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High quality, professional action prints from the game available from David Chandler Photography.

One clear thing can be said about the regional semifinal matchup between East Grand Rapids and Holland Christian on Monday night, the only thing more intense than the crowd in the stands was the action on the floor.  To be specific, the tenatious defense and blazing shooting from both teams that would have crippled their opponent in any other game.

But not in this game.  This game came down to a turnaround three pointer and what may as well have been a seven-point possession.  Holland Christian came out on the winning end of both sequences, and went on to advance to the regional championship by a score of 92-85, in what Jane Bos of the Grand Rapids Press called an “Instant Classic.”

Colin Voss attacks the hoop | DavidChandlerPhoto.com

Holland Christian took the early lead, their hot shooting kicking in slightly sooner than East Grand Rapids.  But the Pioneers soon caught whatever sort of fire was in the air Monday night, and heated-up from outside while freshman Marcus Hall drove the lane against multiple defenders.  After a fast paced, back and forth first half, A.J. McEwen provided the crowd with a breather by killing the clock for the final 1:30.  After a last second foul by Holland Christian, two free throws gave East Grand Rapids the 35-33 halftime lead.

Still, the three point action didn’t really pick up until the end of the third quarter.  Corey Ditmar started it for East Grand Rapids, nailing back-to-back three-pointers to put his team up 54-48.  Holland Christian’s Brett Konyndyk did him one better, responding with three consecutive three-balls to take the lead right back for Holland Christian.  Konyndyk would lead the game with 34-points, 15-of which would come in a fateful fourth quarter effort.  The quintuple three-pointer sequence charged the crowd like an electric current.  But it was only the beginning.

East Grand Rapids lead by five points with under a minute to play, when Konyndyk quietly knocked down a jumper to bring the game within three.  Only 4-seconds remaining on the clock, Konyndyk got free and nailed another three pointer to send the game into overtime (which at this point surprised no one).

Tyler Dykstra rejects a shot | DavidChandlerPhoto.com

East Grand Rapids’ Colin Voss battled Konyndyk throughout overtime, continuing the game’s frenetic pacing, but neither team could gain an advantage and the game went into a second overtime.

The action continued, neither team gaining a foothold, until about halfway through the second overtime, when Voss was called for a technical foul, sending Simon VanLangevelde to the line x4 for Holland Christian.  VanLangevelde hit all four free throws, and with the following possession hit a three pointer.  All of a sudden, in a remarkable seven-point possession, Holland Christian had their foothold.

Despite this difficult blow, East Grand Rapids clawed back with furious full-court, pressure defense.  They would bring themselves within three points with 25-seconds to play, but Holland Christian shut the door with excellent free throw shooting down the stretch.

As a high school sports photographer, I get to see quite a bit of basketball, although most of it is through a glass lens. Monday’s regional semifinal matchup between Holland Christian and East Grand Rapids was among the most hard fought, exciting games I have ever seen.  Instant classic, indeed.

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Heading into the regional round of the 2010 boys basketball state tournament, it can be difficult to decide which game deserves your attendance.  It is often a matter of which looks the most appetizing, depending on your allegiances and your interests as a fan.  For the liberated fans out there who may, like me, be having difficulty deciding, let’s take a look at a couple semifinal matchups that look particularly tasty.

Class-A: Holland vs. Rockford @ Grandville

First we head to the O-K Red, for a matchup between two of the better teams in Class-A.  Rockford has been in and out and then back in to the title conversation over the season, and has the personnel to amp up the pace of the game and really take Holland out of their element.  Ryan Majerle leads the way, and is as capable as anyone on the court of heating up from behind the three-point line.  But if the Rams are missing shots, the game could easily go the other way.  Lead by quick and athletic big man Josh Weatherspoon, Holland is an efficient team that typically shoots a high percentage.  They will take advantage of Rockford bricks, and if there are enough of them could bury the Rams under them.

Prediction: Rockford advances, 62-56

Class-B: East Grand Rapids vs. Holland Christian @ Hamilton

After suffering through a less-than-stellar regular season campaign, East Grand Rapids finally found their groove in the district round.  The Pioneers are incredibly talented, with one-two punch Colin Voss and A.J. McEwen, and could rightfully challenge the top teams in Class-B based on that aspect alone.  However, they’ve had difficulty with continuity this season, and it’s difficult to maintain a heightened pace throughout the playoffs when you haven’t done that all season long.  Holland Christian started out shabbily, but quickly caught their groove and is now riding a double-digit win streak into the regional matchup.  The Maroons are long, athletic, and fearless.  They are fun to watch because as a team they have no conscience.  They play as if a flashy turnover is simply a necessary evil on the way to four points.  And to this point they have been right.  Look out for Simon VanLangevelde and Tyler Dykstra. Just trust me.

Prediction: Holland Christian advances, 69-55

Class-C: Grandville Calvin Christian vs. Montague @ Grandville Calvin Christian

It’s a heck of a thing to get a homecourt advantage in the regional final round, but that’s exactly what Grandville Calvin Christian is looking at.  They are lead by the tall, talented Tyler Kruis, who is the sun around which the rest of the Squires orbit.  After squeaking by Kent City in the district championships (28-27; yes, really), Calvin Christian will be put to the test again tonight against a Montague team who has logged double-digit victories throughout the playoffs.  Montague is lead by Matt DeJong and football star Cody Kater.  The duo is athletic and versatile enough to run away from Grandville Calvin Christian tonight, if the Squires can’t feed their scoring machine on the inside.

Prediction: Grandville Calvin Christian advances, 43-40

Class-D: Covert vs. Climax-Scotts @ Watervliet

Particularly as you move down to Class-D, the fortunes of an entire team can be dictated by the performance of one individual, provided that individual is of a specific level of talent.  In the case of both Covert’s Amere May Jr. and Climax-Scotts’ Beau Langs, the individual is indeed that talented.  In a showdown between two of the top small-school basketball teams in the state, whichever standout manages to dictate pacing and flow of the game will have the upper hand.  But be careful putting your mortgage on the line for your favorite player.  It is common in cases like this that the stars cancel each other out, and the real battle is won or lost by the other eight guys.

Prediction: Covert advances, 51-47

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A.J. McEwen looks to score | DavidChandlerPhoto.com

According to some, the two teams probably should not have been playing in the disrict championship.  According to their records, 13-9 East Grand Rapids probably should have been eliminated a round or two ago, and 9-13 Forest Hills Eastern before that.  But in a true testament to determination, both teams found redemption in the tournament.  The Pioneers avenged two early season losses with a post season win over 19-1 Grand Rapids Union, and Forest Hills Eastern was able to pay back Catholic Central for a 20-point regular season loss.  The unlikely bidders for the district championship met on Friday night, and East Grand Rapids walked away with a 64-43 victory.

The general consensus, as the Pioneers raised the district championship trophy: EGR deserves to be here.

Alex Harrison lays it up | DavidChandlerPhoto.com

East Grand Rapids’ dominating play started early.  Lead by guard A.J. McEwen, who set the tone with decisive offensive plays, the Pioneers built a quick 10-5 lead early in the first.  A lead which would only grow as the game went on.  With 30-seconds left in the half, McEwen single-handedly killed the clock with an impressive dribbling display, and drove the lane for a bucket to end the half.  East Grand Rapids went into halftime with a 27-10 lead.

The Pioneers didn’t let up in the third quarter, extending their lead to as many as 30-points.  Freshman Marcus Hall made his presence known when he got into the game by dropping 11-points, second only to Central Michigan commit Colin Voss‘s 15-points.  In the end many players on both sides were able to enter the game for some quality minutes. For the Falcons, Fred Smyser and Bradley Rosenzweig lead the way with 10-points each.

Lead by their inside/outside duo of Colin Voss and A.J. McEwen, the Pioneers look to be finding their stride in the playoffs.  Future opponents take note: East Grand Rapids is for real.

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After logging over 15-victories during the regular season, there are certain expectations placed on a team regarding how they will perform in the state tournament.  The higher that number, the higher the expectations. But apart from one or two teams each year who are simply out of everybody else’s league, the nature of the state tournament dictates that every team is expendable.

On the flip-side of that coin, no matter what your season looked like to this point, the state tournament is a chance to throw all that out the window.  It’s an opportunity of the kind that only exists in sports — the chance for a real do-over.

In the district semifinal round of the boys basketball state tournament, much went as expected.  Wayland won, Muskegon Heights advanced, Rockford rolled, Otsego is going on, etc.  But much went awry.  Both positively and negatively, depending on your perspective.  Two games in particular served as a potent reminder that in the state tournament, anything can happen.

Such is the beauty of playoff basketball.

East Grand Rapids-57, Grand Rapids Union-49

East Grand Rapids (13-9) held Union (19-2) scoreless for a stretch of more than 7 minutes late in the third quarter and early in the fourth, turning a seven-point deficit into a one-point lead. The EGR defense held the usually explosive Red Hawks to six points in the final 10 minutes.

After running all over their competition during the regular season to a record of 19-1, Grand Rapids Union had made a name for themselves as one of the top teams in the area.  Standouts Ladon Carnegie and Xavier Watson had never had trouble scoring the rock.  One bad game, one poor shooting night, and they won’t get another opportunity.

East Grand Rapids was pegged as a preseason favorite in West Michigan based on the talent on their team.  But until the tournament they hadn’t found a way to consistently put their best game out on the court.  Well, they seem to be figuring it out now (although it seems like you never know from game to game with EGR).  Lead by Colin Voss, AJ McEwen and Deon Jobe, the Pioneers are a perfect example of a team who can be incredibly dangerous throughout the tournament, despite a mediocre record.

Forest Hills Central-66 , Grand Rapids Christian-58

At East Kentwood, Darrin Nesby sank four 3-pointers, made 12-of-14 free throws and finished with 30 points to lead FHC. Alex Mustert and Jaylen Staten scored 17 points each for Christian.

Christian had one of the more well-rounded and talented teams in the area throughout the regular season.  A trendy pick to advance far into the tournament, the Eagles seemed to have all the pieces with Jay Staten, Javin Hardley and James Slagter, and an unselfishness characteristic of the best teams.  An uninspired performance coincided with Nesby’s second consecutive 30-point outing, and Christian is done early.

As for Forest Hills Central, they are not to be overlooked.  At 13-8 overall, they are 5-1 over their last six outings.  As long as Nesby keeps shooting the way he has been, and keeps relentlessly attacking their opponents, he gives them a chance to win one game against even the best teams.  They play Wayland on Friday, which is the best team in West Michigan.  But Forest Hills Central doesn’t need to prove themselves the better team, which would be near impossible next to Wayland.  Whether it be due to luck, skill or whatever, they only need to beat the Wildcats once.

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Here’s what is keeping the hardcore basketball fans awake at night.  Here are the top-5 storylines for 2010:

1. Kalamazoo Central

The Maroon Giants were at or near the top of most everybody’s pre-season list in Class-A.  With returning superstar Devin Oliver surrounded by a supporting cast capable of out-running, out-jumping and essentially out-playing most other teams’ stars, the sky was literally the limit for Kalamazoo Central in 2009/2010.  After starting out gangbusters, the Giants ran into a 5-foot-6 buzzsaw in a loss to Saginaw Arthur Hill.  They bounced back though, beating state contender Rockford over the holiday break and looking every bit the top team in West Michigan.

Then news broke that Devin Oliver would miss 4-6 weeks with a broken foot suffered in the Rockford win.

Now, the big question mark is just how talented that supporting cast actually is, and where the Giants will be by the time Oliver returns.

2. Muskegon Heights

The Tigers have always been on the radar of the top teams in Class-B, but without the marquee names returning this year it was anybody’s guess whether they would live up to that billing.

Shame on all of us for ever doubting coach Keith Guy’s master plan.  Once again, the Tigers are among Michigan’s elite.  Even more than that, lead by double-double machine Jullian Plummer, this year’s edition is arguably the team to beat in West Michigan.  Entering 2010, Muskegon sits at 6-0 with quality wins over Rockford, Lansing Sexton, Reeths-Puffer and Muskegon.

Next up, on Saturday the Tigers will face that same diminutive phenom Maurice Jones from Saginaw Arthur Hill.  A victory would further solidify their place among the state’s elite.

3. East Grand Rapids

After losing to eventual state runners-up Zeeland East in last year’s playoffs, and boasting a dynamic one-two punch in A.J. McEwen and Colin Voss, expectations were high for East Grand Rapids this year.  That said, coming off their fourth consecutive state football championship, a slow start for the Pioneers was to be expected.  ie. their early loss to Rockford.

What wasn’t as expected was McEwen going down before week-1 with an injury.  What was entirely unexpected was the Pioneers’ continuing difficulties, capped off by a very unhappy holiday break during which they suffered consecutive losses to Detroit Cody and Saginaw.  Granted, those are some quality teams, but theoretically so is EGR.

The Pioneers now find themselves in an unfamiliar situation — with a losing record.  Getting McEwen back will be a tremendous help, but that timeline is still foggy.. The question here is how long it will take EGR to stem the bleeding.  They’ve got tremendous talent, but 2-3 is still 2-3.

4. Zeeland West

Last year was Zeeland East’s year.  This year, thanks to versatile wingman Austin Semple and inside presence Shane Tiemeyer, was supposed to belong to Zeeland West.  Problem was, nobody told Holland Christian, who beat the Dux in their own gym in week-2.

Zeeland West has since recovered and battled to a 4-1 record, but the theoretical talent has yet to manifest itself on the court, at least to the extent that was originally expected.  The Dux previous two wins were by a combined six points, and against teams who presumably were of lesser talent, Forest Hills Eastern and Holland.

Zeeland West gets Zeeland East at home tonight, in what is yet another opportunity for the Dux to assert their dominance.  Or another opportunity to play down to the level of their competition and squeak out another victory.  We’ll see which one.

5. Schoolcraft

There’s beating your opponent, and then there’s crushing, demolishing and demoralizing your opponent.  Schoolcraft has demonstrated a propensity for the latter three varieties in four wins this season.  Lead by superstar guard Kody Chandler, the Eagles have won their first four games by a combined score of 311-160.

For those of you counting along at home, that’s darn near double.

Chandler is playing like a man possessed, the Eagles’ defense is clicking in every way, and the supporting cast is more than carrying their weight.  But ultimately blowout victories over Gobles, Parchment, Kalamazoo Hackett and Vermontville Maple Valley only mean so much.

Schoolcraft is rolling like no other team right now.  But how long will they be able to keep it up?

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East Grand Rapids' Deon Jobe attacks the basket | Photo by: Louis Murray

The way the game was billed, we knew about what to expect going in.

We knew about Rockford’s do-it-all guard Ryan Majerle, who would go on to finish with 22-points and a number of hustle plays.  We were told about the Rams’ athletic young point guard Justin Klein, who would shake and bake his way to 10-points and 3-assists.  And everybody knew about East Grand Rapids’ behemoth center Colin Voss, who would dominate the painted area to the tune of 29-points, 13-rebounds and four blocks.

The usual suspects were exactly that on Friday night, as Rockford battled East Grand Rapids.  But nobody was ready for senior forward Matt Karamol, who scored a team-high 23-points — including six consecutive to send the game into overtime — to help Rockford claim a 76-72 victory.

“We knew about most of their guys,” said East Grand Rapids coach Jared Redell said. “We really didn’t know about Karamol. We knew he would get a lot of rebounds and make some garbage plays.  We didn’t realize he would make jump shots like he did, or that he could drive like that.  He was the difference tonight.”

At 6-4, Karamol had been giving up a good four inches to Voss all night.  But with the future CMU Chippewa protecting the paint on defense, Karamol had little choice but to stick his nose in against the taller opponent.  Again and again he attacked the basket, going right around Voss and at times trying to finish through him.  Then, when Voss backed off in an attempt to force Karamol to shoot a jumpshot, Karamol nailed the open shot.  In the end, there wasn’t much Voss, or EGR, could do to stop him.

Leading the tempo

Physically, Rockford did not and does not have an answer for a specimen like Colin Voss.  Really, nobody does.  There was no way that they were going to win a half-court game against the Pioneers, Karamol playing out of his mind or not.  What the Rams do have going for them is roster-wide athleticism, and a team chock full of good ball-handlers.  They say to play to your strengths, and by pushing the tempo of the game at every opportunity the Rams did just that, creating the prototype gameplan to beating the Pioneers in the process.

Rockford will find themselves in a similar situation against many of the state’s elite teams, forced to use their substantial quickness to overcome a size disadvantage.  In the preseason this was, if not a problem, then a very legitimate question mark.  But if Karamol continues to play the way he did against the Pioneers, the Rams may have a force inside to neutralize that size disparity.

The sans-McEwen factor

Much was made of the fact that East Grand Rapids was only a week of practice time removed from winning the Division-3 state football championship, and the accompanying period of rustiness that might prove unavoidable.

It did.  The Pioneers looked like a team not quite itself yet.  But a much bigger issue on Friday was AJ McEwen, or rather, the lack thereof.  The Pioneers’ star point guard did not play due to injury, and his absence was felt throughout the game.  But consider this: even this early in the season, East Grand Rapids took Rockford into overtime minus one of their two key players.

Take one Pioneer, add an AJ and simmer.  Is that the recipe for long-term success?

Mainstream media coverage

• The Venerable Jane Bos covered the game for the Grand Rapids Press
• Not mainstream per se, but WMA tweeted the game live

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Time’s up.

The MHSAA knows that fans don’t like ambiguity, and to their credit they’re one step ahead in resolving the situation.  What better way to kick off the Friday night portion of the 2009/2010 boys basketball season than with a Rockford / East Grand Rapids matchup?  Might as well preempt all that heated debating and gesticulating, and lock down the basketball hierarchy in West Michigan straight away.  That way fans on both sides of the fence can agree to move forward as friends.

What to expect from Rockford:

Rockford graduated a big chunk of their starting lineup from 2008/9, including leading scorer Gabe Vanderjagt.  But what they lack in experience they more than make up for in talent.  They’re lead by junior Ryan Majerle, who is capable of playing any position on the floor and had some big-game experience in the playoffs last year.  Newcomer Justin Klein is the most talented player on the team, even as a sophomore.  The big question mark is whether or not the point guard will have the consistency and temperament needed to run the Rockford machine.

What to expect from East Grand Rapids:

Last year, East Grand Rapids made a deep run into the playoffs behind the duo of Colin Voss and A.J. McEwen, before losing to eventual state runner-up Zeeland East.  Both of their stars return for their senior year, and after playing together on the Grand Rapids Storm all summer they should be significantly improved (believe it or not).  With the Voss/McEwen sequel clearly of the new-and-improved variety, the Pioneers should be extremely good come playoff time.  But maybe not yet, since eight of their 11 total players may still be in football mode coming off of their fourth consecutive state championship.

Will Rockford’s potential translate to production?  Will EGR’s football prowess continue onto the court?  It could go either way on Friday night and nobody would be surprised.  At least then we’ll know who can rightfully claim “we’re number two!”

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Kirk Spencer is too fast for ya

Josh Drummond runs the ball

Ford Field

Robert Bolden strolls into the endzone

Stonewalled

Ryan Elble looks to throw

AJ McEwen is hot on the trail

Trent Voss turns to find the quarterback

Ryan Elble fires the game winning touchdown pass

Ballgame

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Austin Semple makes Zeeland West a team to watch in 2010

Continuing our examination of the preseason basketball scene in West Michigan, which began with Class-D and Class-C earlier, we now take a look at the roundball landscape in Class-B, as we count our way up to the tipoff of the 2010 season.  Once again we turn to Stephen Bell, of Bankhoops.com and the High School Basketball Bulletin, for the opening arguments:

4. East Grand Rapids — 6-8 senior Colin Voss is a very tough matchup at the high school level, and senior point guard A.J. McEwen really knows how to run a team. A lot then will depend on the in-between players.

Recent CMU commit Voss was dominant at times last year, but was too easily thrown off his game.  For a guy his size, he should be a world-beater on a daily basis at the high school level.  He has shown that ability, with multiple 20-pt/20-reb games to his credit, but he has also demonstrated that he can be made passive given intense defensive pressure.  But then, that was last year, and given the amount of work he put in with the Storm over the summer, Voss could have remedied that issue.

And McEwen, well, let’s just say that he is the gas that makes the Pioneers go — the steady positive influence that keeps the team moving forward until Voss (the turbocharger) kicks in to win ballgames.

With the Voss/McEwen duo one year older after their deep 2009 playoff run, the Pioneers have the pieces to contend for a state title in 2010 barring any significant injury.

6. Zeeland West — Last year it was Zeeland East, now it’s Zeeland West’s turn. No one is predicting a 20-0 regular season like the Chix had, but the O-K Green is nowhere near as tough as last season so a gaudy mark is certainly in the Dux sights. West returns four senior starters, two of them college prospects in 6-6 Austin Semple and 6-10 Shane Tiemeyer.

The college prospects that Bell mentions, Semple and Tiemeyer, are still flying high from their conquests in running with the West Michigan Lakers in the summer, and should be even more formidable given the chemistry gained in doing so.

Last year the talent divide between Zeeland East and Zeeland West was made evident during the Chix 46-25 victory at the Jam at the Van.  They were two teams on different planets (or rather, the Chix were a team on a different planet from everyone else; the Dux were lumped in with the masses).

But last year was a long time ago.  Since then, Semple has steadily increased his output, and now should be considered one of the elite players in West Michigan.  And Tiemeyer has evolved from a stick-thin, non-factor in 2009 to something that recently has resembled a stick-thin, huge factor.  Look for Tiemeyer to contend for the imaginary “Most Improved Player” award this year.

8. Muskegon Heights — It was a real blow when senior center Julian Plummer moved. But who is going to vote against Keith Guy’s track record? The Tigers are always going to find some players. 6-3 junior Deonte Hudson will have to get on the fast track now.

The Tigers at #8 is much more of a shoot-from-the-hip move by Bell than were his other two West Michigan picks, particularly given the loss of Plummer.  But Muskegon Heights does have a way of finding athletes, whether home-grown or imported.  And with Keith Guy transforming those athletes into basketball players, it’s not a wonder that the Tigers have been good for so long.

Still, this one is due in large part to the program’s history, which may or may not come to fruition in 2010.

Bell also lists the preseason All-Staters:

Class B all-state first team
Derrick Davis  6-3  Sr  Bridgeport
Alex Gauna  6-9  Sr  Eaton Rapids
Patrick Lucas-Perry  5-10  Jr  Flint Powers
Ray McCallum  6-1  Sr  Birmingham Country Day
Colin Voss  6-8  Sr  East Grand Rapids

All-state second team
Josh Herbeck  6-5  Sr  Ann Arbor Richard
Devon Long  6-7  Sr  Detroit Crockett
Patrick O’Brien  6-3  Sr  Flint Powers
Austin Semple  6-6  Sr  Zeeland West
Cory Starkey  6-7  Jr  Petoskey

All-state third team
Will Bowles  6-7  Sr  St. Clair Shores South Lake
Ashton Curd  5-10  Sr  Madison Heights Madison
Aaron Daugherty  6-5  Jr  Big Rapids
Jacob Plite  6-6  Sr  Sparta
Amir Williams  6-10  Jr  Birmingham Country Day

All-state fourth team
Darvin Ham  6-5  Sr  Bridgeport
Derek Klein  6-6  Sr  Otsego
Keith Mackie  5-8  Sr  Ann Arbor Richard
Andrew Scarton  5-9  Sr  Flat Rock
Mitchel Valie  6-4  Sr  Goodrich

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Maybe it isn’t so simple?

The case for Rockford

In a neutral world, Rockford would be given an advantage simply by virtue of their no. 1 ranking in Division-1.  Even though the divisions are decided based on school size, it is generally accepted that the higher divisions consist of better athletic teams.  So, Rockford’s top ranking in Division-1 would trump East Grand Rapids’ top ranking in Division-3, even though both teams are undefeated.

As a result of their status as a Division-1 school, and in particular their O-K Red affiliation, Rockford has also faced better competition in 2009 than has East Grand Rapids.  The Rams have faced the best teams that West Michigan has to offer week in and week out, and while they haven’t blown many opponents out (remember, this isn’t the BCS, the only context in which margin of victory matters), they have emerged victorious every time.  An 11-0 record in Division-1 theoretically speaks for itself.

Rockford boasts one of the best defenses in the state, if not the best, lead by their linebacking corps.  The Rams are a team full of smart players and sure tacklers.  They don’t have the gamebreakers on the offensive end of the ball that they have in years past (although tailback Ryan Darby certainly gets the nod as such), but with supercoach Ralph Munger calling the plays, the Rams offense finds a way to get it done no matter what the situation demands.

The case for East Grand Rapids

While this is not the BCS, you can’t simply shrug off the significance of a 433-95 season scoring margin.  Weak schedule? East Grand Rapids has also proven their dominance against top notch competition — like week-1 against Orchard Lake St. Mary’s, week-8 against then-undefeated Lowell or the District Championship against 9-1 Byron Center.  All a team can do is beat the teams on their schedule, and East Grand Rapids has blown out every team they’ve faced.

Even though they are a Division-3 team due to their enrollment, the Pioneers have consistently outperformed that classification on the football field.  Suffering only seven losses in the past nine years, including five state championships in that span, if there was ever a team that deserved to be bumped up a division or two, East Grand Rapids is that team.

The Pioneers are as balanced as a football team gets.  They also have one of the best defenses in the state, if not the best, lead by their defensive front.  Once East Grand Rapids gets ahead, they are expert at keeping and expanding upon that lead with their stellar pass-rush and opportunistic secondary.  They also have gamebreaking talent in multiple offensive skill positions; their quarterback (Ryan Elble), tailback (Kirk Spencer), wide receiver (A.J. McEwen) and tight end (Colin Voss) are all capable of deciding a game with their performance.  And coach Peter Stuursma has been a party to all those championships, so he’s pretty good too.

The verdict

Accepting that we will not answer this hypothetical this year, and in all likelihood may never have an answer (last matchup between them was in 1985, which East Grand Rapids won 24-0), the question itself is still significant.

Considering Rockford’s no. 1 ranking in Division-1, the suggestion that they may actually lose to a Division-3 team should theoretically be laughable.  Whether it holds water or not, the fact that the question was posed, and then that it was legitimately discussed by straight-faced adults (relatively speaking), certainly speaks to the dominance of East Grand Rapids.

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