Caledonia, now 11-4 and 6-3 in the OK-Gold, came out of the gates hot taking an early 8-2 lead.  From then on, however, the going got tough…real tough.  Going scoreless for nearly 9 minutes, the Scots offense went ice cold as the Bengals used a 20-2 run to take a 22-12 lead into the locker room at halftime.  The Scots shot a miserable 26.1% from the field in the first half while the Bengals were not much better at just 38%.  Bengals seniors Shakur Sanders and Daryl White were basically free to do whatever they wanted on the offensive end as they diced through the Scots defense for easy transition buckets.

The second half started out much the same as the first with the Bengals taking their biggest lead with 4 minutes remaining in the 3rd at 32-16.  However, a quick 5-0 burst to end the third gave the Fighting Scots their first sign of life since the opening minutes of the game as they trailed 32-21 entering the final quarter.

A full court press by the Scots to start the 4th proved to be the right ingredient in the upset mix as the Bengals lost control of the momentum and became flustered.  Holding a 37-25 lead with 5:11 remaining in the game, the Bengals seemed to have weathered the Scots storm until the Stephen Spencer Show began.  In a span of less than two minutes Spencer netted 10 points, cashing in on two 3’s as well as two mid range jumpers.  A deuce added by senior guard Murphy Esterley, coupled with four missed free throws by the Bengals, knotted the score at 37 -37 with just 2:20 remaining. 

A timeout called by the Bengals went for naught as they quickly turned the ball right back over to the Scots and Spencer would not be denied.  Another 2 from their senior guard gave the Scots their first lead since the opening minutes at 39-37 with the clock showing 1:55.  After a bucket by Ottawa Hills guard Sanders to lock it at 39, Esterley again came up huge as he knocked down a deep 3 to give the Scots a 42-39 lead with 44 seconds to go.  The crowd rejoiced.  However, a steal by White underneath his hoop gave the Bengals two points plus a foul.  The free throw missed badly but the rebound went to Abraham Dock of the Bengals who banked in an 8 foot jumper giving Ottawa Hills a 43-42 advantage.

However, nothing would deter the Fighting Scots from winning this game, they had come too far, they knew this game was theirs.  They held true to their name and fought to the finish.  A basket scored by 6’3 center Michael Ruddock with 20 seconds left gave the Scots the lead for good and in fitting fashion Stephen Spencer stepped to the line with ice in his veins knocking down both ends of a 1 and 1 to seal the deal.  A stunning 46-43 victory for the Scots sent the Bengals home with their first conference loss of the season.  This truly was a team win for the Scots who again showed their resiliency and solidified the fact that you can’t ever count this team out.

Spencer finished with 16 points for the Scots to lead all scorers while Daryl White and Shakur Sanders led the Bengals with 12 and 10, respectively.

Here is Todd Bloemers after his team’s unbelievable comeback win.

The Caledonia Fighting Scots couldn’t look past Friday’s game against the South Christian Sailors.  Although the Scots will have a huge rematch next week against conference-leading Ottawa Hills, Friday’s game was just as important, with a solid footing for second place on the line.  At times it looked like Caledonia very well might have been looking ahead, as they allowed the Sailors to overcome a 13 point halftime deficit and take a four point lead midway through the fourth quarter, but in the end, the Fighting Scots toughed it out, coming together, and knocking off South Christian 55-50.

Early on, Caledonia looked to be in control, sprinting out to a quick 8-0 lead in the first, and ending the quarter with a sizable 20-7 lead as the second quarter began play.  The Sailors, however, weren’t about to roll over, starting out on a 9-2 run in the second, pulling within six.  Caledonia’s offense found itself in the second half of the quarter, managing to open up the margin to 13 points again, taking a 31-18 lead into halftime.

South Christian came out in the second half again ready to make a charge at the Scots’ lead.  The Sailors’ defense held tight, keeping the Scots to only eight points in the third, and South Christian had whittled down Caledonia’s lead to only seven points, 39-32.  South Christian’s defense continued its hot play in the fourth, and the Sailors managed some key offense rebounds, as they took their first lead of the game, 41-39, with 6:25 remaining on the clock.  That lead actually grew to four points, 45-41, but with just under four minutes to play, the Sailors ran out of gas.  It was at this point that Caledonia came together, going on a blazing 14-5 run to end the game, putting away South Christian to the final score of 55-50.

South Christian was led tonight by those named Jordan.   Jordan Mulder led his team with 11 points.  Jordan Vanderwall scored 10, and Jordan Burgess chipped in 9.  Stephen Spencer, of Caledonia, led all players with 14 points.  Teammate Michael Ruddock add 12 points of his own.

Caledonia improves to 10-5 overall on the season, 6-3 in the OK Gold.  They will square off this upcoming Tuesday against conference-leading Ottawa Hills.  South Christian falls to an overall 6-6 record, 5-3 in the OK Gold.  The Sailors‘ next action will be this upcoming Tuesday as they travel to Forest Hills Eastern.

Matt Philpott Photography was pleased to bring you coverage of tonight’s action.  Please be sure to visit his website to learn more about the services he offers.

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We here at West Michigan Allstar hope you had a great Christmas this year! Now that it is past however, we are ready to jump right back into the hockey mayhem. Here are your week three rankings. There was a lot of movement this week so make sure to check last weeks rankings to see who rose and who fell in the rankings.

1.)Grand Rapids Catholic Central (6-0-1) OK Conference Tier 1

Thanks to Grand Haven joining the loss column last week the Cougars have finally taken the top spot. They once again show their dominance as they have yet to lose a game this year.

2.) Grand Haven (8-1) OK Conference Tier 1

The biggest story of the week was the fall of Grand Haven at the Hand of the Mona Shores Sailors. Although it may just be a little stumble, it was just the opening that GRCC needed to push the Bucs down to the second spot.

3.) East Grand Rapids (7-2) OK Conference Tier 1

The Pioneers are enjoying a nice holiday break until January 6th when they play GRCC at Patterson Ice Arena. The game will be at 6:00pm.

4.) Kenowa Hills (8-2) OK Conference Tier 2

The Knights won another game as they consistently continue to prove they have a very good hockey team this year.

5.) Grand Rapids Forest Hills Eastern/ Northern (7-4) OK Conference Tier 1

The Huskies/Hawks beat Rockford soundly in our game of the week last week and added another win to their record. Their speed was the difference against the Rams, and it will continue to cause problems for their opposition as the season goes on. Make sure you check out the detailed coverage of the game here.

6.) Mona Shores (3-5) OK Conference Tier 1

Mona Shores is alive once again! The Sailors did what few people expected them to do as they beat Grand Haven last week in convincing fashion, topping the Bucs 5-2. The Sailors managed to score 3 goals in the final period to give themselves their third victory of the year.

7.)Rockford (4-4) OK Conference Tier 1

The Rams came out flat last week Wednesday losing to Forest Hills Eastern/Northern. They will face Jackson Lumen Christi on December 28th in hopes of getting back over .500

8.)Jenison (5-4) OK Conference Tier 2

Since topping the Grand Rapids Ice Hawks 10-0 on December 10th, Jenison has yet to play another game. They will face South Christian/ Calvin Christian on January 7th at the Kentwood Ice Arena. The game will be at 2:00pm.

9.)Lowell-Caledonia (8-1) OK Conference Tier 3

After a quick talk with the coach, we found out that Lowell-Caledonia has had a great season so far posting 8 wins and only one loss so far. This great record propels them up a few spots in our standings this week.

10.)East Kentwood(4-4) OK Conference Tier 2

East Kentwood has been off since they beat East Grand Rapids 3-2 on December 16th, and will look to beat the awakening Mona Shores Sailors on January 6th.

Honorable Mention

11.) Hudsonville (4-5) OK Conference Tier 2

A extremely hard fought loss to Forest Hills Central puts Hudsonville’s record at 4-5. Although they have struggled against some lower ranked teams, the eagles continue to play extremely close scoring games against their competition and show they have what it takes to win close games down the stretch.

12.) Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central(3-6)OK Conference Tier 2

Although it is a long shot until the Rangers hit .500 again, they took another step towards it with a win against Hudsonville on the eve of Christmas Eve.

13.) Grand Rapids West Catholic/Cedar Springs (3-5) OK Conference Tier 2

Another loss last week is not what GRWC/Cedar Springs was hoping for. They fell 6-2 against Catholic Central.

14.)Northview/Comstock Park/Sparta(5-3-1)OK Conference Tier 3

The Cats picked up another loss last week pushing them down in the rankings this week. They will try to rebound when they play Wayland–Middleview-Hastings on the 6th of January.

15.) West Ottawa (4-5-1) OK Conference Tier 3

Another loss was added to the Panther’s record last week by the hands of the Grand Rapids Christian Eagles. They stand at the bottom of our standings this week.

The Fighting Scots looked like they were going to cruise to victory, after they opened up a fast 11-3 lead after the first quarter of play.  Forest Hills Northern, however, wasn’t willing to go quietly, as their offensive attack awoke in the second quarter, outscoring Caledonia 27-15, giving the Huskies a 30-26 halftime lead.  Caledonia very well could have lost heart after letting the Huskies blow back into the game, but the Fighting Scots came out swinging in the second half, putting up 15 more points, and cutting the Forest Hills Northern lead to just a single point, 42-41, entering the final eight minutes of regulation.  For the third straight quarter, Caledonia put 15 points on the board, taking a one point lead with just over six minutes left to play, and never looking back.  Meanwhile, Forest Hills Northern ran out of gas, being held to only nine points in the final quarter, as Caledonia won by a final of 56-51.

Stephen Spencer and Brandon Martin led the offensive attack for Caledonia, each scoring 14 points.  Kail Venema added 12 points coming off the bench.

For Forest Hills Northern, Michael McLaughlin scored a game-high 15 points, including an impressive 7-8 night from the free throw line.  Jamal White and Nick Handeland each scored 10 points in the loss.

Caledonia now sits at 5-1 on the season.  They will open up their OK Gold conference season on January 3 when they travel to Ottawa Hills.  Forest Hills Northern falls to 2-3 this season.  The Huskies play next on January 3 when they travel to Lowell to face off against the Red Arrows.

Matt Philpott Photography was happy to bring you coverage of this game.  Please visit his website to check out additional photography, or to contact him to purchase a print from Thursday’s action.

1.) Grand Haven (8-0) OK Conference Tier 1

Undefeated Grand Haven is showing everyone they belong at the top of the rankings. No one can deny them the top spot for a second consecutive week. Look for them to stay at the top of the rankings as they play Mona Shores again on Wednesday 7pm @ Lakeshore Sports Centre.

2.) Grand Rapids Catholic Central (5-0-1) OK Conference Tier 1

With five solid wins and a tough tie so far this season, the Cougars show why they have been one of the top teams in the area for years now.

3.) East Grand Rapids (7-2) OK Conference Tier 1

The Pioneers struggled last week against Mona Shores, but they managed to pull out win as the game began to wind down. They will definitely be hoping to do better after a nice break this holiday season. They face Grand Rapids CC on January 6.

4.) Kenowa Hills (7-2) OK Conference Tier 2

Another solid win (6-1) last week keeps the Knights in our top five.

5.) Grand Rapids Forest Hills Eastern/ Northern (5-4) OK Conference Tier 1

The Huskies/Hawks managed to squeak out a win again Forest Hills Central this past week in double overtime. They face a tough Rockford team on Wednesday at Griffs Ice House @ 8pm.

6.) Rockford (4-3) OK Conference Tier 1

The Rams are having a solid season considering the strength of their opposition. They were handed a sound defeat last week by GRCC but will be looking to redeem themselves in the following weeks.

7.) Grand Rapids Northview/Comstock Park/ Sparta(5-2-1) OK Conference Tier 3

The Cats put up a good fight last week but fell short to Hudsonville. However, it was the fact that they had a strong showing against the Tier 2 Hudsonville Eagles that gives them the seventh spot on our rankings this week.

8.) Hudsonville (4-4) OK Conference Tier 2

Although they beat Northview / Comstock Park / Sparta this week, the Eagles failed to do so in a manner that showed they were truly the better team. The Cats came back from a 3-2 second period deficit to make it a close game in the third before Hudsonville finally put the game away for good.

9.) Jenison (5-4) OK Conference Tier 2

After topping Grand Rapids Ice Hawks 10-0 on December 10^th, Jenison was unable to continue their winning ways as they dropped to the Bay City Wolves last week.

10.)East Kentwood(4-4) OK Conference Tier 2

The Falcons picked themselves up last week and got their team to five hundred. The only problem is that the competition has stepped up as well. This leaves them a tough road to travel in order to get higher up in the rankings.

Honorable Mention

11.) Lowell-Caledonia (4-1) OK Conference Tier 3

Lowell /Caledonia picked up another win this week by scoring ten goals against the Kalamazoo Blades.

12.) West Ottawa (4-4-1) OK Conference Tier 3

The Kalamazoo Blades didn’t fare much better against the Panthers this week as the Panthers shut them out 4-0.

13.) Grand Rapids West Catholic / Cedar Springs (3-4) OK Conference Tier 2

A two loss week really hurt the Falcons last week. They look to do better this week as they play back to back nights against Reeths-Puffer and Grand Rapids West Catholic on Thursday and Friday.

14.)Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central (2-6) OK Conference Tier 2

The Rangers put up a good fight against Forest Hills Northern/ Eastern this week, but they came up short for the sixth time this season.

15.)Mona Shores (2-5)

Mona Shores has been beaten down quite of few times this season, but they still have a chance to turn things around. They take to the ice against our number one team this week Wednesday

The rematch of the Fighting Scots and Kentwood Falcons was set to be a good one.  Expectations were on the Falcons in that they took down the Scots by 25 in the first match up early in the season.  However the Scots had something else in mind.

It came early and it came often!

In the first half the Scots Dominated the game, here #4 Steven Spencer successfully drive to the lane.

The big men were tough underneath, like #44 Anthony Cooley.

Then #50 Jonathan Meerman moves smoothly with the Baby Hook for another two.

In the half #25 Paul Ten Harmsel was on fire from the outer rim hitting four of five from three point range, and the Scots led at the half 42 to 28!!!

But the second half belonged to the Falcons starting off with this nifty no look pass and a bucket down low!

Along with the no look pass the ball handling was superb by #10 Jeremiah Williams.

The Falcons continue to drive deep into the paint evening the score at the end of the third quarter 47-47, holding the Scots to just five points.

Foul trouble for the Scots brought the Falcons to the line often as here #22 Miles Robinson shoots a pair.

This was a hard fought battle by two excellent teams but in the end there was outstanding sportsmanship on the part of both schools, setting an example for High School Athletes. Here #25 Paul Ten Harmsel congratulates #14 Micah Gates and #10 Jeremiah Williams with a Falcon victory of 68-57.

To purchase any of the 123 photos of this game go to the following link or contact Dudley Campfield of ADC Graphics 616-822-2542

This district at Ottawa Hills is probably the toughest in the area. All six of these teams have won a load of games this year and whoever survives this bracket will definitely have earned a trip to Regionals.

Union, East Kentwood and Byron Center have all had spectacular seasons. Ottawa Hills has been playing great ball and they are the hosts.

Caledonia- the Scots struggled out of conference this year, going 0-5 to this point outside of the OK Gold. Fortunately for the Scots they got a bye into the second round of this District, Unfortunately they get the winner of FHC and EK both of which have taken down the Scots this season and they have to prepare for both with the extra time. EK took down Cal 69-34, holding the Scots to 3 single digit scoring quarters. FHC handled Cal as well 63-54; both of those losses came on the road (the FHC loss was at Cornerstone’s Holiday tournament).

Forest Hills Central- the Rangers are a gritty team who we’ve seen take the likes of GR Christian right down to the wire on the road so we know they can compete. The four OK Black losses came to Union and Holland twice each as the Rangers took 3^rd in their league. The first round draw of East Kentwood puts Steve Wittenbach and crew behind the 8 ball but you just never know. A first round win could set FHC up for a district final likely against Union for a 3^rd time this year.

Ottawa Hills- the Bengals have had an up and down season starting off slow after high expectations. Devon Ivy and crew have figured it out and are one of the hotter teams as we enter Districts, combine that with the fact that they host this bracket and will have a rowdy bunch of fans and it may be enough to propel them past BC in the 1^st round. What isn’t on Hills’ side is the fact that they have the toughest draw in the bracket having to go through BC and Union to get to the final.

Byron Center- the Bulldogs have had a great season rolling through the OK Green with a single blemish on the schedule. I’m never a fan of drawing the home team in the first round however as it poses an issue with the 6^th man, combine that with the level of play that Ottawa Hills has found and Byron Center cannot be thrilled with their draw. A second round match-up with Union can’t look appealing either but you don’t win 15 games in a year if you’re intimidated by another team.

East Kentwood- the Falcons are probably more “ready” for the playoffs than anyone in this District as they had to battle through the brutal OK Red. They found a way to win that league and then got a little luck with the easiest road to the finals in this Ottawa Hills District. EK is athletic, tough and experienced and it showed as they found a way to take down Rockford last Friday when it mattered most. Look for EK in the Final of this District, which is all you can ask for is a chance to play yourself into a Regional.

Grand Rapids Union- the Red Hawks are our top ranked team in the area and also drew a 1^st round bye. A final game against EK would be amazing to see with all that would be on the line. Union must remain focused on the OH BC game however as both teams are a dangerous foe if overlooked. I have liked Union all year and Coach Williams totally sold me with their dominating win over (at the time) unbeaten GR Christian. Long, athletic, tough and experienced are great qualities for a playoff team to hold and Union has a full deck.

My prediction is that EK moves on and then takes down Caledonia on the way to the finals. The other side of the bracket is a bit more interesting, I’m going to ride the momentum and take Ottawa Hills to advance past BC. As for their match-up with Union, I can see it being close but I just don’t see how Union drops that one. So were set with an East Kentwood v GR Union District Final, get there early! Ladon Carnegie ends up being just too much for the Falcons to control and the Red Haws move on following a slim victory.

Be sure to keep an eye on this district as it may get interesting once we enter the second round and beyond. Feel free to discuss below in the comments section and tell us all the reasons why we’re right, as well as why we’re wrong.

Cal came out hot dominating the first quarter going on a 12 pt run up until the Cougars hit their first bucket at the 2:53 mark in the first quarter.  C.C. came storming back to bring it within four at the end of the first period, Scots 15 to the Cougars 11.

The second period the three birds and defense out with CC having multiple steals.  The Cougar’s #10 Conor Hogan went 3/3 from three points with the second half score being 32- 25 with CC on top.

The Cougars started strong in the second half with to steals to increase the lead to 36-25.  But the Scots settled in and with the hard play of big men #44Anthony Cooley and #34 Michael Ruddock #50 Jonathan Meerman, with multiple three points by Jake Rempe came back ending the third quarter 40 – 36.

With two minutes left in the third quarter the go to guy #10 Hogan went down hard appearing to hurt his right shoulder.  But he came back strong in the fourth.  The Scots held the Cougars tight throughout the fourth and with less than a minute to go were only down but three.  But several crucial turn over’s and fouls opened the window for the Cougars finishing off the Game of the Week 58-51.

Standouts for the Cougars were #10 Conor Hogan with 23 pts and #22 John Haley with 11pts.  John Marosi and Brendan Penny each had 7.

For the Scots #15 Jake Rempke was outstanding with 12pts and #3 Murphy Esterley had 10pts.  The big men accounted for 18pts.

To see more action from this game and everything else Dudley Campfield check out his site.

1. Grand Haven (16-0)

You know a team is talented when a 14-point win starts to look like a close call. Grand Haven defeated both Muskegon and Rockford last week, though the Rams did come within 14. Since Grand Haven is beating its opponents by an average of 24.2 points per game, that was smaller spread than normal but by no means was a poor performance.

2. Byron Center (16-0)

Byron Center has all but locked up the OK-Green title. However, the two teams with the ability to take down the Bulldogs, Holland Christian and Unity Christian, are on deck this week. As long as Byron Center wins at least once, the conference crown should be theirs.

3. Catholic Central (14-1)

The Cougars had a good week last week, defeating both Hastings and Wayland. They face Caledonia and will rematch Wayland this week in games that promise to be exciting, given the amount of talent on all three teams.

4. Forest Hills Central (15-1)

The Rangers easily handed Creston on Tuesday and had little trouble against Mona Shores on Friday. Their defense continues to be impressive, currently allowing 27.9 points per game.

5. Kent City (14-0)

West Michigan’s own Class C powerhouse rolled over Godwin Heights and Allendale last week. The Eagles still have a couple tough games on their schedule, though, including tonight’s game against Western Michigan Christian.

6. Grand Rapids Christian (14-2)

The Eagles had a close victory over Kenowa Hills last week but had no trouble at all with Northview. Tonight’s matchup against Union could be interesting.

7. Wayland (12-3)

Though the Wildcats lost to Catholic Central last week, they did an impressive job of limiting the Cougars offense. While Catholic Central averages 53.4 points per game, Wayland only allowed them to score 39. Friday’s rematch is one not to miss.

8. East Grand Rapids (11-2)

East Grand Rapids added two more solid wins to their record last week, defeating Northview 48-34 and Union 56-42. The Pioneers have a huge game tonight against Forest Hills Central.

9. Oakridge (15-2)

Oakridge had a strong win over North Muskegon, but just squeaked past Hart on Friday. Montague and Grant are up next.

10. West Catholic (14-3)

West Catholic returns to the top ten after a one-week absence. With two nice wins over Forest Hills Northern and Comstock Park, it looks like the Falcons are back on track.

Honorable Mention (alphabetical order)

Caledonia

Calvin Christian

East Kentwood

Holland Christian

Ottawa Hills

Some schools have spoken up and here is your chance, get your friends together and vote for the game you want WMA to cover for you. You can only vote once so make it count and get your friends to help out. For Tuesday games the poll will end on the Sunday before and for Friday games the polls will close on the Wednesday before the games.

Feel free to suggest up-coming games to be included in the poll at westmiallstar@gmail.com.