The Road to the championship is getting shorter and shorter as teams struggle to hold on to the lead in their respective conferences. Will West Michigan be well represented in the playoffs again this year? We think so! What do you think? Who do you think is the best team in the Midwest? Here is our rankings for this week. As always check out last weeks rankings to see if there has been any changes.

1.) Grand Haven (14-4) OK Conference Tier 1

The Bucs never dropped their sails this week as they spent time preparing to play Kenowa Hills on this coming Wednesday.

2.) Grand Rapids Catholic Central (13-4-1) OK Conference Tier 1

The Cougars roared their way to a very solid win this past Saturday. They defeated East Grand Rapids by five points as they won 6-1. They will face Rockford next Wednesday at Griff’s Ice House.

3.) Forest Hills Eastern/ Northern (12-4) OK Conference Tier 1

The Husky/Hawks keep plowing forward as the season goes on. They got past Big Rapids this Saturday and will look to do the same when they face off against East Grand Rapids next week Saturday.

4.) Mona Shores (12-8) OK Conference Tier 1

The Sailors had started the season horrible and almost didn’t even exist on the rankings when the season began. They are showing they have what it takes to climb the ranks however as they won two of their three games this past week.

5.) Kenowa Hills (14-4) OK Conference Tier 2

Beating Grand Rapids Christian on Saturday may help boost the Knights confidence as they go against our number one team this Wednesday. They are going to need all the help they can get as Grand Haven shows no sign of laying down and playing dead.

6.) Rockford (10-9) OK Conference Tier 1

Rockford started strong but has struggled as the season has progressed. They lost to Macomb Dakota on Friday, but will look to turn things around again when they play East Grand Rapids this Friday 8:00pm at Griff’s Ice House.

7.) East Grand Rapids (10-8) OK Conference Tier 1

The Pioneers loss to Mona Shores and Grand Rapids Catholic Central this week, but managed to pull out a win against Grand Rapids Christian. They will play Rockford on Friday.

8.) Lowell-Caledonia (16-4) OK Conference Tier 3

Lowell-Caledonia has cooled off as of late and this week continued to cool even more as they dropped another game to Bay Area Thunder on Saturday by a score of 3-2. They have a chance to get back on track this week as they will be playing three games in four days.

9.) Jenison (10-7) OK Conference Tier 2

Jenison lost this week as the sticks of West Ottawa handed them a 4-1 defeat. Their next game will be against struggling Lowell–Caledonia.

10.) East Kentwood(11-7) OK Conference Tier 2

East Kentwood beat both Hudsonville and Forest Hills Central this past week. They will look to continue winning against South Christian next week Friday.

Honorable Mention

11.) Reeths-Puffer (13-6-1) OK Conference Tier 2

A three win week is just what the Rockets needed to get back into our rankings this week. They will play Forest Hills Central Wednesday.

12.) West Ottawa (12-9-1) OK Conference Tier 3

West Ottawa had a busy week this past week as they hosted their pink game and also recorded two wins and a loss for the week. They will drop the puck with GR Christian on Saturday.

13.) Hudsonville (6-14) OK Conference Tier 2

Hudsonville needs to drink some coffee and wake up as the season continues. They lost twice this week at the hands of Reeths-Puffer and East Kentwood. They will get a rematch with Kenowa Hills next Saturday in hopes of paying the Knights back for the blowout they received earlier this season.

14.) Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central (7-12) OK Conference Tier 2

Another one win, one loss, week keeps the Rangers right were they were in the rankings. They, like Hudsonville, will look to finish strong as the season winds to a close.

15.) Northview/Comstock Park/Sparta(8-6-2) OK Conference Tier 3

The Cats had a rough week as they dropped three games. They did put up a great fight however against West Ottawa and only lost by one goal 6-5.

We asked you guys who should be #1 in our rankings and 250 of you chimed in! We can’t help but listen to the fans of West Michigan and with that being said we have a new top dog. Let us know what you think about or rankings of the top teams in WM and don’t forget to “Like” us on Facebook and then suggest us to your friends because we are giving away a huge prize pack when we reach 2,300 likes!!

1.) Greenville (14-0)

The fans have spoken and Greenville is our new top squad in WM! Who the Yellow Jackets play has a lot to do with it as they play in a rather deep league. Reeths-Puffer on Tuesday and then we head up to Greenville for a showdown with GR Christian that could put this conference away for the Jackets.

2.) Godwin Heights (13-0)

I’m not excited to drop this team to number 2. Godwin cannot help what league they play in and will get a chance to prove their metal against Tri Unity this week. A big win will say a lot about this deep and talented team. You must see these guys play!

3.) Tri Unity Christian (13-0)

The Defenders are winning by an average margin of 24 points per game! Godwin lies ahead and this will be another chance for this “little class D school” to prove it’s doubters wrong, again.

4.) Rockford (11-3)

Friday the Rams took back control of the OK Red and now look towards avoiding a letdown against a sneaky Grand Haven team before heading to Jenison on Friday.

5.) Shelby (12-0)

There is just zero competition for the Tigers right now. It makes it hard to judge this team but the time will come for people to notice this talented group.

6.) East Kentwood (12-2)

The Falcons had a great week and now face some lower end competition to get their game right before a tough week of Rockford and Hudsonville the week after next.

7.) Zeeland East (13-1)

The Chix bounced back this week with a pair of W’s and look to put away the OK Green before Districts where the plan on rekindling some past magic.

8.) Hudsonville (10-4)

Dropping a close one at Rockford is nothing to hang your head about. Hibbitts will catch fire and be a very tough out come March. Trust us.

9.) Ottawa Hills (10-3)

The Bengals will be your OK Gold champs after last weeks win at South Christian. Shakur Sanders and his stingy teammates will now focus on getting better for a spring-time run.

10.) Grand Rapids Christian (10-3)

Christian gets a shot at revenge against Greenville on Friday. The Eagles need this one in a bad way and I expect them to play like it.

Honorable Mentions (in no order)

Caledonia (10-4)

Caledonia will have their shot at home against Ottawa Hills but I was at the first match-up and I really don’t think much has changed.

Muskegon Heights (9-4)

Another split week for the Tigers was capped with an embarrassing loss to Romulus, credit this team for taking on some of the big dogs in the state however. This team needs to get on a run.

North Muskegon (10-4)

Krannitz and Co. picked up some good wins last week. Can they top Shelby however to boost some confidence?

Sparta (10-3)

The Spartans suffered a bad loss to Cedar Springs on Tuesday and will now play out of league with Fremont and Grant on the docket.

Fremont (10-1)

This is a very talented and balanced team led by Luke McKian. A match-up with Sparta on Tuesday will be a nice test for the Packers.

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. As always feel free to discuss below!

East Kentwood Ice Arena was the site for a great game between West Catholic and South Christian this afternoon as the two teams faced off in hopes of improving their record. As soon as the puck dropped the two teams went toe to toe like boxers as each took their opportunities to deal their opponent a weakening blow. Neither team succeeded for the first ten minutes however as both goalies and defenses stood strong. With 13:38 left in the first period, Alex Devries danced through the Falcons D and was awarded with a great opportunity that was shrugged off my Peter Hansknecht, keeping the game at a stalemate. Finally with 9:22 remaining in the period. South Christian forward Blake Devries weaseled his way into West Catholic’s zone shorthanded and ripped a shot over the glove hand of Hansknecht to score the first goal of the game. West Catholic retaliated with three great shots over the course of the next three minutes, but each one was turned aside by sprawling goaltender Dennis Hoekzema. His effort kept the Sailors in the game until they managed to build themselves some breathing room when Alex Devries netted a goal with 6:31 to go in the period. The period would end with the Sailors leading 2-0.

The second period began with a scare as South Christian’s Jeff Ookstdyk was boarded into the wall and remained motionless on the ice for a few minutes. After being checked over by the trainer, he did manage to skate off the ice on his own. The hit seemed to spur his teammates on for the rest of the period as they took advantage of of two of their three powerplays. On the second powerplay of the period, South Christian’s Defenseman Jake Holden shot the puck towards the net and it ricocheted off fellow teammate Alex Devries giving Alex hissecond goal of the night. Their second powerplay goal came late in the period as Blake Devries scored only 7 seconds into the penalty time. The Falcons did manage to score during the period as Captain Kyle O’Hearn finally managed to get the puck into the net shortly after the Sailors first powerplay goal. The period would end with the score being 4-1.

The final period saw a penalty again hurt West Catholic as Jake Holden ripped a slap shot through the defender and past Peter Hansknecht only 8 seconds into the powerplay. The rest of the game would be a hard fought battle, but would grant no more goals to either team as the Sailors took home a convincing 5-1 win.

After this nice win, the Sailors will go on to face East Kentwood on the 17th.

West Catholic is now 4-14 and will look to get back on their feet when they face Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central on next Friday at Griffs Ice arena.

We apologize for the delay in getting the rankings to you this week! Here they are. Hockey is picking up its pace as we breeze towards the playoffs. This past week and a half gave fans the opportunity to see a Tier 2 face off for first place and numerous well played games across the Midwest as teams battle it out to move up the rankings. Make sure to check out last weeks rankings to see who moved up as there has been a lot of movement this week. As always feel free to tell us what you think.

1.) Grand Haven (14-4) OK Conference Tier 1

Grand Haven had another two game win last week as they beat Catholic Central in a big game 3-2 and also blew out West Catholic 7-2. They will face Kenowa Hills next Wednesday at 6:30pm.

2.) Grand Rapids Catholic Central (12-4-1) OK Conference Tier 1

The Cougars had a busy 3 game week and a half last week, and struggled. Their week began with a 3-2 loss to Grand Haven on Wednesday in a game that came down to the third period. They beat Forest Hills Central 2-1 on Friday but lost 2-0 against Portage Central. Their Next game will be on Saturday 8:58pm against East Grand Rapids. The game will be at Southside Community Center.

3.) Forest Hills Eastern/ Northern (12-4) OK Conference Tier 1

The Husky/Hawks beat Grandville this week as they continue to fight for first place in our rankings. Their next game will be Saturday against Big Rapids at Ferris State University. The game time is 2:00pm.

4.) Kenowa Hills (13-4) OK Conference Tier 2

A two game week gave the Knights an opportunity to hold onto first place in their tier this week. After beating West Catholic 4-2 on Wednesday, they were unable to hold onto first place as they lost to East Kentwood 4-3.

5.) Mona Shores (9-7) OK Conference Tier 1

The Sailors had a packed full week and a half as they managed to win two of their three games. They lost the first game to Plymouth Salem 6-5 on a late third period breakaway goal, but managed to bounce back with two wins against Rockford and Traverse City Reps.

6.) Rockford (10-8) OK Conference Tier 1

Rockford loss in a rematch with Mona Shores last Wednesday to the tune of a 4-1 score. They rebounded on Friday however as they doubled up the score on their way to a 8-4 win over Saganaw Nouvel. Their next game is this Friday at 8:00pm vs Macomb Dakota.

7.) East Grand Rapids (9-6) OK Conference Tier 1

The Pioneers improved their record this week and won 4-2 against Granville who continues to struggle.

8.) Lowell-Caledonia (14-2) OK Conference Tier 3

Lowell-Caledonia split their two games this past week and a half as they dropped a 6-3 game against West Ottawa but beat South Christian. They continue their strong season and hope to win when they play the Bay Area Thunder on Saturday.

9.) Jenison (10-6) OK Conference Tier 2

Jenison pounded the Unity Knights 10-2 but lost to Grand Rapids Christian 2-1 this past week and a half. They play West Ottawa tonight at 6:30pm at Edge Ice Arena.

10.)East Kentwood(9-9) OK Conference Tier 2

In a hard fought game for first place in Tier 2, the Falcons squeaked by Kenowa Hills 4-3. They will look to hold onto the top spot as they play Forest Hills Central Tonight at 8:00pm.

Honorable Mention

11.) Grand Rapids Christian (10-6-1) OK Conference Tier 3

The Eagles pushed by Jenison 2-1 this past week. Their next game will be against Kenowa Hills tonight at Jolly Rogers Ice Arena. The game will begin at 7:30pm.

12.) West Ottawa (10-7-1) OK Conference Tier 3

Two wins against Grand Rapids City and Lowell-Caledonia improved West Ottawa’s record this past week and a half. They stand at 5-2-1 in their tier and will look to improve when they puck drops against Jenison tonight at 6:30. Check out the coverage of their win against Lowell-Caledonia here.

13.) Hudsonville (6-11) OK Conference Tier 2

Hudsonville suffered two losses this week. They continued to struggle for the second week in a row and will hope to turn it around against Reeths-Puffer on Friday.

14.) Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central (6-11) OK Conference Tier 2

A five hundred week for the Rangers keeps them at the bottom of the rankings this week. They lost to Catholic Central 2-1 but beat South Christian with a five goal second period on their way to a 7-2 victory. They also will play tonight as they face off against the East Kentwood Falcons at 8:00pm

15.) Northview/Comstock Park/Sparta(8-6-2) OK Conference Tier 3

The Cats pulled out two wins this past week and a half. Both wins came against the Grand Rapids Ice Hawks. They shut out the Hawks 8-0 on Friday and beat them soundly on Saturday as well 6-2.

span style=”font-family: ‘Cambria’, serif;”

With conference races taking shape all over West Michigan we are nearing the final chase for OK supremacy. Let us know what you think about or rankings of the top teams in WM and don’t forget to “Like” us on Facebook and then suggest us to your friends because we are giving away a huge prize pack when we reach 2,300 likes!!

1.) Godwin Heights (9-0)

Wyoming Lee and Calvin Christian lie ahead the next couple of Tuesdays for the Wolverines as they appear to be on a collision course with Tri Unity on Feb 11^th.

2.) Greenville (11-0)

The Yellow Jackets picked up a pair of road wins last week over Holland and Lowell. This team keeps moving on behind the trio of Chris Mickey Austin Somerfield and Torrey Davis and are looking like a very dangerous team.

3.) Tri Unity Christian (10-0)

The Defenders have a pair of tough games ahead with Godwin Heights and the Zeeland East that will give this small school two more chances to prove people wrong.

4.) Zeeland East (11-0)

A pair of OK Green games for the Chix this week in Rogers and Unity Christian and it appears that this Chix team is just head and shoulders better than the teams they are matched up against so far. Big games will tell us what this team is capable of.

5.) Rockford (7-2)

The Rams stole a road OK Red win at Muskegon on Friday with Chad Carlson’s buzzer beater and now can make a huge stand in the conference with a win Tuesday when they host the East Kentwood Falcons.

6.) Shelby (9-0)

Shelby took down a good North Muskegon team and may be cruising towards and easy league title and unbeaten season. DJ Beckman and Luke Landis are leading this charge and Shelby is a dangerous team.

7.) East Kentwood (9-1)

A huge OK Red showdown tonight will provide some clarity if Rockford can hold court or will create a mess if East Kentwood can grab a vital victory.

8.) Muskegon Heights (7-2)

Big wins over Ludington and Benton Harbor set up a showdown with Saginaw Arthur Hill that could be yet another feather in the hat of Heights and West Michigan as a whole.

9.) Ottawa Hills (7-3)

An off week gave the Bengals some time to prepare for a Middleville team that can be brushed aside en route to and OK Gold lead that MTK or Caledonia may not be able to recover from.

10.) Hudsonville (6-3)

The Eagles are making a run through the bottom of the OK Red against West Ottawa and Grandville this week and will have a great outlook on the rest of the league after key matchups.

Honorable Mentions (in no order)

Muskegon (6-5)

A tough loss Friday night against Rockford would have been a great win for this team but it didn’t happen and the Big Reds are sitting at nearly .500.

Middleville Thornapple Kellogg (8-3) and Caledonia (7-3)

MTK gets their run at Ottawa and maybe can grab a lead in this league but I still see both teams a ways behind the Bengals.

Grand Rapids Christian (8-3)

The Eagles thumped Creston and Kenowa Hills last week and will welcome in rival East on Friday.

North Muskegon (6-3)

We mentioned last week that NM would be looking up at Shelby for awhile and we were right. After Monday night’s 10 point loss to the Tigers it appears that Krannitz and company will turn their focus to getting better for a playoff run.

Comstock Park (7-3)

The Panthers dropped a bad game Friday at Byron Center after a 3 point 3^rd quarter crippled the Comstock offense, still unbeaten in the OK Blue however and will have to fend off Sparta for that crown.

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!

Our coverage of hockey took another step this week as new reporter Alex Porter was able to cover his first hockey game between Grand Haven and Reeths Puffer on Saturday. (Coverage Here)We look forward to bringing you more coverage of more games each week, and we are excited to grow our hockey division here at West Michigan Allstar. If you can all remember, last week our ranking were really shook up as Forest Hills Eastern/Northern jumped into the top two. Let us know what you think about this weeks rankings! Who does and doesn’t belong? Who should be higher? Who should be lower? We look forward to your feedback!

1.)Grand Rapids Catholic Central (11-2-1) OK Conference Tier 1

With a big 7-0 shut out win against Hartland on Saturday the Cougars have 11 wins on the season. They will look to grow their win column when they play number 2 Grand Haven on Wednesday Febuary 3rd.

2.)Grand Haven (12-4) OK Conference Tier 1

Grand Haven had a two win week this past week as they downed both East Grand Rapids and Reeths Puffer to take back the second spot.

3.)Forest Hills Eastern/ Northern (11-4) OK Conference Tier 1

The Husky/Hawks won another game last week as they beat West Catholic on Tuesday. Their next game will be against Grandville on Wednesday. The game will be at Georgetown Ice Arena at 5:30.

4.)Kenowa Hills (12-3) OK Conference Tier 2

The Knights had a great win against Hudsonville by scoring 5 goals in the second period to dash the Eagles hopes of a win. Their strong showing moves them up in the standings. Check out the game coverage here.

5.) East Grand Rapids (7-5) OK Conference Tier 1

A 5-3 loss to Grand Haven on Friday drops the Pioneers out of the fourth spot but they have a chance to turn things around as they play Mattawan tonight and Grandville on Friday.

6.) Rockford (8-7) OK Conference Tier 1

Rockford beat Lake Orion 3-2 last week to improve their record so that it is now over .500. Their next game is Wednesday 8:00pm at Griff’s Ice House vs Mona Shores.

7.)Mona Shores (7-6) OK Conference Tier 1

After struggling for much of the first half of the season, Mona Shores had a great week as they won two games. They beat Grandville 6-2 last Sunday and beat the Traverse City Bay Reps 7-4 on Saturday. If they keep up their winning ways they will move up the rankings in the next few weeks.

8.)Lowell-Caledonia (13-1) OK Conference Tier 3

Lowell-Calendonia won again this past week as they knocked off their rival Jenison 5-3. They will play Grand Rapids South Christian on Friday.

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

Losing to Lowell-Calendonia doesn’t hurt Jenison this week but it doesn’t help them either. They will stay the same in the rankings and will look to improve when they face off against Grand Rapids Christian on Wednesday. The game will be at Jolly Rogers Ice Arena at 7:30.

10.)East Kentwood(7-7) OK Conference Tier 2

A painful 10-4 loss against Livonia Churchill on Saturday drops the Falcons to a five hundred record.

Honorable Mention

11.)Grand Rapids Christian (9-8-1) OK Conference Tier 3

The Eagles had two wins this week to get themselves into our standings for the first time this year. They will play the Grand Rapids Ice Hawks this week. Barring a disastrous showing, they should improve their record even more as the Hawks have struggled this season.

12.)West Ottawa (8-7-1) OK Conference Tier 3

With a win against GR West Catholic last Sunday and a 8-0 shut out win against the Ice Hawks on Saturday, the Panthers improve their record and move themselves up in the rankings.

13.) Hudsonville (6-9) OK Conference Tier 2

Hudsonville suffered a staggering loss on Wednesday to Kenowa Hills and suffered another hard 7-3 loss to Flushing. Their only win this week came on Friday as they beat Goodrich 5-3.

14.)Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central (5-10) OK Conference Tier 2

A win and a loss this past week keeps the Rangers down in the rankings this week as they look forward to facing South Christian/Calvin Christian on Wednesday.

15.)Northview/Comstock Park/Sparta(6-6-2) OK Conference Tier 3

The Cats lost another game this past week at the hands of Grand Rapids Christian on Saturday. The final score was 7-3 and leaves the Cats at the bottom of our standings this week. They wont play another game until February 3rd when they face off against Jenison.

/p

It was a weird week in West Michigan with cancellations abound, but we plowed through the week and are growing our team to bring you even more coverage! Let us know what you think about or rankings of the top teams in WM and don’t forget to “Like” us on Facebook and then suggest us to your friends because we are giving away a huge prize pack when we reach 2,300 likes!!

1.) Godwin Heights (9-0)

A 13 point win over Comstock Park was much closer than that score indicates. Godwin let Park hang around for awhile but in the end turned up the D and cruised in the 4^th quarter. #teambangbang

2.) Greenville (9-0)

Greenville answered the bell once again by going on the road to win at GR Christian. That win gave the Yellow Jackets a huge advantage in OK White play as well as a jump in our rankings. Chris Mickey is an animal on the court and Greenville has plenty of size and smarts.

3.) Zeeland East (9-0)

The Chix match-up with Jenison comes Tuesday in their only action this week. An early win over 2^nd place Zeeland West in the OK Green has East sitting in the drivers seat of the conference.

4.) Tri Unity Christian (9-0)

Longtime rival Western Michigan Christian lies ahead after adding two more wins last week. The Defenders have an opportunity to pick up some big wins along their way to facing off with Zeeland East later this year.

5.) Rockford (6-2)

Rockford grabbed the OK Red lead with a pair of league wins and some help from Hudsonville beating EK. The Rams look forward to Muskegon on Friday and EK next Tuesday, a pair of wind there and the OK Red may be over.

6.) Shelby (7-0)

Two more games and two more wins for the Tigers. The WMC lead is theirs for now but many tough games lie ahead for this team.

7.) East Kentwood (8-1)

Friday’s loss to Hudsonville dropped the Falcons to third in the OK Red and to 7th in our rankings. EK was troubled by the Eagle defense all night, a date at Rockford next Tuesday will tell us more about this Falcon team and the OK Red as a whole.

8.) Muskegon Heights (5-2)

An 8 point win over Ottawa Hills was just what this Tiger team needed. Heights will finish the month with Ludington, Saginaw Arthur Hill and Western Michigan Christian.

9.) Ottawa Hills (7-3)

A split week started with a loss at a very good Muskegon Heights but was backed up by a nice Gold win over Hastings. Finding consistency will be key for the Bengals who look like the class of the OK Gold.

10.) Hudsonville (5-3)

A great week for Hudsy in their quest to find consistency. Two league wins over great teams in Muskegon and East Kentwood will go a long way in building some confidence for this team.

Honorable Mentions (in no order)

Muskegon (6-4)

Another split week for the Big Reds, a one point loss to Hudsonville and an easy win over Grandville. The Big Reds will need to grab on to a hot streak if they wanna hold in the OK Red race.

Middleville Thornapple Kellogg and Caledonia (6-3)

These two teams settled their own battle on Friday night with Caledonia grabbing the league win at home. These two teams seem very even to me and it’s hard to find the one who can challenge Ottawa Hills in the Gold

Grand Rapids Christian (5-3)

A split week for the Eagles set them back in the OK White and will now need help if they hope to repeat as conference champs.

North Muskegon (5-2)

A nice win over Oakridge was followed up by a bad loss to Mason County in double overtime. The Norsemen will be looking up at Shelby until they get their crack at the Tigers, they may still be looking up after that game too.

Comstock Park (7-2)

The Panthers hung with Godwin for much of the night until the defense broke down in the 4^th. Ryan Schall is the real deal and has the quickest shot in West Michigan, nearly impossible to stop.

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!

Hockey is really starting to heat up the cold winter month of January. In this past week, our number one team from last week stumbled again, and other teams took this opportunity to climb the ranks and seat themselves higher in the standings. What will this week’s games hold? Will other teams step up this week to try and take the top spot? Let us know what you think!

1.)Grand Rapids Catholic Central (10-2-1) OK Conference Tier 1

With Grand Haven’s two losses opening the door to the top spot this week, the Cougars took the opportunity to take back the top spot. With 5 goals in both of their games, Catholic Central won both matches easily. 

2.) Forest Hills Eastern/ Northern (10-4) OK Conference Tier 1

The Husky/Hawks are looking very good as the season goes on. With a win against Grand Haven this past week, they showed they have what it takes to take down our top teams and claim the number one spot. 

3.)Grand Haven (10-4) OK Conference Tier 1

Grand Haven had a tough week this week as they lost two games. The first loss was to Forest Hills Northern/Eastern, and the second loss came at the hands of Grand Rapids Catholic Central. This tough break drops them down this week to the third spot.

4.)East Grand Rapids (7-4) OK Conference Tier 1

Stagnant this week, EGR will play Grand Haven at Patterson Ice Center this Friday. The game will be at 8pm.

5.) Kenowa Hills (11-3) OK Conference Tier 2

The Knights also found a way to a two win week last week as they beat Reeths Puffer 4-3 and Portage Central 6-4.

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

With 1-1 record for the week, Rockford still can’t break the threshold of .500. They need to put together some consecutive wins as the season continues.

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

Struggling to get back to their winning ways, the Sailors fell back onto the losing road this past week when they lost to Rockford. Their next chance to rite the ship will be on Wednesday against Grandville.

8.)Lowell-Caledonia (12-1) OK Conference Tier 3

Lowell-Calendonia was able to beat Grand Rapids Christian Saturday after an easy win over the Grand Rapids Ice Hawks in a shortened two period game on Friday. Check out the coverage of their game vs the IceHawks here.

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

Another team with a two win week, Jenison continues to climb. They beat Northview/Comstock Park 4-3 on Friday and beat Manistee 4-1 on Saturday.

10.)East Kentwood(7-6) OK Conference Tier 2

An 8-3 win over Reeths Puffer added another win to the Falcon’s record. They now are one game above .500.

Honorable Mention

11.) Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central (4-9) OK Conference Tier 2

Two losses and the Rangers continue to look at the rest of the pack from the bottom of the rankings . They will hope to win when they play Rockford on Wednesday at 8pm.

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

Hudsonville Lost to South Christian this week. They managed to score two goals, but it wasn’t enough as S. Christian went on to win 3-2. The Eagles next game will be on Wednesday against Kenowa Hills.

13.) West Ottawa (6-7-1) OK Conference Tier 3

With a nice 5-2 win against Madison Heights Bishop Foley this week, West Ottawa adds another win to their record and get one step closer to getting back on track to a winning season.

14.)Northview/Comstock Park/Sparta(6-5-2) OK Conference Tier 3

The Cats fell in both of their games this past week, losing to both Jenison and West Catholic. A two loss week hurts them this week in the rankings.

15.) Grand Rapids West Catholic/Cedar Springs (4-8) OK Conference Tier 2

After a very tough week last week, GRWC/Cedar Springs managed to get a win this week against Northview Comstock Park on Saturday. The score was 6-2.

What a past week of hockey! There were blowouts, and there were close fought games. We had the chance to go see East Grand Rapids vs Grand Rapids Catholic Central and could not believe the amount of fans and the intensity of the game. West Michigan is without a doubt a great hockey area full of great hockey teams. Here is the rankings for our fifth week of hockey coverage. Let us know what you think and feel free to compare it to last week.

1.)Grand Haven (10-2) OK Conference Tier 1

What a week Grand Haven had this week as they found a way to cruise to two wins in their three games . Their first win was over Hudsonville 11-4, their second win was against against East Kentwood 4-3.  Their loss of the week was against Portage Central with the score ending up 2-1. Their great week leap frogs them back into first place.

2.) Grand Rapids Catholic Central (9-2-1) OK Conference Tier 1

The Cougars also had a great week last week as they beat Grandville 5-1 in their first game this past week, and willed themselves to a win in our game of the week against East Grand Rapids by a score of 2-1. They continue to show their dominance this year.

3.) East Grand Rapids (7-4) OK Conference Tier 1

After losing 2-1 in a close game against Grand Rapids Catholic Central on Friday night, East tried to turn it around against Grand Rapids Forest Hills Eastern/Northern on Saturday, but got creamed 8-2.

4.) Kenowa Hills (9-3) OK Conference Tier 2

A 4-2 loss Friday to Monroe didn’t slow down the Knights for long as they bounced back with a 4-3 win against Grandville. 

5.) Forest Hills Eastern/ Northern (8-4) OK Conference Tier 1

The Husky/Hawks handed East Grand Rapids a resounding defeat as they poured on 8 goals on their way to a 8-2 victory.

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

Hosting, and winning, the Konrad Memorial Hockey Tournament this weekend was a great way for the Sailors to keep climbing upward after a sad start to the season. Their next game will be against Traverse City St. Francis at Lakeshore Sports Center at 2:00pm on 1/21/12.

7.)Rockford (6-6) OK Conference Tier 1

With a 1-2 win against Grandville and a 0-4 loss against Monroe last week, Rockford stays at .500.

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

Lowell-Caledonia just keeps rolling this year. Can anyone in Tier 3 stop them?

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

Jenison has improved nicely so far this season and will look to continue improving when they play Manistee at Georgetown Ice Center on Saturday. The game is at 5:30pm.

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

East Kentwood struggled this week as they lost twice. Their first loss was at the hands of Mona Shores and the second loss was at the hands of Grand Haven. They will try to do better against Reeths Puffer on the thirteenth of January

Honorable Mention

11.) Hudsonville (4-7) OK Conference Tier 2

Losing twice this past week, 11-4 against Grand Haven and 3-6 against FHC,  is exactly what Hudsonville didn’t want to do. Having a double loss week keeps them down in the standings for another week.

12.) Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central (4-7) OK Conference Tier 2

Another win and another loss keeps Central towards the bottom of the pack this week. Their win over Hudsonville was quite impressive however as they double the Eagles points on their way to a 6-3 victory.

13.) Northview/Comstock Park/Sparta(6-3-2) OK Conference Tier 3

The Cats got another win this week, but they will still need a few more to move back up in the standings.

14.)West Ottawa (5-7-1) OK Conference Tier 3

After their nice 9-2 win against Hudsonville, West Ottawa tried to right the ship this week but were beaten down by Flushing and Davidson. They will hope to get another win on Friday when they play Madison Heights Bishop Foley on Friday. 

15.) Grand Rapids West Catholic/Cedar Springs (3-8) OK Conference Tier 2

Can anyone say ouch? A three loss week killed GRWC/Cedar Springs as they plummet to the bottom of the rankings this week.

p

span style=”font-family: ‘Cambria’, serif;”/span

Welcome back from the Holidays and what a year it was! We saw some great action over the break and are back with a fresh batch of Rankings. Let us know what you think about or rankings of the top teams in WM and don’t forget to “Like” us on Facebook and then suggest us to your friends because we are giving away a huge prize pack when we reach 2,300 likes!!

1.) Godwin Heights (6-0)

Godwin Heights rolls on and stays atop our rankings this week following a pair of blowout wins over Rogers and Kelloggsville. “Team Bang Bang” as the Wolverines have proclaimed themselves has a potent attack and are a great team, not just Kevin Badger.

2.) Zeeland East (7-0)

The Chix have jumped out to 7-0 and after big wins over Hudsonville and Muskegon this team has proven to be legit. This run could continue with strong focus as a favorable schedule sits ahead of Zeeland East.

3.) Tri Unity Christian (6-0)

How can Tri Unity not impress you? No one can say that they are scared of the big boys or that they couldn’t hang with class A schools after wins over Jenison and Hudsonville. Not to mention taking home some Cornerstone hardware!

4.) East Kentwood (5-0)

The Falcons also took home some hardware from GR Catholic Central after winning that Holiday tournament in beating CC and Flint Powers Catholic. The Falcons are hot right now and are looking to take the OK Red this year.

5.) Greenville (6-0)

The Yellow Jackets took home some hardware from Cornerstone over break after beating Forest Hills Central and moving to 6-0, these kids are playing great ball right now.

6.) Muskegon Heights (3-1)

A Reeths-Puffer beat down was followed up with a tough loss to the rival Big Reds. Another mega match-up comes on the 10th as the Tigers head to Ottawa Hills.

7.) Ottawa Hills (4-1)

The OK Gold is as balanced as ever and will likely come down to the last week of the year just as it did last year. The Bengals of Ottawa Hills led by Shakur Sanders are playing great after suffering their first loss of the year to #7 in class A Arthur Hill by 7.

8.) Shelby (4-0)

The Tigers haven’t played since beating Montague on the 16^th but they are 4-0 with 3 of those wins coming in WMC play. The Tigers are on a mission, North Muskegon, Oakrisge and Montague aren’t going to roll over however.

9.) Muskegon (3-2)

A loss to Zeeland East was masked by a nice win over rival Muskegon Heights. The Big Reds have been up and down and might have been looking ahead. Either way they fall this week.

10.) Rockford (2-2)

A failed comeback against Warren De La Salle left the Rams with a 3 point loss heading into Christmas, Grandville and Hudsonville will be in focus this week.

Honorable Mentions (in no order)

Caledonia and Middleville Thornapple Kellogg are both 5-1 and will be major players in the OK Gold.

Hudsonville (2-2)

A big win over GR Christian was diminished two nights later with a loss to Tri Unity Christian. Jenison and OK Red play lies ahead for the Eagles.

Grand Rapids Christian (3-2)

We saw Christian in action again last week with their 69-60 loss to Hudsonville at Cornerstone and the flaws showed up for the Eagles. Stopping scoring big mean and a lack of outside shooting has hurt this year but this is still a very good team.

North Muskegon (3-1)

The Norseman also had the Holiday off. Jan 10^th will pit themselves against Oakridge and move us one step closer to a two horse race in the WMC.

Northview (3-2)

The Cats split over the break dropping a contest against Caledonia and beating Zeeland West, league play kicks off now and OK White wins will be very important for Northview in 2012.

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!