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.

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

Sunshine was aplenty and the fans came out in droves to witness Lowell and Fenton square off in Saturday’s Division 2, Region 1 Final.  Adding to the electric atmosphere created by the importance of the game was the interesting twist that head coaches Noel Dean (Lowell) and Jeff Stezke (Fenton) are brothers-in-law.  The Lowell faithful gave their visitors from Fenton a warm welcome but the young men on the field were not quite as courteous,  as the Red Arrows defeated the Tigers 35-14.

Lowell’s defense came to play, forcing a three-and-out on Fenton’s opening possession.  The Red Arrows immediately took an early 7-0 lead on the ensuing possession, moving 59 yards down the field, with Gabe Dean completing the drive with a one yard touchdown run.  The Tigers’ offensive struggles continued on their second possession, as Lowell’s Ryan Woodhead stripped the ball out of the hands of quarterback Houston Shaw.  Woodhead recovered his forced fumble, and Lowell looked to build upon their early lead.  Fenton showed they were not about to roll over, however, as they forced the first of three Lowell turnovers on the day, with Damon Thomas snatching up a Red Arrow fumble.  The Tigers weren’t able to capitalize on this slight shift in momentum, as Lowell’s defense once again stood strong, forcing Fenton to punt.

Hoping to start fresh after the turnover they just allowed, Lowell took the field on offense once again.  On this possession, the Red Arrows looked to have their composure back, working their way down the field for their second touchdown, this time with Joshua Addington finding the end zone.  After a missed extra-point kick the score stood at 13-0 in favor of the hosts.  Fenton needed a score to stay in it, and the Tigers finally found some consistency with the ball.  With just under seven minutes remaining in the half, Houston Shaw carried the ball in from a yard out, making the score 13-7.  Lowell’s response was immediate, as they drove 80 yards down the field on their ensuing possession.  Joshua Addington scored his way 16 yards for his second touchdown of the game, Gabe Dean rushed the ball in on the two-point conversion, and Lowell took a 21-7 lead into halftime.

Fenton looked to start the second half of play on a strong note, in hopes of gaining some momentum and pulling themselves back into the contest.  The aforementioned strong note came in the form of a second Lowell turnover, with Layton Mandle scooping up the ball.  However, the Red Arrows were able to rely on their defense to keep this mistake from hurting them, and the Tigers were forced to punt.  Just as they did after their previous turnover, Lowell’s offense came back on the field with a new focus, as they strung together their second 80 yard drive, with Gabe Dean scoring on his second one yard touchdown carry.  The score was now 28-7 and with the game entering the fourth quarter, the Red Arrows could smell victory.

Following a Fenton turnover on downs, Lowell put the proverbial dagger in the heart on a 14 yard Gabe Dean touchdown rush with just under seven minutes left in regulation.  The Tigers were not about to go without a whimper, and on their ensuing possession put points on the board, with Houston Shaw connecting with Gerad Wegener for a 63 yard touchdown pass.  The score was now 35-14 and for a moment it looked as if things could get a little dicey for Lowell– following the Fenton touchdown, the Red Arrows turned the ball away for the third time of the afternoon, as Conor Muntin recovered a fumble for the Tigers.  Fenton was unable to move the ball on offense, and Lowell’s defense quickly squashed any hopes of a last-second miracle comeback.

Fenton’s season ends with a solid 9-3 record.  Lowell improves to 11-1, advancing to face Walled Lake Western next week Saturday.  Walled Lake holds a similar 11-1 record, as they needed two overtimes to defeat Port Huron 21-20 on Friday night.

J.P. North slips by the defender after hauling in the reception.

Pierce Watson comes in low to assist with the tackle.

Gabe Dean reaches for (and finds) the goal line.

Ryan Woodhead rips the ball away, forcing, and recovering, the fumble.

Joshua Addington ran for 116 yards and two scores.

Lowell's defense was quick to swarm the ball all game long.

Gabe Dean ran for 245 yards and three touchdowns.

Joshua Addington rumbles in for his first touchdown of the afternoon.

Matt Philpott Photography was happy to bring you coverage of this afternoon’s game.  Please visit his website to learn more about his photographic services!

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!

1.) Grand Rapids Christian (5-0)

Christian vaults to the top by taking down Lowell. The Eagles face an upstart Northview team this week but have to be looking forward to EGR in the finale.

2.) Rockford (4-1)

The Rams came up with a huge road win on Friday at Muskegon and Rockford will really need to stub its toe to lose the OK Red.

3.) East Grand Rapids (4-1)

The Pioneers took care of business up at Black Field and now look to Lowell. This is going to be a great game!

4.) Muskegon (4-1)

A great game in the Port City left Muskegon on the short end of another OK Red battle with Rockford. Many tough games remain for the Big Reds, look for them to get back on track quickly.

5.) Lowell (4-1)

A disheartening loss to Christian set the Arrows back but there is no time to dwell on last week as East Grand Rapids welcomes Lowell to town on Friday.

6.) Grand Rapids Catholic Central (4-1)

Caledonia is next for the Cougars who are rolling through the OK Gold. South Christian looks like a game worth circling in a few weeks.

7.) Zeeland West (5-0)

A win this week against Rogers gets the Dux into the playoffs and another one next week against Unity may give them the OK Green as well.

8.) Grand Haven (4-1)

Haven rolled past Hudsonville and should continue that trend until their final two games against Muskegon and West Ottawa.

9.) West Ottawa (4-1)

A Grandville beat down last week has the Panthers very confident after the loss to Rockford. A Ram slip up and the Panthers could earn a share of the Red.

10.) Muskegon Catholic Central (5-0)
The Crusaders are bouncing back from a down year in a big way. Fridays win over West Catholic has put MCC on our map; do they have another state run? Time will tell.

Honorable Mentions (in no order)

Shelby (5-0)

It’s very hard to leave a 5-0 team out of the top ten in the area but the fact is that Shelby just simply hasn’t played anyone too tough; chance to prove many wrong this weekend.

Holland (4-1)

Kitwanna Clark was too much for the Dutch to handle and Holland dropped a league game Friday night. The OK Black has just opened up.

Oakridge (4-1)

A late Ravenna TD doomed Oakridge Friday night and has re-opened the West Michigan Conference. This is going to be a dog fight.

Montague (4-1)

Montague is right back in it thanks to Ravenna. Shelby comes to town Friday and the Cats can make this WMC very intriguing.

Northview (4-1)

Northview has had an amazing season and our hats go off to them. The next three weeks of GR Christian, Lowell and East look unbelievably tough.

West Catholic (3-2)

The Falcons dropped a tough game to Muskegon Catholic but remain alive in the OK Blue. Sparta is on tap this week and can give West Catholic the league lead all alone.

We hope to see you out at a game and will keep you posted on where we will be. Don’t forget that we will update you every Monday on the new WMA rankings. Again feel free to discuss below!

1.) Lowell (4-0)

Lowell has looked great giving up only 27 points on defense this year but the next three weeks will prove the Arrows metal. Christian coming to town is the first step.

2.) Muskegon (4-0)

After sliding by East Kentwood with timely Defense the Big Reds welcome in Rockford to truly begin their title quest. The toughest test comes first.

3.) Rockford (3-1)

Mark LaPrairie returned in a big way with the Rams win over West Ottawa on Friday. Rockford looked stagnant in the first half then shined in the second last week. It will take a complete game to beat the Big Reds on the road.

4.) Grand Rapids Christian (4-0)

A change at Quarterback has spelled wild success for the Eagles. Travis Kraai has thrown for nearly 500 yards and six scores as Christian has out scored opponents 107-17 the last two weeks. Friday at Lowell will show us who Christian is.

5.) Holland (4-0)

The Dutch pushed all the chips to the center of the table on Friday night at Northview in OT. Corey Willis had a royal flush on the 2 point conversion and Holland may be on their way to an unbeaten year as the OK Black looks weak.

6.) East Grand Rapids (3-1)

Friday night destruction of Mona Shores sets the Pioneers up for a date at Greenville before hosting Lowell in a must see game.

7.) Grand Rapids Catholic Central (3-1)

A 42-7 beat down of Hastings was something great to see for Cougar fans. Many have felt that CC is ranked so high because of reputation; the Cougars are creating a new identity. That being said other teams have a better resume to this point.

8.) Zeeland West (4-0)

The Dux blasted Holland Christian for 64 points on Friday and look to avoid and pot holes on their way to an OK Green title.

9.) Oakridge (4-0)

An easy win over Hart has the Eagles ready for Ravenna who got beat up by Montague last week. An October 7^th meeting with currently unbeaten Shelby may decide the WMC where many good teams reside.

10.) West Catholic (3-1)

Back-to-back OT wins has proven any doubters of how tough this West Catholic team is but the Defense had better tighten up if the Falcons are to make a serious title defending run.

Honorable Mentions (in no order)

Shelby (4-0)

I mentioned to someone today that Shelby was 4-0. The ground shook with their jaw dropping. We’re not sure how but Shelby sits atop the WMC with Oakridge, I just can’t buy in yet and a game with Hart this week will do even less to help their cause.

Comstock Park (3-1)

Jake Brown and Jon Hoffman nearly took out West Catholic on the road but late defensive slip ups cost the Panthers.

West Ottawa (3-1)

A rough second half burned the Panthers after many opportunities to put points up against Rockford on Friday went array. Getting back home against Grandville will help.

Montague (3-1)

Montague took the Oakridge heart breaker out on Ravenna, Sorry Dawgs.

Northview (3-1)

Darren Kapustka is doing everything in his power to will the Wildcats to wins. A few more tackles of Corey Willis last week and Northview would have shocked the state.

Grand Haven (3-1)

The Bucs cruised over Jenison behind Dakota Smith who went for 247 and 4 scores. Haven can throw it to ya know…

We hope to see you out at a game and will keep you posted on where we will be. Don’t forget that we will update you every Monday on the new WMA rankings. Again feel free to discuss below!

1.) Lowell (3-0)

After this week’s game with Forest Hills Central the Arrows will face the top three teams in their league in consecutive weeks. (Christian, East, Northview) Gabe Dean and Co. will either put the OK White in their rear view and focus on the playoffs or be in a dog fight to regain the league title.

2.) Muskegon (3-0)

The Big Reds are dangerous and should have a week to recover from a bruising game at Hudsonville on Friday. East Kentwood is 2-1 but Muskegon should win and then it’s back home to host Rockford… mark your calendars.

3.) Rockford (2-1)

Kyle Short has played great in Mark LaPrairie’s absence and the Rams are rolling with the ground game. West Ottawa comes in at 3-0 with a stiff defense so moving the chains will be imperative for Rockford on Friday night.

4.) Grand Rapids Catholic Central (2-1)

A huge win over Middleville TK gives the cougars some revenge for last year and now it’s on to Hastings as CC looks to rule the Gold yet again.

5.) Grand Rapids Christian (3-0)

Flying past Kenowa early allowed Christian to start thinking about their final tune up against Reeths Puffer before heading to Lowell on the 23^rd.

6.) Holland (3-0)

The Dutch are for real folks and a win this week over fellow unbeaten Northview could be the final test en route to an undefeated regular season.

7.) East Grand Rapids (2-1)

East bounced back nicely against Union this week and now look to cross T’s and dot I’s against Mona Shores as Greenville and then Lowell lie in the coming weeks.

8.) Comstock Park (3-0)

Jake Brown is completing 83% of his passes and Jon Hoffman does nothing but rip off long run after long run for the Panthers, The game at West Catholic is our Game of the Week (our breakdown can be heard on ESPN 96.1 on Friday).

9.) Zeeland West (3-0)

The Dux scooped up a mammoth fumble late to steal a win over rival Zeeland East, the winner of that game tends to win the OK Green.

10.) Oakridge (3-0)

Oakridge found a way to beat Montague in the final seconds and avenged a crushing loss to the Wildcats last year. A tough West Michigan Conference this year will provide for tests against Whitehall, Ravenna and Shelby but Oakridge is in the driver’s seat.

Honorable Mentions (in no order)

West Catholic (2-1)

An OT win over Forest Hills Northern was a scare the Falcons could have done without. Comstock Park comes to town this week and a 21 game league winning streak is on the line.

West Ottawa (3-0)

New Coach Rory Zeguins has the Panther D unloading on people and a true test this week at Rockford can again launch West Ottawa into OK Red title contention.

Montague (2-1)

A heart wrenching home loss to Oakridge on a fake extra point had to hurt but moving past that will be important if the ‘Cats want to have a chance to share the WMC.

Hudsonville (1-1)

Hudsonville had an extra week to prepare for Muskegon but that week wasn’t enough to match-up physically as the Reds always had an answer for the Eagle attack. Muskegon will never forget how it felt to play Hudsonville however.

Northview (3-0)

The Wildcats are 3-0 for the first time since 1994! Beating Holland Friday could be the latest chapter in this shocking story.

Grand Haven (2-1)

Special teams and the inability to stop the run doomed the Bucs but you expect to take a lick or two in the Red. The Bucs will need to bounce back to claim another share of the title.

We hope to see you out at a game and will keep you posted on where we will be. Don’t forget that we will update you every Monday on the new WMA rankings. Again feel free to discuss below!

1.) Lowell (2-0)

After a 49-7 rout of Kenowa Hills the Red Arrows look ahead to Reeths Puffer. Picking up a win is nice but seeing that East is beatable may be the best news of the week for Lowell.

2.) Muskegon (2-0)

Two games down and over 100 points scored for the Big Reds and their new squad. Hudsonville plays host this week and this will prove to be a vital OK Red opener.

3.) Grand Haven (2-0)

The Bucs won the opener through the air and won this week on the ground. A balanced attack makes Haven dangerous as Rockford will find out on Friday. Don’t expect many points.

4.) Grand Rapids Catholic Central (1-1)

A big win over Coopersville is just what the Cougars needed heading into this weeks matchup with Middleville in the OK Gold.

5.) Rockford (1-1)

A rebounding game against Holt has the Rams ready for Grand Haven on Friday and OK Red positioning will be at stake with the winner looking to avoid a landmine on their way to facing Muskegon.

6.) Grand Rapids Christian (2-0)

Christian is scoring plenty of points but slowing teams down on defense will be the key moving forward. Kenowa comes to town Friday.

7.) East Grand Rapids (1-1)

East ran into a buzzsaw in Corey Willis on Thursday night and saw their 34 game winning streak come to an end. We knew the Pioneers would need to replace a lot of talent this year but everyone was shocked to see them lose, especially this early.

8.) Hudsonville (1-0)

A bye week gave Hudsonville extra time to prepare for Muskegon. Too much time to think about it or decisive advantage? Friday night holds the answer.

9.) Comstock Park (2-0)

Park debuts a new field this week and does so off of mirroring 41-7 victories in the first two weeks. Jake Brown is zipping the ball all over the field for the Panthers.

10.) Montague (2-0)

The Cats keep rolling and hosting Oakridge is one of the biggest games on their schedule.

Honorable Mentions (in no order)

West Catholic (0-1)

The Falcons got back on track with a 55-0 win over Allendale last week. Forest Hills Central is next before hosting Comstock Park.

Kenowa Hills (1-1)

The Knights fell flat last week with Lowell in town. Kitwana Clark is the real deal and will be a load to handle in the OK Black.

Zeeland East (1-0)

The Chix took care of East Kentwood and face off with Zeeland West Friday, Matt Philpott will be all over it for WMA.

Holland (2-0)

A shocking win over East Grand Rapids was only a shock to those not involved with the Dutch Football program.

We hope to see you out at a game and will keep you posted on where we will be. Don’t forget that we will update you every Monday on the new WMA rankings. Again feel free to discuss below!

1.) Lowell (1-0)

Gabe Dean has risen his game and the Red Arrows have a stiff Defense. The OK White is a tough league but it’s hard to not be impressed by the victory last Thursday over Rockford. A nice road match-up with Kenowa Hills leads into 3 straight home affairs for Lowell.

2.) East Grand Rapids (1-0)

A gritty win over GR Catholic Central was a great test to begin the year and now East turns their focus to Holland on Thursday as part of 3 weeks of OK Black crossover games. Preparation for league play may be vital for the Pioneers this year with the loss of key players from last years team.

3.) Muskegon (1-0)

The Big Reds appear to be back in a big way behind Coach Shane Fairfield’s new “veer” offense (which you can read all about in our OK Red Media Guide) and QB Princton Duncan. Muskegon racked up 495 yards of total offense and look to re-claim OK Red supremacy in 2011. Heights come across town on Saturday at 2pm.

4.) Grand Rapids Catholic Central (0-1)

A loss to EGR is never something to hang your head about, ensuring you get back on track however, is something to worry about. The Cougars will look to do just that against Coopersville and then look towards Middleville who stole Catholic’s OK Gold crown last year.

5.) Rockford (0-1)

Sure the loss to Lowell stings but it may be the loss of Mark LaPrairie for a few weeks that doom Rockford. Taking care of Holt this Thursday has become super important or Grand Haven on their way the following week could spell disaster for the Rams.

6.) Grand Rapids Christian (1-0)

The Eagles soared past South Christian in week one and Drake Harris showed his skills go far beyond the basketball floor. The league is brutal to play in but picking up a key win or two will go a long way for Christian.

7.) Grand Haven (1-0)

The Bucs look to continue building on each previous season and will do so this year on the arm of Scott Staal who found Danny Cotter for 4 (yes 4) passing Touchdowns last week. Grand Haven will host TC West this week and better not look to next week against Rockford.

8.) Hudsonville (1-0)

A 24-14 win on the road against Holt was just what Hudsonville needed to get this season rolling. An open week gives the Eagles two weeks to prepare for Muskegon to come take their shot.

9.) Comstock Park (1-0)

Wyoming Park welcomes the Panthers this week before Park debuts a new field turf surface and should roll into a week 4 contest against West Catholic with an un-blemished record.

10.) Kenowa Hills (1-0)

A convincing win over TC West thanks to running back Kitwana Clark who had 41 carries for 254 yards and two touchdowns! The OK Black should be theirs but crossovers such as this Friday hosting Lowell will prove the Knights metal.

Honorable Mentions (in no order)

West Catholic (0-1)

After last years opening weekend loss to Orchard lake St Mary’s the Falcons won 13 games in a row, including that last one in Detroit on Thanksgiving weekend…

Zeeland East (1-0)

Forest hills Eastern was no match for the Chix in week one but East Kentwood comes to town Thursday and the Falcons are looking for a big win.

Middleville (1-0)

One more tune up against Sparta before the Trojans head to Catholic Central for a mega battle in the Gold in week 3.

Montague (1-0)

Brandon Moore is unstoppable; Whitehall will be a good test this week.

We hope to see you out at a game and will keep you posted on where we will be. Don’t forget that we will update you every Monday on the new WMA rankings. Again feel free to discuss below!

Lowell started things off after a stalled drive resulted in a punt on their first possession, the return was fumbled by Rockford and pounced on by Gabe Gorman of the red Arrows at Rockford’s 20 yard line and the home squad was in business. On 3^rd and 8, senior Quarterback Gabe Dean scrambled right and weaved through the Ram defense to leap backwards across the goal line and get his team on the board. Dean had a look in his eyes as he trotted back to the bench that could best be described as ho-hum. It was clear that #2 was ready to play and knew one score wasn’t gonna win this one.

Rockford’s sloppy ways continued on the next drive as another fumble was recovered by Lowell at the 6:35 mark of the 1^st and Dean again capitalized quickly to make it a 14-0 ballgame. Back and forth short drives resulting in punts led to what may be a scary sight. Gabe Dean proved tonight to be a much improved passer over last year and it showed with 8:27 remaining in the half. Lowell started at the 20 after a Rockford punt into the end zone and Dean quickly connected on a flurry of passes chunking away at the Ram Defense. Lowell wideouts Blake Lyman, Luke Bigham and Renn Osborne all made great catches followed by better moves and Lowell was marching fast. Dean hit Osborne on a seam route where Ram defenders lost touch with the center of the field and walked in for a 26 yard touchdown with 6:19 to play in the half.

Rockford was shell-shocked and appeared to be playing on their heels. Coach Ralf Munger pulled out a wrinkle to get his team going and it almost worked. On the ensuing kick Rockford had four deep men and ran a misdirection hand-off on the return, Brady Gent ended up with the ball in his hands and returned the kick for a score. The problem was gent received the ball on a forward handoff that was flagged and brought that great return all the way back to the Rockford 2 yard line. Rockford Quarterback Mark LaPrairie was sacked on 3^rd and 10 by Jake Stehley and injured his foot. Lowell would take the ensuing possession and pound in a fourth touchdown with 1:11 remaining on a 3 yard run by Josh Addington.

The story of the first half was Dean’s emergence as a passer in this Lowell offense, the senior connected on 8 of 11 passes for 152 yards in the first half alone and blew the doors off of this game early. Rockford had a clear size advantage but running the ball became hard to do when the Rams fell behind so quickly. LaPrairie’s foot injury went un-noticed as he only missed the last minute of the first half until it became clear that Kyle Short was in the game to stay once the second half began. Short played admirably including a fumbled snap in the shotgun that turned into a 29 yard run by Short.

In the end Lowell was able to grind away at the clock and come up with big 3^rd down stops to take home an impressive opening night win over Rockford 28-7. This will again be a game to circle on next years schedule as Rockford will play host in that affair. Congrats to the Red Arrows and THANK YOU for hosting such an amazing, organized and classy event for the fans of West Michigan.