There was a buzz in the air Friday night in Lowell as the Red Arrows prepared to host the Big Reds.  This district championship game was a rematch of a hard-fought regional championship game from last year, in which Lowell beat Muskegon in a last-minute thriller of a victory.  Fans couldn’t help but wonder, what would 2011 have in store?  Those questions were valid, too– Muskegon’s offense, particularly the running game, was on fire last week; Lowell looked strangely flat in their previous game– from the opening drive, however, it was clear that all questions were about to be tossed out the window, as Lowell cruised to an easy 36-7 victory.

Lowell took the opening kickoff and got right to business, driving 68 yards down the field for a touchdown, with quarterback Gabe Dean carrying the ball in from the one yard line.  Muskegon failed to answer, punting the ball away on their first possession.  The Red Arrows, looking much livelier than a week ago, marched down the field once again, this time scoring on a five yard Gabe Dean rush.  Again, the Big Reds were unable to respond, being forced to punt on their second consecutive possession.  The inability to string together consistency on offense is something that would plague Muskegon all night long.

With a promising 21-0 lead Lowell took the ball for their fourth possession of the game, looking to possibly turn the lead from “promising” to “comfortable”.  Muskegon’s defense, however, held strong, forcing a Red Arrows punt.  Muskegon now looked to build some momentum and drive down the field for a score, but the brakes were slammed on any such plans when they lost possession on a fumble.  Lowell immediately capitalized, scoring yet again, this time on a seven yard scamper by Joshua Addington.

The Big Reds received the second half kick, hoping to forget their dismal play during the first two quarters of the game.  Finally the Muskegon offense began to click, as they moved 75 yards down the field for their first, and only, score of the game, by way of a Princeton Duncan rush from one yard out.  Of key things to note on this drive was an apparent injury to Juwan Lewis.  Lewis left the field, seemingly favoring his right arm, and although he eventually would return, he was clearly in pain the rest of the way, and was sidelined for a handful of plays at least one other time during the second half, presumably due to this possible injury.

Following the Muskegon touchdown, the Big Reds defense forced a Lowell punt.  With plenty of time left in the game, Muskegon still had hopes closing the 28-7 gap and of making a game of things.  Those hopes took a big hit, however, on their second turnover of the game– a fumble which was recovered by Lowell’s Ryan Woodhead.  The Red Arrows were unable to do much with their new-found possession, turning the ball over on downs.  Lowell now called upon its defense to snuff out any possible change in momentum, and that they did, forcing Muskegon to put on the ensuing possession.  Muskegon’s defense forced Lowell to punt on their ensuing possession, but that punt pinned the Big Reds on their own one yard line.  Following a pair of procedure penalties, one accepted, one declined, Lowell scored via a safety on second and ten from the one-half yard line, making the score 30-7.

Muskegon’s now offense went into panic mode, attempting many deep passes, most of which fell innocently to the grass.  Lowell had one more score up its sleeve, as Joshua Addington scored his second touchdown of the night, running the ball in from the one yard line, with mere minutes left in regulation.  This final touchdown, and missed extra point kick, gave us our final score of 36-7.

Muskegon ends their had fought season with an 8-3 record.  Head coach Shane Fairfield and his staff will enter this offseason looking to build upon the foundation set this year with the implementation of their new offense, and hope for more positive results in 2012.

Lowell improves to 10-1 on the year.  They will host the winner of Saturday’s Okemos/Fenton game, on either Friday or Saturday, depending on the opponent.

Josh Bearup clears a running lane for Gabe Dean.

Jai'lyn Thompson runs towards the outside.

Gabe Dean fires off a pass.

Ryan Williams-Follins bursts up a seam on a kickoff return.

Blake Lyman breaks out into the open on an opening possession reception.

Gabe Dean is brought down hard by the Muskegon defense.

Luke Bigham is hit immediately as he hauls in the grab.

Princeton Duncan scored Muskegon's lone touchdown of the game.

Gabe Dean winds up on the pass attempt.

Matt Philpott Photography was happy to bring you coverage of this game.  Please be sure to visit his website to learn more about photography services he offers!

Hackley Stadium, home of the Big Reds since 1927, has a feel unlike almost any other high school football stadium in Michigan.  The feelings as one drew near for today’s clash between cross-town rivals, was even more unique.  The air had a buzz, and the noise coming from the packed, sun-bathed stands could be heard all across the surrounding neighborhood.  Inside, a party atmosphere engulfed the seven thousand fans that came to see the Tigers and Big Reds take the field against one another for the first time since the late ’70s.

Muskegon took control of the contest early and they never looked back, when quarterback Princton Duncan ran the ball in from eight yards out, with 7:58 remaining in the first quarter.  On the ensuing Muskegon Heights possession, the Big Reds‘ defense forced a three-and-out.  Attempting to punt the ball away on fourth down, the Tigers‘ long-snapper accidentally sent the snap sailing over the punter’s head and out the back of the end zone for a safety.  Muskegon, momentum clearly in hand at this point, sent a message to their guests that victory wouldn’t come easy, when Juwan Lewis broke out a 60 yard touchdown run on the first play of Muskegon’s next possession.  The extra point kick missed, giving the Big Reds a 16-0 lead, with the first quarter only half complete.  Ryan Williams-Follins added yet another Muskegon first quarter touchdown, when he scored on a 39 yard run with just under two minutes left in the first.

The second quarter unfolded much like the first, with Muskegon’s offense keeping the proverbial foot on the gas pedal, and their defense keeping Muskegon Heights off the scoreboard.  Following a Ryan Williams-Follins interception, Juwan Lewis found the end zone again, his second touchdown of the day.  Following a successful two point conversion, the Big Reds were ahead of the Tigers 30-0.  Less than a minute later, the Big Reds struck again, as Laquinton Miller intercepted a DeShawn Thrower pass, taking it all the way to the house for a touchdown.  After a missed extra point kick, the score was now 36-0 and the rout was on.  The Tigers turned the ball over again on their next possession, losing a fumble in their backfield.  Pouncing on yet another Muskegon Heights mistake, the Big Reds worked their way down the field once again, with Juwan Lewis scoring his third touchdown of the afternoon, bringing the score to 43-0.  Muskegon would reach an even 50 before the half was over, when backup quarterback Jalen Smith hit Ryan Williams-Follins for a 19 yard touchdown pass with just over a minute left in the second quarter.  Muskegon Heights finally managed to get on the scoreboard with 13 seconds left in the half, when DeShawn Thrower connected with Kevin Day for a 42 yard touchdown pass.  The extra point was no-good, however, and the score at the break was 50-6.

Per MHSAA rules, the second half saw a running clock throughout its entirety.  Muskegon, with victory firmly in hand, shut down the passing game, pounding the ball up the middle with rushes.  Muskegon Heights kept the Big Reds off the scoreboard in both the third and fourth quarter, but it was clear the Big Reds weren’t necessarily looking to score.  The Tigers had one more score left in them, when the speedy Kevin Day scorched an 88 yard touchdown run down the sideline, with 1:46 left in the game.  The Muskegon Heights extra point missed, giving us our final, 50-12.

Muskegon Heights falls to 0-2 on the season.  They will look to rebound next week Friday when they host an undefeated Bay City John Glen.  Muskegon ups its record to 2-0.  They will open up their OK Red conference season when they travel to undefeated Hudsonville next week.

Jai'lyn Thompson flattens the Muskegon Heights defender.

The Tigers offense struggled to establish itself all day.

Angelo Corona puts a lick on the ball-carrier.

The Muskegon Heights defense forces the ball loose.

Ryan Williams-Follins looks the pass in.

DeShawn Thrower ran for 31 yards in the game.

Ryan Williams-Follins leveled the defender with a block on this punt return.

The Tigers swarm the loose ball, causing a turnover.

Juwan Lewis rushed for 113 yards and 3 touchdowns.

DeShawn Thrower passed for 61 yards and a touchdown.

Ryan Williams-Follins runs back an interception.

Kevin Day (#17) scored both Muskegon Heights touchdowns.

Matt Philpott Photography was happy to bring you coverage of this afternoon’s game.  Please be sure to visit his website  to view additional photos!

This Class A District, with games being played at Grand Haven, looks to have two clear frontrunners, a solid “Next Best” choice, and then a handful of teams that don’t have a realistic shot at making it out of the District.  Three of the teams in this District hail from the OK Black, but there might not be a chance for any conference showdowns, due to first round pairings.  If, however, there is a Monday night upset, you will see two familiar foes square off in one of the Wednesday night games.

Team               Overall Record            Conf. Record             Head-To-Head Record

Muskegon                   13-6                 8-6                                           2-1

Grand Haven              11-8                 6-7                                           2-1

Cedar Springs             7-11                 5-6                                           0-1

Kenowa Hills              7-12                 4-6                                           5-0

Mona Shores               2-17                 1-9                                           1-4

Reeths Puffer              2-18                 1-9                                           1-4

Muskegon- The Big Reds ended the conference schedule tied for 3^rd in the OK Red.  They’re one of two teams that likely have the best shot to win this District.  Muskegon limped home at the end of conference play, going 2-4 (including a loss to Grand Haven), but they did end the regular season on a positive note, beating Jenison by seven.  Courtney Hill was the heart and soul of the Muskegon offense, scoring 271 points.  Hill’s 35 buckets from three point range were good for an astounding 60% of his team’s total threes.  The Big Reds will likely find themselves playing in the District Final on Friday night.  Their first round game against Mona Shores shouldn’t provide much of a problem, and their potential second round matchup with Cedar Springs should be in their favor too.

Grand Haven- The Buccaneers wound up 5^th in the OK Red.  They are the other team that should have the best shot at winning the District, and the fact that they are hosts only helps to increase those chances.  Grand Haven was led this year by Alex Eidson ’s 232 points.  Eidson is a true threat from outside, his 32 threes were good for 56% of the team total—in fact, his next closest competition on the team only sank eight shots from beyond the arc.  The Bucs will face a scrappy Kenowa Hills team to open up the tournament.  A win almost guarantees a trip to the finals, as the potential second round game would be against a lowly Reeths Puffer squad.

Cedar Springs- The Red Hawks ended their OK Blue season in 4^th place.  They had a strong finish to their season, winning three of their final four games.  Alec Hanmer led the Red Hawks in scoring, with 146 points during the regular season.  Cedar Springs drew a first round bye and will play the winner of the Muskegon/Mona Shores game.  Most likely they will face the Big Reds.  If they do, I don’t think they will have the offense to keep pace, the Red Hawks scored 50+ points only four times this season.

Kenowa Hills- The Knights are one of three OK Black teams in this District, they finished in 5^th place within the conference.  Kenowa Hills backs into the postseason having lost four of the previous five games, they do have one final chance, however, on March 3, to try to right the ship slightly.  Inside man Scott Versluis led the Knights on offense this year, scoring 234 points.  Kenowa Hills is my favorite for a potential Cinderella Story in this District—if (and that’s a big if) they can get by host Grand Haven on Monday, they should be able to dispose of Reeths Puffer in round two, whom they’ve already beaten twice.  In fact, the Knights are 5-0 against all teams in the District not named the Big Reds or Buccaneers.  Kenowa Hills fans, come cheer on your team this Monday, because you should have a one way ticket to the District Final if you can knock off Grand Haven.

Mona Shores- The Sailors finished in a 5^th place tie in the OK Black this season, they are the second of three teams from this conference.  Mona Shores has lost their previous nine games, managing more than 50 points in only one of those losses.  Torin Carlson and Aaron Doriot tied for the team lead with 125 points each this season.  One thing that has hurt the Sailors all season long was poor free throw shooting, as a team Mona Shores only shot 49% from the line.  The Sailors will face Muskegon on Monday night.  Chances are, they will be one and done.

Reeths Puffer- The Rockets are the final OK Black team in this District, they finished in a 5^th place tie with Mona Shores.  Reeths Puffer had a rough go of it offensively this year, being held under 40 points nine times.  Ryan Oosting was the only Rocket to score over a hundred points on the season, with a final tally of 133.  Reeths Puffer drew a first round bye and will play the winner of the Grand Haven/Kenowa Hills game.  Likely this will be the only game they play in the postseason.

All in all, this District should provide fans with some exciting basketball.  Two powers seem destined to square off for the title, however, an upset isn’t completely out of the question.  Muskegon should have little trouble advancing to the District Final, I think you’ll see them there.  The numbers and my gut both tell me Grand Haven will get to the Final also, but I sort of like the fun thoughts of a Kenowa Hills upset.  Regardless of who faces off against the Big Reds, I see Muskegon winning the District.

What started out to be a high scoring game became a defensive battle in the 3rd quarter, until 3:47 left in the 3rd when Muskegon scored on a 6 yard pass from QB Kevonta Keyes to T.J. Mitchell making the score 27-21 in favor of Lowell.  Muskegon was putting 8 men in the box to force Lowell to pass on man-to-man coverage, and they were shutting down the high scoring Red Arrow offense until Gabe Dean threw a 16-yard touchdown pass to sophomore Reed Stormzand to take the lead, 33-28.

Lowell went for the 2 point conversion and was unsuccessful.  Muskegon tried to come back and were driving with less then a minute to go before they fumbled.   Lowell recovered and ran out the clock.  The Red Arrows were led by QB Gabe Dean and wide receiver Matt Houston.

During the regular season Lowell finished at 7-2 losing to East Grand Rapids and Greenville.  They now will represent the OK White in the Division 2 Semi-finals next Saturday against Walled Laked Central who beat Fenton this evening.

Success in football, perhaps more so than any other sport, is influenced by excitement.  It’s a game of energy, and a game of passion, and when one team has more of those things than another, well, it’s tough for the other team to keep up.  The other thing about excitement is that it can be generated in an instant.  Even when you’re being outplayed by the opposition, one great play, one big hit, or in Muskegon’s case one converted fake punt on fourth-and-20 inside their own 25 yard line (yes, seriously), and that intangible thing called “momentum” does a 180.  And all of a sudden it’s a completely different ball game.

It’s a situation that some teams, like Muskegon, have become experts at creating.  They’re the Rocky Balboas of high school football — they stay in the fight, and wait for the opening to land a crazy haymaker.

The deck was stacked against them; going into West Michigan’s most controversial stadium, Black Field, in the early November equivalent of a blizzard.   But for most of the game they hung in against Greenville on Friday night.  They battled, and matched the Yellowjackets blow for blow.  But it only takes a single great play to change the outcome of a game, and Muskegon’s backfield of Kavonte Keyes, Juwan Lewis & T.J. Mitchell generated a few.  It was too much for Greenville to keep pace, as Muskegon pulled away to a 42-21 victory in the District Finals.

The game was actually decided in the third quarter, on a series of plays that probably shouldn’t have happened.  Down eight, Muskegon coach Shane Fairfield decided to fake a punt on fourth-and-20 from deep in his own territory.  Mitchell sprinted down the sidelines, and was forced out of bounds after 21-yards.  On first-and-20 a couple plays later, Lewis found a hole up the middle and raced almost untouched for 51-yards to the Greenville 2-yard line, setting up a Keyes touchdown.

But Greenville answered back, as Sean O’Brien mirrored Lewis’s big run with a 36-yard touchdown of his own, his third touchdown of the game.  And then, on the very next play, Lewis burst up the middle for a 61-yard touchdown run.  And the excitement in Black Field, on the coldest day of the year to this point, was all on the visiting side of the field.  Greenville was unable to get it back.

For Muskegon, this big-play offense will need a couple more just like Friday to keep up with Lowell, who they will meet in the Division-2 Regionals.  The same Lowell team that Greenville beat to end the regular season.

Quick hitters:

• Muskegon’s defensive line is a contradiction.  Picture a couple 6’5″, burly guys in Najee Brown-Duren and Damon Knox bookending two of the smallest defensive tackles in the area in Jake Mitchell and Orlando Pena.  You’d think that the weakness there would be right up the gut, but while the bruisers on the end overpower their competition, the duo inside squirm between blocks to get to the ballcarrier.  Slightly odd-looking, but still effective, combination.
• Greenville quarterback Zachary Burris has all the tools of a great high school quarterback.  He’s got a strong and accurate arm, but more importantly he’s talented at reading coverage and making his progressions to find the open receiver.  If the weather had been different, those talents might have played a bigger role.
• If you’ve seen Greenville play, you know who Justin Zimmer is.  The senior linebacker is an absolute beast.  Teddy Roosevelt would be exceptionally proud of the young man.
• Muskegon’s backfield is a conundrum to defend against.  Apart from the offensive line, anybody on the offensive side of the ball for the Big Reds is a threat to take it the distance on any play.  As Muskegon moves on in the tournament, they have a puncher’s chance against any opponent considering this group’s ability to drop bombs.

1. Class-A basketball rankings — High School Basketball Bulletin
2. Class-B basketball rankings — High School Basketball Bulletin
3. 12/21 basketball scores (boys) (girls) — Mlive.com
4. Director-speak for “winning isn’t everything” — MHSAA.com
5. Big Reds’ coach more important than superintendent — Muskegon Chronicle
6. Cheer becomes attitude adjuster for KCentral’s Fitzsimmons — Kalamazoo Gazette
7. GR Christian girls prove too much for FH Northern — Grand Rapids Press
8. Hockey players of the week (last week) — TWMHSHB
9. Area boys basketball rankings — Kalamazoo Gazette
10. Area prep stars of the week — Kalamazoo Gazette

Keep up with the latest action and analysis by becoming a WMA fan on Facebook, or join the conversation by following WMA on Twitter.  Heck, even start your own topic over at Allstars Among Us.

Matt Koziak’s stay as Muskegon’s head football coach has ended after one year.

Koziak submitted a letter of resignation to Muskegon athletic director Terri Clock, citing health issues as a key reason for stepping down. He announced his decision to the program’s players in a Wednesday night meeting.

Koziak led Muskegon to a 7-4 record and third-place finish in the O-K Red Conference. The Big Reds lost their four games by a combined 14 points and fell to Division 2 state champion Lowell 26-19 in the district championship game.

Koziak verified his resignation for health reasons, but he declined Thursday to elaborate on his decision.

In his resignation letter, Koziak wrote:  “It’s a difficult decision based on health issues and the relationship with my family.’’ He’s met with his family doctor and made the decision to resign as head coach and to change his lifestyle to relieve stress and strain on his health.

It’s certainly surprising, to say the least.  And also a bit disappointing.  After all, it wasn’t all that long ago (less than four months) that we were discussing his ascension from offensive coordinator to take over as head coach for Big Red legend Tony Annese.  With his experience and obvious love for the game, it seemed like sustained success was just around the proverbial corner for Koziak.  So why step down now?

For better or worse, the first thing that comes to mind is a question regarding the coach’s performance (given the fact that Koziak specifically cited health reasons as the catalyst, my (and your?) reaction may serve as a commentary on the sporting world we live in, but it is a natural one).  But upon closer examination, Koziak’s performance was satisfactory, if not better than.  And even more than that, it set the stage for a long and successful tenure at the Musky helm.

A 7-4 overall record and a close loss to eventual state champs Lowell in the playoffs is promising, if not stellar.  And considering that his Big Reds had a realistic chance of winning in every single contest (lost four games by 14-points combined), not only am I not disappointed — as a Muskegon football fan I’m excited about the prospects of Koziak coaching for a long, long time.

Actually, as a Muskegon football fan, all that makes Koziak’s decision to step down even more disappointing.

But without any elaboration (until Monday, so we’re told), for now it’s only fair to take Koziak at his word that the decision was made for health/family reasons.  As a fan it’s a shame, but ultimately we need to understand football’s place in a list of priorities, particularly when one’s health is involved.

Either way, coach Koziak, I wish you all the best, as does everyone here at WMA.  It was fun.

What do you guys think about all this?  Muskegon fans, sound off in the comments.

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Rockford's Ryan Darby blocks an extra point (Cory Morse/Muskegon Chronicle)

Entering Friday’s matchup against undefeated Rockford, D-1 champs taking on D-2 champs, the Big Reds had two goals: control the running game, and don’t turn the ball over.  No ambivalence about it, Muskegon played their game.  They shut down Rockford’s Houdini-esque running game with absolutely stifling defense, while their own running game continuously chewed up yardage.  And the Big Reds never turned the ball over.  Not once.

Muskegon led 13-3 with under 6-minutes to go.  They had chewed up some clock (not nearly enough, more on that later), and lined up to punt from their own 38-yard line.  The Rams brought the house, blocked the punt, and from that point on Muskegon was out of the picture.  With 5:33 left, the game had fundamentally shifted, having become a contest held entirely between the Rams and the clock.  The Rams won that contest by 14-seconds, and in doing so beat O-K Red rival Muskegon, 16-13, in what was one of the most exciting high school football games in recent memory.

While the blocked punt was the overt signal that the Rockford comeback was in progress, it actually started two plays prior, when Muskegon quarterback Kevonta Keyes had his eyes forcibly crossed by a Rockford linebacker.  The player who to that point had been steadily ripping the Rockford defense with his electric, intelligent running, was abruptly knocked silly, after which Muskegon failed to tally a single first down.

With Muskegon’s leader out on his feet, from that point it was Rockford against a ticking clock.  Ram quarterback Taylor Masiewicz, who was then 4-of-8 for 39 yards and an interception, hit two consecutive passes including a 19-yard touchdown to Neil VanderLaan.  A Muskegon three-and-out later, and the Rams had the ball with 3:43 left.  Icily, Masiewicz led Rockford on a 45-yard scoring drive, culminating when he found Zach Haugen in the endzone to put the Rams up for good, leaving only 14-seconds on the clock.

Crunch time Zen masters

Failing the kind of marquee talent that many competitive teams can claim, Munger’s Rams have always been among the top teams in the state due to their uncanny ability to finish in any situation.  While not always the best team in the state, when the game is on the line you’d be hard pressed to find a team more calm, more Zen, and ultimately more efficient than Rockford.  It’s a testament to Munger’s coaching ability he is consistently able to get the most from his players in the most pressurized situations.

In victory, Rockford coach Ralph Munger sometimes boasted that he had not even needed to dig past the first page of his playbook.  After various around-the-back ball-fakes and wraparound draws, he may have dug to page-3 or 4 on Friday.  So much the better for the Rams, who remain undefeated at 7-0 while Muskegon falls to 4-3.

Time management

Up 13-3 in the fourth quarter, a second, but equally important, goal emerges.  At that point not only is it important to continue to rack up yards, but goal number 1-A is to milk the clock.

Conventional wisdom would state that in that situation the ball ought never be snapped with more than 5-seconds left on the play-clock.  College and professional quarterbacks have the luxury of watching a large, digital readout count down the seconds. In lieu of that kind of funding, high school quarterbacks follow a more primitive procedure, watching the back-judge count down the final five seconds of the play clock with his arm.

The back judge never got the opportunity in the fourth quarter on Friday, as Muskegon consistently snapped the ball with time on the clock.  Add all those non-milked seconds up, and the outcome may indeed have been different.

Mainstream coverage

• Mlive has the box score from the game, in which the outcome would have surprised
• Mike Mattson covered the game for the Muskegon Chronicle

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Will Muskegon rise to the occasion, or will Rockford continue to roll?

Remember way back in the preseason, everyone was looking to this week’s matchup between Rockford and Muskegon to decide who was the overall, pound-for-pound powerhouse of West Michigan high school football.  EGR was in the mix for that title back then too, as was appropriate, but most of the pundits around the internets were focused on Rock and Musky.

Two Muskegon losses later — the first a one point heartbreaker and the second a three point surprise — what was initially positioned as a clash of undefeated godzillas has lost some of its preseason luster.  Regardless, what we are looking at is the D-1 and D-2 defending state champions doing battle late in the season, with some very serious playoff implications for a Muskegon team that needs to win two of their next three for an automatic playoff bid (and likely never imagined they’d be in this position).

The Rams have taken care of their end of the bargain, sitting undefeated at 6-0.  But after drubbing their first four opponents by an average of 21-points per game, the Rams have showed what some might construe as vulnerability in their two most recent victories.  A 14-point victory over Grand Haven followed by a 13-point win over West Ottawa may sound convincing at first blush, but both of those games were competitive until very late in the game.  A few balls bounce differently, and who knows where the Rams would be.

Or on the other hand, you could take the two close Ram victories in a different context and interpret them as testament to Rockford’s ability to finish in close games, something at which Muskegon has struggled.

(In)consistency, moxie and motivation

Records aside, this is a matchup between two of the best defenses in the state, with a little offense thrown in almost as an afterthought.  Rockford has demonstrated remarkable consistency in all facets of the game, and in all likelihood will continue their multifaceted onslaught on Friday. Whether that results in a win or a loss really depends on which Muskegon team shows up.

In contrast to the Rams, Muskegon has been somewhat inconsistent this season.  They double up a tough Ottawa Hills team, and then play flat against Grand Haven.  They obliterate a Hudsonville team who everyone had pegged high in the preseason, and then fall short to a very beatable East Kentwood team.  The Big Red rollercoaster is fully capable of handing Rockford their first loss — they have all the talent of the Rams, and what they lack in moxie they make up for in motivation — but is also fully capable of laying a stinker.

Other possibly relevant things to keep in mind

Muskegon held Rockford to minus-13 total yards in their matchup last year — the Rams’ only loss.  Also, Muskegon is returning to their home field, Hackley Stadium, for only the second time this season.

Quote from the Muskegon Chronicle

“We need this victory so much. We know Rockford won’t fold. Rockford will have a chip on its shoulder with us beating them last year. We have to fight to win our fifth game.” — Gabe Corona, LB, Muskegon

Will the Hawkeyes fly to the ball in week-7?

With two-thirds of the 2009 football regular season behind us (sniff, sniff), we are now officially in the home stretch.  The best have locked up their playoff berth, the worst are out of the running (apart from a surprise or two), and the rest will be fighting for their playoff lives over the next three weeks (some of them right on the brink).  This is truly a special time in Michigan high school football.

After a less-than-stellar (by AGF’s lofty standards) 2-1 performance in week-6, AGF’s overall record in football pick’em has dropped to a still respectable 14-5.  However, this week’s picks separate the men from the boys.  This week pits some undefeateds against some would-be undefeateds.  What remains to be seen is whether the “would-be” tag, along with the lack of a guaranteed playoff berth, provides enough added motivation for the underdogs to upset the heretofore untouchables.

So, without further ado, here are the games you absolutely must watch this week.  Trust me.

Hudsonville Unity Christian (4-2) @ Hamilton (6-0)
Hamilton was in a similar position last year at this time. The Hawkeyes were an impressive 7-0 heading into their matchup with Unity Christian, and ended up losing the game 40-14.  That loss continued to haunt them, as they ended their season with three consecutive losses.  In 2009, Hamilton is once again undefeated headed into the Unity Christian game, so the history buffs among Unity Christian fans are drooling.  Unfortunately for them (but fortunately for Hamilton), this year will be different.  Unity Christian’s offense isn’t quite as potent as last year, and Hamilton’s defense has been simply dominant, giving up a mere 5.5 points a game.
Prediction: Evan Mudd has another solid game at QB for the Hawkeyes, and the defense takes care of the rest.
Score: Hamilton-28, Hudsonville Unity Christian-6

Rockford (6-0) @ Muskegon (4-2)
There is little doubt that this matchup will be a defensive battle, considering that neither team is scoring a lot of points in 2009, while both are excellent on the defensive side of the ball.  Speaking of defense, wasn’t it Muskegon’s defense that held Rockford to negative 14-yards last season?  Ouch.  Te Big Reds are just as good on defense this year, and Rockford’s offense isn’t producing like last year’s squad.  Still, duplicating that kind of defensive prowess will be a tall order.  Turnovers and penalties have been Muskegon’s Achilles’ heel in two losses; if they play mistake-free, they should have an equal shot in this game.  But Rockford has a way of forcing mistakes.
Prediction: It’s close, but Muskegon’s offense just isn’t scoring enough to overcome the mistakes this year.
Score: Rockford-18, Muskegon-15

Inkster (3-2) @ Muskegon Catholic Central (3-3)
Class-A Division-II Inkster is entering Muskegon this weekend, led by dual-threat, U-M commit QB Devin Gardner (who MCC coach Mike Holmes likens to Big Ben Roethlisberger).  Waiting to greet them is little ol’ class-D Division-8 Muskegon Catholic Central.  But remember, MCC won the D8 Championship last year while Inkster lost to East Grand Rapids in the D-3 finals.  All David vs. Goliath comparison’s aside, both of these teams are fighting for their playoff lives, and both desperately need a win here.  MCC won’t be able to match Inkster’s size or athleticism, but they will be able to match their intensity.  Weather shouldn’t be a factor as they are calling for low 50’s and dry.
Prediction: Tough call.  I think Catholic will hang in there, but in the end Gardner will prove too much.
Score: Inkster-34, Muskegon Catholic Central-28

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