Catholic Central took the floor tonight as what many would consider slight underdogs.  The Cougars are a young team, and Forest Hills Eastern fields a team with key senior leadership.  None of this seemed to matter, however, once the ball was tipped, as Catholic Central generally had their way with the Hawks, winning what was at times a very sloppy game, 51-42.

Tonight’s game got started off rather slowly, as both teams seemed to feel one another out.  Catholic Central was called for a charge on their first offensive possession, and fouls would plague the Cougars most of the first half.  At the conclusion of the first eight minutes of play, the Catholic Central had a narrow lead, up 9-6.  Catholic Central seemed to be the must more aggressive team in quarters one and two, but the aggressiveness was almost too much, as Forest Hills Eastern found itself in the double-bonus with over three minutes left in the second quarter.  The Hawks were not able to fully take advantage of Catholic Central’s foul trouble, though, as sloppy ball handling cut short quite a few offensive possessions.  As both teams broke for halftime, the Cougars had manage to extend their lead, taking a 23-11 margin into the locker room.

The Forest Hills Eastern team that came out in the second half was a stark difference from the one that left the court after sixteen minutes of play.  Passes were crisp and on the money.  Players seemed more energetic, and confident.  The Falcons started to climb their way back into the game, and for the first time all night, the Quest Center gym started to come to life.  Catholic Central raced ahead to an impressive 30-15 lead over the first half of the third quarter, but Forest Hills Eastern came storming back, ending the quarter on a strong 11-2 run, to pull within six points, ending the quarter at a 32-26 score.  Forest Hills Eastern continued their surge, at one point pulling within four points in the fourth, but the Hawks ran out of steam about halfway through the quarter, eventually falling to the 51-42 final.

With tonight’s victory, Catholic Central lives to play another day.  The Cougars will face off against East Grand Rapids on Wednesday night at the Quest Center.  Tip of Wednesday’s game is scheduled for 6:00 p.m.  Be sure to check back following the game, as we here at West Michigan All Star will be proud to provide coverage of all the action!

Matt Philpott Photography was happy to cover tonight’s game.  Please be sure to visit his website to learn more about the photographic services he offers!

We here at West Michigan Allstar are looking forward to a great 2012. Throughout this year we hope to build our hockey coverage and expand it even more. It is your feed back and comments that will help us as we try to give you, the fans, the best hockey coverage in the West Michigan area. Below are your week four rankings. There was very few games due to the holidays so many teams record will remain the same as last week and they will not move in the standings. Make sure to give us some feedback and defend your team or praise their positioning.

1.)Grand Rapids Catholic Central (7-1-1) OK Conference Tier 1

This past week brought the last team without a win to their knees as GRCC fell to East Kentwood in a close fought game that finally drew to a close in OT as the Falcons finally netted a third goal to seal the win. The game was very close however which allows them to stay on the top of the rankings this week.

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

Off for holiday break last week, Grand Haven’s next game will be on Wednesday at 8:30pm against Hudsonville at Holland Edge Ice Arena.

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

The Pioneers finished off their holiday break last week and will play GRCC at Patterson Ice Arena. The game will be at 6:00pm.

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

The Knights also were off for the holidays and will face Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central at Walker Ice and Fitness Center Friday at 6:00pm.

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

Forest Hills E/N was another team that got to enjoy a week free of games and will be itching to get another win when they play East Grand Rapids on Saturday.

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

The awakened Sailors look to continue their winning ways and climb back to the top of the pack when they play in the Mona Shores hosted Konrad Memorial Hockey Tournament this weekend.

7.)Rockford (5-5) OK Conference Tier 1

The Rams broke even last week in the Big Rapids Tournament as they lost a game and won a game over the course of the tourney. They fell in the first game to Jackson Lumen Christi 6-2 and in the second game against Big Rapids, they were able to pull out a win 5-4.

8.)Jenison (7-4) OK Conference Tier 2

I apologize for missing the fact that Jenison had two games last week against Kalamazoo United and Portage Northern. The Wildcats did win both of those games however, as they continue to turn their slow start into a nice season.

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

Lowell-Caledonia will look to keep up with its high flying ways as they play the Kalamazoo Blades at 8:30pm on Friday.

10.)East Kentwood(6-4) OK Conference Tier 2

East Kentwood had a huge win last week as they beat GRCC in overtime to hand the Cougars their first loss of the season. They will look to carry that momentum over to their game against the awakening Mona Shores Sailors in the Stan Memorial Hockey Tournament this weekend.

Honorable Mention

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

Having the past week off might be helpful to the eagles as they prepare to play Grand Haven on Wednesday.

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

Hudsonville will be busy this week as they will also be the first game that FHC plays after their holiday break. Look for the Rangers to take advantage of a tired team when they play on Friday.

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

The Falcons will play their first game of the new year this week as they face off against Reeths Puffer on Friday at Griffs IceHouse. The game will begin at 8:00pm.

14.)Northview/Comstock Park/Sparta(5-3-2) OK Conference Tier 3

The Cats didn’t budge in the rankings this week as they also had a nice holiday break. They will look to move up the rankings as they play Wayland on Friday.

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

The Panther’s will need to awaken after their break in order to balance out their record this week. They will hope to do this when they face Flushing on Friday at Flint Iceland Arena. The game will be at 6:30pm. 

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 district at Forest Hills Northern is one of the easier Districts to sort through for us at WMA. Comstock Park and Catholic Central are clearly the two best teams here and the bracket allows for them to meet in the finals, with one slight potential hiccup.

Park and Catholic are not only the two best teams in this District but they are honestly two of my favorite teams that I have seen all year long. It’s a shame these two couldn’t face off in Regionals but if this shakes out like it should then West Michigan is in for a whale of a game.

Forest Hills Eastern- the Hawks received the lone bye in this bracket and won’t play until Wednesday, that’s the good news for FHE. The bad news is that they will face the FHN v CC winner and they are 0-3 against those teams, suffering a 30-18 loss to FHN and two double digit losses to CC.

Forest Hills Northern- the Huskies had an up and down year yet find themselves above .500 at the end of the year including a 7-5 record in the OK Blue. Drawing Catholic in the first round will not make Northern fans happy but maybe an influx of FH fans will make the trip and at least make it rowdy for the Cougars. FHN has been led by Dan Michaud all year and he will have to have a big night along with the team defense on Conor Hogan if the Huskies hope to have a chance at moving on.

East Grand Rapids- the Pioneers are one of the highest scoring teams in the area with four different players scoring over 200 points this year! Dion Jobe leads all Pioneers with nearly 300 points on the year and Cory Ditmar has made 61 threes this year (Ditmar only has 70 made baskets on the season). Keeping one eye on Ditmar will be key for Comstock Park in their opening game. EGR has played many high level teams close this year including Rockford, GR Christian and Holland it has been finding that W at the end that has proven to be the ender for EGR.

Catholic Central- the Cougars aren’t big, they aren’t long, heck they aren’t as athletic as many top teams in the area. What the Cougars are however is most importantly well coached. Dan Farrell has these kids playing GREAT basketball right now. CC is also very fast, smart, disciplined and can absolutely shoot the lights out! Conor Hogan amazes me every time I see him play, he will hit the big shot just when CC needs it and has an uncanny ability to get to the line (where he doesn’t miss from). The supporting cast is equally great at what they do; Zeke Mojica-Skinner, Brendan Penny, John Haley and sophomore Jon Marosi are the glue to this well built squad.

Comstock Park- the Panthers have had 7 of their games decided by four points or less, the Cardiac Cats have grown accustomed to playing in close games and finding a way to win them. The lone blemish on Parks season is a prime example however, Howard City Tri-County (a 4^th place team in their own conference) came into CP and handed the Panthers their only loss of the year in a 75-73 ball game that could have went either way. It’s good to have a knack for winning close game but I’m sure coach Scott Berry and Panther fans enjoy the convincing wins just a little more. Ty Mason, who is headed to Cornerstone in the fall, has nearly hit the 450 point mark for this season and is a flat out scorer.

Prediction: Catholic should move past both Forest Hills squads and be in the final on Friday. Comstock Park needs to be ready to roll on Wednesday as East can flat out score. I’m taking Park because I think the last thing any team wants to do is get in a scoring battle with Mason. So we are set with a Catholic v Park final. Mason and Hogan tend to spend all game at the line and both rarely miss with a hand in their face let alone from the stripe. This game will go down to the final :30 and whoever has the ball last will take this one. I feel that someone is going to hit a wildly clutch shot, the question is who..

Don’t overlook the CP v EGR game on Wednesday; the Panthers need to get by that hurdle before they think about Catholic. 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.

In an evenly matched first period, Mona Shores forward Nate O’Brien was the first to light the lamp at 5:09 with an unassisted goal. During four-on-four play later in the period, Forest Hills’ Alex Reno fired back and tied the score 1-1. But with less than 30 seconds remaining, a hit by Mona Shores forward Michael Bishop resulted in multiple penalties: two minutes for boarding, an unsportsmanlike conduct minor and a 10-minute in-game suspension for misconduct.

Forest Hills capitalized on the shift in momentum, opening the second period with a power play goal by Sam Rennaker. Although Mona Shores defenseman Austin Buit tied things up with a last-second goal to close out the period, the team cracked under the weight of five penalties in the third period alone (and 10 overall). Among the penalties was a four-minute roughing call against forward Jared Taylor, who came to fisticuffs with Forest Hills’ Marc Anderson during the second period.

Forest hills finished the game with three unanswered goals. Goaltender Jake Riihimaa was a standout tonight, keeping the crowd on their toes throughout with some leaping saves and quick glove work.

Mona Shores’ next game will be on Wednesday, Feb. 16 against East Grand Rapids. Meanwhile, Forest Hills will take on Manistee this Saturday.

Quinton Morrow | Murray Sports Photography

Catholic Central came storming out of the gate, overwhelming Forest Hills Eastern with defensive pressure.  The Cougars held their opponent to one point in the first quarter, while forcing nine turnovers.  They eased off the gas a bit as the game went on, but their defensive pressure still forced Forest Hills Eastern into 26-turnovers on the night.  It’s those guards, swarming like gnats around the ball from every angle. Particularly given their lack of a dominating inside presence, Catholic Central is a load to try and score against.  Few teams have mastered the art of team defense to that degree.

That team chemistry extends to the offensive end of the floor as well, a testament to the work of head coach Dan Farrell. Senior Conor Hogan led a balanced Cougar attack with 16 points, followed by seniors Zeke Mojica-Skinner, John Haley and MJ Oshinski, each of whom added 10 of their own.

Forest Hills Eastern found their groove at times during the game, but they were never able to dig out of that early hole.  Junior Quinton Morrow paced the Hawks with 13 points, while Alex Harrison scored 12.

Ryheem Stokes | Murray Sports Photography

Quick Hitters:

• Catholic Central’s Mojica-Skinner is a player on the offensive side of the ball.  The kid can put the ball in the hoop.
• As the closest thing to a post guy the Cougars have, Haley holds his own on the blocks.  He’s the kind of tough kid you stick down low because he outhustles and outmuscles others to loose balls, and he’s fun to watch because of that hustle.
• Forest Hills Eastern didn’t play their best game on Tuesday, but they do have some pieces that they can build around.  Similar to Catholic Central they don’t have a dominant post presence, but what they do have is a couple young guards in Morrow and Harrison who have a bright future.  Couple that with a strong JV team, and the Hawks will be a team to keep an eye on in the near future.
• Shout out to Lou Murray, of Murray Sports Photography, for his awesome work this season.

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.

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

Middleville’s Allyson Winchester (18:54.8) won the meet with a time of 18:54.8, earning her fourth league title in a row. 

Read the full story with The Grand Rapids Press: “Forest Hills Eastern’s girls defend OK Gold cross country title…”

Congratulations to these young men on being named West Michigan All Star’s top players of week 8.

QB Spencer Elliott, Forest Hills Eastern, 4-of-7 for 59 yards and 1 TD passing, 18 carries for 256 yards and 4 TDs rushing (57%, 87 Votes)
RB Ben Bregg, Hopkins, 183 yards and 3 TDs in first quarter (41%, 91 Votes)
WR Mike Moorehead, Grand Haven, 8 catches for 181 yards and 2 TDs (70%, 103 Votes)
Def. Mick VanVossen, Forest Hills Central, 2 INTs against Holland (39%, 80 Votes)