Regular Season Reflection

In less than six hours, 24 players will be immortalized by you, the fans, as the top players in the WMA coverage area. We’ve had a blast covering the thousands of young men who suited up every Friday to give us all a show. One year from now, an array of new faces will clowed our minds and dazzle our eyes. The jerseys’ll be the same, the names different.

For nine weeks, Catholic Central’s John Haley (a five-time top-20 performer) blew past us for 21 receiving TDs to set the Grand Rapids Catholic Central single season record. We watched Middleville quarterback Coley McKeough carry his team from the 1-8 gutter to the 8-1 perch in two years. We even pulled out our telescopes to keep track of how far Hastings’ running back Alex Randall (a five-time top-20 performer) ran: over 1,400 yards. We’ve seen West Ottawa linebacker Desmond Morgan strike fear in the hearts of men, and aken one rival coach to label him, “[T]he best player in West Michigan.”

Each week, we’ve unveiled the Top-20 performers. It only seems proper to congratulate Rockford receiver Neil Vanderlaan (a seven-time top-20 performer), Saugatuck running back Ethan Colton (a seven-time top-20 performer), and Muskegon Heights’ quarterback Willie Snead IV (a nine-time top-20 performer) on their consistency.

All seven young men head into the playoffs this Friday. But not all four may suit up again. Regardless, they’ve had a year they’ll never forget. And we’ll never forget it either.

Over the season, we’ve captured highlights of many a plays. From Grand Haven linebacker Jerry Westerman delivering a monster hit in the preseason to Greenville running back Jake Knapp rumbling into the endzone for a win in OT. Watch your favorite videos here below.

Enjoy.