been very balanced, led by senior Dallas Moody, who has 68 carries for 555 yards (8.2 per attempt) and 11 TDs. Eight Falcons have scored a rushing TD this season.

Defensively, senior cornerback Donavan Jones paces East Kentwood with 77 tackles, two sacks, nine tackles for loss, one interception, and four forced fumbles.

The winner of this game faces the winner between reigning Division 1 state champion Detroit Catholic Central (10-1) and Clarkston (10-1). East Kentwood lost to DCC in the state semifinals last year, 46-6.

East Kentwood has played complementary football this season – offense, defense, and special teams all having their moments. Spencer is looking for that to continue.

“There’s always thing you want to do better at, but you definitely can say in all three phases we’ve been doing pretty good,” Spencer said. “Scoring points on special teams, we’ve scored on defense, we’re creating turnovers, and then you know our offense is scoring at a high rate. Any time you get all three rolling like that, man, it’s awesome.

“But, you know, it also speaks of our kids and them being locked in and also our coaches doing a great job of putting guys in the right situations, creating great game plans, things of that nature.”

DIVISION 4

Portland (11-0) at South Christian (9-1), 7 p.m. Friday at Caledonia

South Christian returned several players from the 2025 squad that saw its season end in a 42-41 overtime heartbreaker at Portland.

Rest assured, those Sailors have not forgotten about it. This time, Portland makes the trip west and there is much more riding on the rematch: A regional trophy.

“That experience of last year, because so many guys came back to this year’s team, it really fueled them into the offseason,” South Christian coach Danny Brown said. “You know, obviously it stings in the moment of losing the game. But, you know, we’re obviously where we are now and that really fueled them and motivated them to have a really good offseason and has attributed to the success we’ve had this year.”

South Christian faced Portland one other time, winning a state semifinal matchup, 21-6, in 2023.

After finishing with a 4-6 record last fall, the Sailors have been on a mission this season. They’re averaging 42.6 points per game, a number that’s elevated in two playoff games in a 63-27 victory over Marshall and 51-0 win over Stevensville Lakeshore.

South Christian has basically done it by committee. A dozen players have recorded rushing TDs and five different players have caught TD passes. Jesse VanderGriend leads the rushing attack with 57 carries for 496 yards (8.6 per attempt) and two TDs. QB Austin Burgess and Brody Shilts are tied for the team lead in rushing TDs with 11 apiece, as Borgess has carried 86 times for 426 yards (5.0 average).

As a passer, Burgess is 60-of-93 for 777 yards with nine TDs and three interceptions. Houston Wildeboer is 47-of-63 for 686 yards with five TDs and one pick. Charlie Vermaas is the top receiver with 21 catches for 330 yards (15.7 per reception) and six TDs.

The defensive effort has been very balanced as well. Gavin Bouma and Jack Buist lead the way on that side of the ball with 47 tackles each. Bouma has notched 11.5 tackles for loss, two sacks, and a fumble recovery.

“I’ve never had a team like this where (it’s this balanced),” said Brown, who guided the Sailors to a Division 4 state title in 2022 and runner-up finish in 2023. “I think it has definitely worked to our advantage. We don’t go into a game and say, ‘Well, we’ve got to feed this guy or you’ve got to feed that guy.’ It’s who kind of has the hot hand and these guys are all pretty team-oriented.”

Portland completed a fourth straight perfect regular season this year. The Raiders have played in several competitive games this season, including a 28-24 win over Unity Christian in Week 9.

South Christian edged Unity Christian, 34-33, in Week 4.

Speaking of Unity Christian, the winner of the South Christian vs. Portland matchup faces the victor of the Kenowa Hills vs. Unity Christian in the Nov. 21 state semifinals.

 “I feel blessed that we get another opportunity to play. I’m just excited with the team that we’ve got,” Brown said. “It’s just a fun group of dudes. They’re awesome to be around.

“When you play a Portland team, it comes down to physicality and they’re really good at what they do. They want to run the ball, control the tempo, and beat you up front.”

Featured photo at the top: Kenowa Hills senior Lundon Hampton eyes the end zone during a practice Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2026, in Grand Rapids, Mich. (Photo | Scott DeCamp)