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.

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.

Fans came to play this last week, casting 37,286 votes in the second annual WMA football team. Turn to your friends at Fox 17 for the final unveiling Saturday at about 10:40 p.m. following baseball action. One hint, the top vote getter with 671 votes was a kicker!

You choose ‘em, we’ll show ‘em. Stay tuned Saturday for player breakdowns.

We’ll also give you the rundown on the 21 West Michigan playoff games listed below.

Traverse City West @ Rockford
Holland West Ottawa @ Grand Haven

Kenowa Hills @ Greenville
Forest Hills Central @ Muskegon
Lowell @ Grand Ledge
Portage Central @ Portage Northern

Cedar Springs @ Mount Pleasant
Forest Hills Eastern @ St. Johns
Fruitport @ Zeeland East
Byron Center @ East Grand Rapids
Grand Rapids Christian @ Hastings

Alma @ Comstock Park
Hudsonville Unity Christian @ Zeeland West
Spring Lake @ Catholic Central
Allegan @ Paw Paw
Battle Creek Pennfield @ Middleville

Muskegon Heights @ Grant
Shelby @ Muskegon Oakridge
Kelloggsville @ West Catholic
Hopkins @ Jackson Lumen Christi
Fennville @ Hartford

“And in on the tackle, students and fans help me out here, Mooooosssee.”

If you weren’t from Comstock Park, you might’ve thought the Panthers changed their name to the Moose. Well, maybe they did for their Friday night homecoming game against Cedar Springs. The Comstock Park “Moose” beat down the visiting Red Hawks 37-7.

“Our line guys deserve credit tonight,” said first year head coach Mark Chapman. “Oh Moose, Tyler Gruszka.  He’s always been so big, and he just kinda tramples kids. We just nicknamed him Moose, and we ran with it.”

Listed at 5’11” 225 lbs., the junior created holes at right guard and smashed through some others at defensive tackle to lead Comstock Park in the trenches. Senior running back Kevin McCarthy was very appreciative.

“We’ve got Moose,” McCarthy said. “He makes holes like nothin’. And basically you could of rode a truck through that thing. That’s just where to run right there. There’s no juking or anything.”

McCarthy made things look easy for much of the night rushing 25 times for 206 yards and two touchdowns. The senior nearly had two more scores, but Cedar Springs pushed him out of bounds twice at the one-yard line. Sophomore quarterback Jake Brown finished both of those drives with short touchdown runs.

Comstock Park QB Jake Brown scoots in for an easy score from Varsity News Network on Vimeo.

“At the beginning of the year, it was a toss up between quarterbacks. He stepped up in his first game and ever since. For a sophomore, he’s a leader.”

Brown was 12-of-17 passing for 122 yards and one touchdown.

Things started out slow for both teams, but a gutsy fake punt by Comstock Park got things going. It was a 4^th and one early in the first quarter, but a penalty pushed the Panthers back. Chapman still wanted to go for it.

“It depended on what their defensive end did. If he sat, we were going to come off the edge,” said Chapman.

Brown took the snap and scooted outside for a long 22 yard run. McCarthy finished the drive with an easy touchdown run.

Cedar Springs started to get some momentum, but two interceptions by Andrew Ejsmont and another by Zach Crittendon prevented any sustaining drives. They scored their lone touchdown halfway through the second quarter on a 28-yard pass from Tyler Covell to Brandon Slater to make it 20-7.

The Panthers took back their commanding lead at the end of the first half with several hurry up passes by Brown. He connected with McCarthy on a 35-yard pass to make it 27-7.

Comstock Park visit the non-conference White Pigeon Chiefs while Cedar Springs hosts Belding next week.

“This game brought us one step closer to bringing this team back into the playoffs,” said Chapman.

Lakeshore: Game of the Week

Holland vs. Forest Hills Central

9/21/10 6:45 p.m. at Holland

Holland hasn’t received much attention in the coaches’ poll yet, but don’t underestimate the Dutch. They’re 6-1-3 on the season, with their one loss coming from Northview, currently ranked #2 in the Division II poll. Forest Hills Central fell from #6 to #7 in last week’s Division I poll, but they’re currently on a three-game win streak. The winner of this game will have sole possession of the OK-Black for the moment as both teams are currently 3-0 in conference play.

East

Cedar Springs vs. Sparta

9/22/10 6:45 p.m. at Cedar Springs

Cedar Springs beat #8 West Catholic 1-0 last Thursday. Sparta currently has an 8-4 overall record, one of the best in the OK-Blue. The Spartans also defeated West Catholic earlier this season. The conference race is wide open at this point, so this game is important in showing who will have the best chance of competing with Forest Hills Northern, the team currently on top of the OK-Blue.

West

West Catholic vs. Forest Hills Northern

9/23/10 6:45 p.m. at West Catholic

Speaking of the OK-Blue, the West Catholic game against Forest Hills Northern also promises to be a major conference matchup this week. Forest Hills Northern fell out of the coaches’ poll last week, but West Catholic is still receiving statewide attention with their #8 ranking in Division III. When these two teams met earlier this year, West Catholic came out on top, 1-0. That was three weeks ago, though, and both teams have gained a lot of experience since then. Between this and the Cedar Springs vs. Sparta game, there promises to be a lot of OK-Blue activity this week.

Players Upgraded for Week Four

• Starting quarterback Luke Brower is back practicing with the first team at Holland Christian. Brower went down with a knee injury in the fourth quarter of their season opener against Holland. The Maroons have sorely missed their junior quarterback who went 21-for-30 for 345 yards and 4 touchdowns. They’ve only had one touchdown through the air, which came last week with a 15-yard pass from Reid Compagner to Ben Hill.
• Ian Hamilton returns for Jenison after missing week two and three with a strained thumb tendon. Hamilton starts at running back and linebacker for the Wildcats. Jenison needs the depth and experience on defense after losing linebackers Kenny Marr and Steve Meekhof.
• East Grand Rapids gets back guard Cohen Mead just in time for their game against Union. The Pioneers haven’t had any trouble filling in on their offensive line, but it’s always encouraging when a junior starting returns.
• Hudsonville Unity quarterback Lance Deemter won’t miss any action after fracturing his left wrist in the win over Holland Christian. Deemter will be in a cast for the rest of the season, but will still line up under center.

Players Downgraded for Week Four

• Mike Wierenga is out as quarterback for South Christian. The senior is out for the foreseeable future.
• Hastings’ offensive linemen Eric Hart is out for at least a week with a broken toe.
• Reports on South Christian offensive tackle Garrett Carpenter are not confirmed, but he could be out between two to six weeks with a injured collarbone.
• Jenison linebackers Kenny Marr and Steve Meekhof are both out. Marr suffered a concussion last week against Rockford, while Meekhof sprained an ACL. He’s out for the season.
• James Putnam at Cedar Springs is out for the season with a torn ACL.

Four weeks of football. The same number of weeks in an NFL playoff season. Week four is the hot tamale, the Super Bowl. Thankfully, we get a taste of that same spice and excitement in week four of high school football. Zeeland West “at” Zeeland East. Both stand at a convincing 3-0, which put them in our Top Ten rankings, East at #6 and West at #9.

Check out West Michigan All-Star’s exclusive coverage of the top 5 games of the week on ESPN 96.1, West Michigan’s new choice for sports.

Tune your radio stations to 96.1 to hear Terp and West Michigan All Star breakdown these five key match ups each day this week.

Before heading over to the Zeeland-All game, make sure to check out our write of games for each team. When the Zeeland East Chix Hatched and when Zeeland West Took to the Air. Heck, go watch some video of Zeeland East and Zeeland West.

Other Top Five games: Hudsonville @ Muskegon, Rockford @ Grand Haven, Caledonia @ Hastings, Coopersville @ Cedar Springs.

We’ll give you our prediction and analysis of each key game.

• Hastings 45, Hillsdale 14
• Muskegon Catholic Central 19, Hopkins 18
• Unity Christian 24, Belding 7
• Jenison 28, Caledonia 20
• Lowell 42, Forest Hills Central 0
• Grand Haven 41, Traverse City Central 14
• Zeeland West 51, Wayland 12
• Comstock Park 58, Rogers 14
• Zeeland East 69, Godwin Heights
• East Grand Rapids 44, Mona Shores 23
• Inkster 35, East Kentwood 3
• Detroit Catholic Central 42, Hudsonville 13
• Fruitport 25, Newaygo 16
• Grand Rapids Christian 52, Reeths-Puffer 13
• Kenowa Hills 56, Creston 0
• Forest Hills Eastern 35, Cedar Springs 7
• Northview 40, Holland 7
• Greenville 42, Union 2
• West Catholic 24, Allendale 8
• Grandville 42, Traverse City West 14
• Grant 40, Tri County 27

Read the full story with The Grand Rapids Press: “High school football roundup, Week 2…”

Graduation and losing star players is a fact of life for teams all across the country. The measure of team’s success lies within its ability to retool and adapt to the players it has or doesn’t have.

WEST CATHOLIC PREVIEW (10-1): One team many people thought may feel a little blue this season may not be feeling blue at all. West Catholic under fourth-year head coach Dan Rohn is confident it can plug the holes left by RB Loren Suggs and QB Nick Ford. Among theirs options are junior RB Kyle Corey who ran for 300 yards in 2009, Union transfer RB Jalin Faison, senior Lance Buitendyk (an All-State shortstop on the Falcons baseball team), and senior WR Dan Pittman. The Falcons graduated four offensive and four defensive linemen but coach Rohn isn’t too worried.

“[Junior] Tony Brechting is a big kid at 6’4” 275 lbs,” said Rohn. “On the defensive line we have [senior] Patrick McCarthy (6’1” 225 lbs.), [junior] Andy Zimmerman (6’5” 230lbs.) and [senior] Peter Dykstra (6’3” 250 lbs.) returning on the offensive line. We have good size up front.”

Something missing this year will be the annual West Catholic vs. Central Catholic. The teams wont play each other for the first time since Sept. 24, 1965. Emotions are mixed on the break in the rivalry game, but it should return in 2011.

COOPERSVILLE PREVIEW (5-4): Is that Barry Sanders I see over at Coopersville?!?! That’s not fair! Ok, #20 isn’t suiting up for the Broncos but an experienced defense is. Speedy senior defensive ends Chris Stuyfzand (6’ 225 lbs.) and Casey Nottingham (6’ 235 lbs.) bookend the defensive line with senior Mike Kibben (6’2” 240 lbs.) adds even more size to the Bronco’s front.

“Were going to be big and strong. We have a lot of linemen back, it’s the skill positions [where] we’re going to be hurting a little bit,” first-year head coach Todd Vanhouten told WZZM 13. “Our linemen will definitely be the leaders of this football team this year.”

At linebacker, the Bronco’s have senior Jake LeMieux (6’ 220 lbs.) and junior outside linebacker Chris Becerra, who saw playing time last year, but an injury cut his varsity-stint short. Junior tight-end Jordan Salinas will also see time on defense.

“We have a lot of guys going both way,” said defensive end Chris Stuyfzand. “We have been lifting for four years, and this year we realized we were going to have to be in good shape.”

On offense, Coopersville will rely heavily on a trio of running backs. LeMieux returns at fullback as a big, power blocker for seniors Chadd Pfahler (5’10” 180 lbs.) and Spencer Stanitzek (5’10” 185 lbs.).

“[Chadd] put on about 15 lbs. in the offseason. He’s very quick. He used to try to make hundreds of cuts, but this year he quit that and is just running the ball hard to get five yards every carry.” “The backs, they all lifted a lot more this year, and they are all also in really good.”

BELDING PREVIEW (5-4): Speaking of the running game, the Belding Redskins look considerably quicker this year all across the board. Juniors make up most of the much more agile offensive line who will try to protect senior running back Ray Bordeaux, their leading rusher.

“A lot of guys have been working hard,” said senior tight-end and linebacker Gil Corder (6’3” 210 lbs.). “We’re not the biggest but we make up for it in speed. [Speed] was definitely big this offseason.”

Corder will be a cornerstone offensively and defensively for the Redskins.

The Redskins still have some size and strength on the offensive line with senior tackle Zach Kunkle and senior center Nathan Mason. Head coach Joel Wilkers told the Ionia Sentinel he thinks his team’s key strengths will be it’s offensive line and all-around speed on defense.

“We’re all fast. On defense, everybody gets to the ball,” said Corder.

CEDAR SPRINGS PREVIEW (4-5): Trying to un-perch the West Catholic Falcons (who haven’t lost a conference game since joining the OK-Blue in 2008) are the Cedar Springs Red Hawks led by senior running back James Putnam (5’11” 190 lbs.). Putnam along with the rest of the Cedar Spring backfield showed signs of brilliance in 2009 against Grand Rapids Central with 472 rushing yards. Senior Shane Bratt recorded his longest career run in that game, a 87 yard touchdown.

The Red Hawks will need to develop some kind of passing game behind junior QB Tyler Covell to keep linebackers honest and away from Putnam. [James Putnam's recruiting video] Putnam displays great breakaway speed and is a true north-to-south RB, but needs defenses to back up. Junior wide receiver Hank Porter (6’ 170 lbs.) and senior tight-end Tyler Baker (6’ 180 lbs.) could fill that role.

“The team has shown a lot of improvement as we work[ed] together in 7-on-7’s and 2-a-days,” said Putnam.

To protect Putnam and gang, Cedar Springs returns three seniors on the offensive line: left tackle Andrew Klompstra (6’5” 230 lbs.), center Brandon Flanagan (5’8” 230 lbs.), and guard Trevor Hemry (5’10” 190 lbs.).

Defensively, the Red Hawks return nearly everyone, but won’t rely as heavily on two-way players.

“Our defense has a lot of speed and a lot of energy. We have fun playing together, and we know the key to success is a strong defense.”

FOREST HILLS NORTHERN PREVIEW (4-5):  The Huskie’s backfield went through a few changes in the offseason. Junior Cam Wysocki lines up at quarterback with senior Dan Michaud now primarily a running back. Senior Bryce Spraggins tries to fill the void at running back left by Leighton Watson, now a student at Lowell.

Wysocki will have two familiar receiving targets in senior tight-ends James Burgoon and Zach Hamilton. The pair was a favorite target of the young quarterback.

Defensively, the Huskie’s are well stocked at linebacker even though they’ll miss senior Dalton Deters who tore his ACL and MCL. Senior Rudy Coston leads a pack of junior linebackers including Branden Miklosovic, Alex Johnson, and Mitchell Larsen.

COMSTOCK PARK PREVIEW (4-5): Much of the success of the Panthers rides on senior running back Kevin McCarthy (5’11” 175 lbs.) The speedy McCarthy will need to attract enough attention away from defenses for sophomore quarterback Jake Brown to get acclimated. Brown needs to find a way to get comfortable behind an entirely new offensive line. Seniors Andrew Ejsmont (6’2” 170 lbs.), Zach Crittendon (6’2” 180 lbs.), and DeJuan Edwards (6’ 180 lbs.) give Brown plenty of targets to choose from if the line can protect him.

“Our line, they block pretty well,” said McCarthy. “We lack in size compared to West Catholic, but we have strong kids. Junior right guard Tyler Gruska (6’ 230 lbs.) is strong and quick…. He throws some good blocks.”

Comstock Park returns a lot on defense, including lead tackler senior linebacker Bryan Barnes and Ejsmont.

“Andrew’s at strong safety and he can lay some licks. Bryan reads the ball very well.”

SPARTA PREVIEW (2-7): The Panthers will have to pounce quickly if they want to contain the explosive senior QB Cameron Cooper (5’9” 175 lbs.). A four-year starter for the Sparta Spartans, Cooper is a versatile threat either by air or on the ground.

“He’s really quick and has a cannon for an arm,” said senior running back Dan Konkle (5’9” 180 lbs.). “He throws harder and farther than you can run. When he swings outside, it’s all over.”

Cooper, who runs a 6.88 in the 60-yard dash, is expected to continue his baseball career into college. But for now, he and Konkle are focused on the upcoming football season.

“We’ve got a lot more depth this year. We only had 25 guys last year, now we have 35 to 40. The junior class is big. Their whole line is going to help out.” “They’re all about 200-210. Last year, [the linemen] were around 180.”

On defense, the Spartans return a lot of experience at linebacker. Junior Tony Hill, who led the team in tackles last year (96), returns at linebacker alongside Jake Westers, Kyle Fitzpatrick, Brandon Schmitt, and Dillon Kraemer. Cooper and Konkle take over coverage duties in the secondary.

District 5 @ Reeths-Puffer: Mona Shores, Muskegon, Reeths-Puffer, Grand Haven

Reeths-Puffer is going to be the team to beat for District 5, with a record of 18-9. They have already beaten Mona Shores three times this year, and they are the county tournament champions. Key contributors to the Rockets success will be shortstop Drew Johnson, pitcher Tyler Meyers and the bat of Nick Somerville.

The Rockets will have to look out for Mona Shores pitcher Andrew Ulfsax. He has proved to be a strong pitcher this year and recently threw a no hitter against Holland.

District 6 @ Jenison: Grandville, Holland, Holland-West Ottawa, Hudsonville, Jenison

Hudsonville is the team to watch in District 6, bringing in a record of 19-5. The Eagles, lead by a strong pitching lineup including Shane Trevino, Sky Hoke and Brandon Cable, have proved they can win big in winning their own tournament earlier this month.  Plus, they also have strong bats to supplement the pitching.  Several players have hit homeruns this year including Hank VanOoyen and Hunter Prince.

Jenison has a record of 15-10 and is definitely going to be a contender in the District 6 tournament. Strong pitchers this season have been Jerry Ferris and Logan Healey, while Adam Lamaire, Jordan Bigler and Nick O’Dowd have been strong hitters for the team.

District 7 @ Lowell: Caledonia, East Kentwood, Forest Hills Central, Ottawa Hills, Lowell

Even with the recent drop off in the rankings, Forest Hills Central is still the favorite contender in the tournament. Two of their starting pitchers, Alex Lakatos and Mick VanVossen have thrown no hitters this season, and the Rangers have hit over 35 extra-base hits. Josh Reid proved early on he knows how to swing the bat against Kenowa Hills. Along with Reid, key offensive players include Alex Campbell, Kyle VanderArk, Lakatos and VanVossen.

East Kentwood’s catcher Steve Hazel has come through as a clutch player all season and will look to help his team continue their winning season throughout the tournament. 11 of the Falcon’s players have hit at least 3 RBI’s this season.

District 9 @ Mattawan: Benton Harbor, Kalamazoo Central, Mattawan, Portage Northern, Portage Central

District 9 is shaping up to be a tremendous district tournament this year, with the No.1 and No. 3 teams in the state: Portage Northern and Portage Central. You probably have to give the edge to Portage Central, because they’ve beaten Northern before.

Northern’s starting pitching has been phenomenal all season. The four main pitchers that have contributed to their success include Jack Livingston, Jaden Nozicka, Jake Engels, and Joe Allor. A few of the key offensive players for Portage Northern throughout the season have been Brett Thomas, Casey Coates, Jesse Franks, Kyle Darling, Kyle Downey, Taylor Valler and Livingston.

Central has had close to the same success on the mound and on the batters box. Their main pitchers this season have been Derek Schneider, Kyle Jusick, Logan Templeton, Monty Porter and Nate Stegman. In addition to the solid pitching this season, almost all of the players have consistantly been assets to the offensive side as well. To name a few: Caleb Meulman, Evan Meier, Jordan Tillman, Lee Dreksler, Nick McIntyre, Ryan Krill, and Tyler Jones.

District 46 @ Hudsonville-Unity Christian: Allendale, Hamilton, Holland Christian, Hudsonville-Unity Christian, Zeeland East, Zeeland West

Hamilton is currently ranked 6^th in the state for Division 2. With a record of 21-3 and a stalwart coach that has been there for 10 years, the Hawkeyes are the favorite to win this district tournament. They also have already won the OK Green Conference title. The Hawkeyes have several players who have hit for extra bases this season including Adam Koning, Carter DeBoe, Jason Henrickson, and R.J. Flowers. Hamilton has also produced several solid pitching performance this year by Alex Tenckinck, Nathaniel White, and DeBoe.

Another OK Green team that will be a contender in this district is Hudsonville-Unity Christian. Two week ago Unity Christian tied with Hamilton in their second game of a double header. They know what it takes to beat Hamilton with the experience they have playing each other.

District 47 @ Belding Area: Forest Hills Eastern, Belding Area, Cedar Springs, Comstock Park, Forest Hills Northern, Sparta

Forest Hills Eastern is currently ranked 7^th in state for Division 2. Taylor Pawlanta is one of the strongest batters in the area and as of mid-May was boasting a .450 batting average. In addition to Pawlanta’s bat, Forest Hills Eastern’s incredible offense includes Zak Wilkerson, Max Rennaker, Matt McCready and Jessi Greenert. Throughout the tournament you can expect to see some great pitching from the Hawks’ starters Corey Sessions, Wilkerson and McCready.

With a 14-3 record Forest Hills Northern will also be a strong team in the District 47 tournament. With defensive leadership coming from Phillip Haywood at pitcher and offensive help from Tyler Powers, they should be a tough team throughout the tournament.

District 48 @ East Grand Rapids: East Grand Rapids, Grand Rapids Catholic Central, Grand Rapids Creston, Grand Rapids Union, Grand Rapids West Catholic

At 22-2 with over 250 runs to their credit this season, Grand Rapids West Catholic is a team with a lot of talent and depth on offense. They are the team to beat in District 48. Matt Coulson, Henry Tracy, Cory Murphy and David Miklosi are West’s four main pitchers to look out for. The Falcons have so much depth in their batting lineup almost everyone has had at least one extra base hit. Some strong presences in the batting lineup include Lance Buitendyk, Mike Davey, Kyle Corey and Miklosi.

East Grand Rapids has a current record of 16-7 and will give West Catholic a run for their money. Tyler Lewis and Zach Schwenneker are strong pitchers for EGR. They also have strong hitters all around and will be a tough competitor in the District 48 tournament.

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