This is our final Basketball rankings for the 2012 season. From this point on things are all decided on the floor, no more talk, no more comparisons. Win to advance, lose and go home. Let us know what you think about or rankings of the top teams in WM and don’t forget to “Like” us on Facebook so you can help continue our All Star vote!

1.) Godwin Heights (20-0)

Congrats to this Godwin Heights team and their unbeaten season! Getting through a sneaky District is next and if they do so the Regional will be a sight to behold.

2.) Greenville (19-1)

The Jackets get their revenge against Northview tonight. Will they get it or come out too amped up and drop another one? This is where senior leadership comes into play. We’d really like to see Rockford and Greenville in that Final, who wouldn’t?

3.) Zeeland East (19-1)

The Chix open with Holland and then would draw Hudsonville. A great bracket for fans, a terrible bracket for teams looking to make a run.

4.) East Kentwood (17-3)

The Falcons slipped by South Christian last week by a single point and now turn their attention to a very tough District where Caledonia and Ottawa Hills are both equipped to take down the Falcons.

5.) Grand Rapids Christian (16-4)

The Eagles are rolling right now and I feel bad for anyone in their way. Look for the Eagles in Regionals.

6.) Tri Unity Christian (18-2)

The Defenders dropped their showdown with Zeeland East but should be more prepared than any other Class D team to make a title run and the only Class D team making a title defense.

7.) Rockford (15-5)

The Rams are set to host Districts and will have to stay focused and not look beyond FHN if they want to face off with Greenville on Friday.

8.) Hudsonville (15-5)

Last March was the Eagles time to shine and I think they have finally solved the point guard instability that had plagued them this year. Playing the (hopefully beat up) winner of the Zeeland East and Holland showdown will kick things off.

9.) Ottawa Hills (16-4)

Ottawa Hills and East Kentwood should throw down for the FHC District and that will be a treat for all in attendance. This is a really good team.

10.) Muskegon Heights (14-6)

Can the Tigers get back to the Breslin in 2012?

Honorable Mentions (in no order)

Shelby (18-2)

Districts loom and Shelby should be playing still next week.

Fremont (15-5)

The Packers had a split week and will look to win a bracket against league rival Grant.

Caledonia (15-5)

This Scot will play “spoiler” maybe to the fans. I guarantee you that teams and coaches will not be shocked by anything this team does in March.

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!

Last week I mentioned the possible shakeups still looming and we got them this week! A new number one team, and league champs crowned across the area. Let us know what you think about or rankings of the top teams in WM and don’t forget to “Like” us on Facebook so you can help continue our All Star vote!

1.) Godwin Heights (19-0)

The Fighting Wolverines have been doing just that all year and now that most of the dust has settled here they are, at the top.

2.) Greenville (18-1)

The Jackets dropped their first game of the year at Northview on Saturday but will get a shot at revenge on the 5^th at Rockford as they open Districts with the Wildcats.

3.) Tri Unity Christian (17-1)

Just before the title defense begins Tri Unity will throw down with Zeeland East in a nice match-up right before playoffs. This will be a great test to prepare both teams for a March run.

4.) Zeeland East (18-1)

The Chix are playing their best ball at the right time. A league title and having just avenged their lone loss on the year has Zeeland East ready for a tough District.

5.) East Kentwood (16-3)

All three of the Falcons losses have come in the Red and a three-way split for the title is what we are left with. A gritty win over Rockford earned them that share, a heart wrenching loss to Hudsonville took away a second straight lone title.

6.) Rockford (14-5)

A split week left the Rams in a three-way tie for the OK Red title. Now a Northview team the eliminated Rockford last year, and a Greenville team that has been rolling all year lie ahead in the District the Rams will host.

7.) Grand Rapids Christian (15-4)

BIG wins over Holland and rival East have the Eagles ready for a March push. The four losses by Christian have come to Hudsy, Rockford (in 4OTs) and Greenville twice, Many people are hard on this team and I think it’s just because of the expectations. Look out for the Eagles!

8.) Hudsonville (14-5)

The Eagles have battled all year long and have earned a league title for the first time since 1994! Can they recapture the magic of last March?

9.) Ottawa Hills (16-4)

A great year for the Bengals has them set for a District run again this year and their shot at some big class A schools.

10.) Shelby (16-2)

Dropping a big game at Heights showed the Tigers where they sit heading into Districts, the WMC is theirs however and the Tigers will be ready.

Honorable Mentions (in no order)

Fremont (14-4)

A win over Spring Lake on Friday was the last game to be played at Fremont’s old gym and the Packers are now focused on opening the new gym as District champs, and beyond.

Caledonia (13-5)

This Scot team is poised to make a run, they have size, leadership and great guard play.

Muskegon Heights (13-6)

The Tigers grabbed a big win over Shelby on Friday and will look to make another run at the Breslin this spring.

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!

The season flew by this year, and the cream of the crop has risen to the top. Forest Hills Eastern/Northern has shown they have what it takes to beat the best, and Mona Shores has risen from the ashes and has begun to shine again. We are now seeing who is the best and who is the worst here in West Michigan. As the regular season draws even nearer to a close, our top three teams will take a lunge at FHEN in our top spot. As always, feel free to check out last weeks rankings and see who has risen and who has fallen in the rankings. Also, leave us feedback, we love to hear what fans here in West Michigan think about not only our rankings but our game coverage.

1.)Forest Hills Eastern/ Northern (18-5) OK Conference Tier 1

Two wins and the Husky/Hawks continue to hold the top spot. Oe of those wins came against Grand Haven and we were there. Check out the coverage here. Their outstanding play has continued all season long. They will play Portage Norther next Tuesday.

2.)Grand Haven (16-6-1) OK Conference Tier 1

The Buccaneers stumbled this past week and are struggling to get back up. With a 5-3 loss to Forest Hills Eastern/Northern last Wednesday and another 5-3 loss to Flint Powers on Saturday. They had another chance to rite the ship tonight but only managed a tie against Rockford. They will Face East Grand Rapids with hopes of finding the win column again this Saturday.

3.)Grand Rapids Catholic Central (14-5-1) OK Conference Tier 1

A fifty fifty week for the Cougars keeps the cougars in the number three spot this week. They lost to Rockford 4-2 but managed to win 3-1 against Big rapids on Saturday. They will face off at Edge Ice Arena against Kenowa Hills.

4.)Mona Shores (16-8) OK Conference Tier 1

Two more wins this week and Mona brings its win column to 16. Do they deserve to be higher? While many of you think so, they struggled so much at the beginning of the season that its hard to place them much higher than the third or fourth spot.

5.)East Kentwood(15-8) OK Conference Tier 2

The Falcons had a great week last week as they sealed up tier two with two huge wins over West Catholic 9-1 and South Christian 8-3. The player of the week had to be Brett White as he sunk five of those eight goals according to Advance reporter Jud Johnson. The Falcons will look to stay on fire as they play Brighton on Saturday.

6.)Rockford (13-9-1) OK Conference Tier 1

Rockford had a busy week this past week and gave our top teams a run for their money. The Rams beat Catholic Central on Friday, Manistee on Saturday and tied with Grand Haven last night in a game that saw both goaltenders let in four goals. The Rams will face Reeths Puffer on Friday. 

7.) Kenowa Hills (15-7) OK Conference Tier 2

After being jousted into a losing slide, the Knights managed to lose another game last week as they fell to Forest Hills Central. With so many late season losses, the Knights have dropped a few spots this week.

8.).Lowell-Caledonia (18-4) OK Conference Tier 3

Lowell-Caledonia played only one game last week and beat Grand Rapids Christian 9-4. They will close out their season this week as they play Mattawan on Friday and West Ottawa on Saturday.

9.)Reeths Puffer (14-6-1) OK Conference Tier 2

The Rockets were of last week as they prepared for playing Rockford tommorow.

10.)Jenison (12-7) OK Conference Tier 2

Jenison had two wins this past week as they beat Northview/Comstock Park 4-3 and beat Grand Rapids Christian 7-3. They will play Hudsonville tomorrow at Southside Community Ice Center. The game will be at 8:00pm.

Honarable Mention (In No Specific Order)

East Grand Rapids (11-11) OK Conference Tier 1

The Pioneers didn’t have a good week last week as they dropped another two games to Forest Hills Norther/ Eastern and to Grandville. The Pioneers will face Portage tomorrow night.

West Ottawa (14-9-1) OK Conference Tier 3

The Panthers didn’t play last week and will face off against South Christian this Friday.

Hudsonville (6-16-1) OK Conference Tier 2

Hudsonville has once again failed to find the win column as they drop two more games since our last rankings. These losses came at the hands of DeWitt /St Johns and Kenowa Hills. Both games were lost by one goal. The Eagles however turned it around last night with a resounding 6-1 win over West Catholic. They will play Grandville next Monday at Georgetown Ice Center.

Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central (8-14) OK Conference Tier 2

One win, One loss, was the story of the past week. The Rangers loss came against South Christian and the win was over the struggling Kenowa Hills. The Rangers will play Reeths Puffer on Saturday.

Northview/Comstock Park/Sparta(9-11-2) OK Conference Tier 3

The Cats got another win last week as they downed Benzie Central 4-3. They will play South Christian on Saturday and will have to beat a team who is really on a roll right now.

As the season winds down and we get ready for Districts there are still very important games to be played and a good amount of shakeup that can happen. 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 (18-0)

The Jackets continue the swarm over West Michigan and show little sign of slowing down. A, tricky at times, Northview team lies ahead this week but I believe Coach Haist has this team ready to finish out at 20-0 heading to Districts.

2.) Godwin Heights (17-0)

Godwin dumped in 108 points on Valentine’s Day against NorthPointe Christian, and the Wolverines don’t even practice their offense!!!!

3.) Tri Unity Christian (16-1)

A nice bounce-back week after dropping their first game of the year for the Defenders. The focus now is on ‘Defending’ their class D state title.

4.) Shelby (15-1)

The Tigers ran into the Spencer Krannitz show on Tuesday in their first loss of the year at North Muskegon but bounced back nicely with a gritty win over Oakridge on Friday. The ‘Big Reds’ of JR James and Luke Landis are very, very good players.

5.) Zeeland East (16-1)

Unity Christian and Tri Unity remain for the Chix to finish this special year. The Distirct is going to be brutal so it’s time to start hitting your stride.

6.) Rockford (13-4)

A nice slow week for the Rams gave them time to take down the Big Reds and now sets them up with the opportunity to grab the OK Red crown with a win over East Kentwood on Tuesday.

7.) East Kentwood (15-2)

Rockford on Tuesday, win that and you get Hudsy on Friday, win that and you defend the OK Red. Lose either and you’re looking at 2^nd place.

8.) Grand Rapids Christian (13-4)

The Eagles won a big game at Muskegon Heights on Saturday and now will face off with Holland and rival East GR before Districts, GRC may have found their stride.

9.) Ottawa Hills (13-4)

Sanders and company are preparing for a tough District but they have a legitimate chance at taking that bracket.

10.) Fremont (12-4)

The Lakes 8 should go to the Packers after a key win over Grant last week and this class B team will be looking to make a run.

Honorable Mentions (in no order)

Hudsonville (12-5)

Hudsy worked through another OK Red win against GH and now square off with EK on Friday before trying to navigate a brutal District.

Sparta (13-4)

West Catholic stopped the Spartans on Friday and the OK Blue is WIDE OPEN.

Caledonia (12-5)

Caledonia got stomped by MTK on Friday and now look to pick up the pieces before Playoffs.

Muskegon Heights (11-6)

The Tigers play a tough schedule and I give them that. The problem comes from the lack of wins in those tough games, GRC is on their level and the eagles still won by 7 on the road.

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!

We hope you enjoyed all the great hockey coverage last week and spent some time looking over the great photos from the games our reporters made it out to. We want to keep bringing you great coverage as the season draws to a close and the playoffs begin. As always check out last week rankings and see who has moved up or down in the rankings for this week.

1.)Forest Hills Eastern/ Northern (16-5) OK Conference Tier 1

The Husky/ Hawks beat Saginaw Heritage 6-1 last week and will play Grand Haven in a big game tomorrow night.We will be there covering it for you!

2.)Grand Haven (16-4) OK Conference Tier 1

After beating Kenowa Hills 5-4 in a narrow win on Wednesday, the Bucs went on to defeat the Holt rams 3-1 on Saturday. They will face Forest Hills Eastern-Northern this Wednesday and we will be bringing you coverage of the game, so make sure to check back in on Thursday for pictures and more.

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

The Cougars didn’t face any competition this week but will look to win again when they play Rockford this Friday on the Ram’s home ice.

4.)Mona Shores (14-8) OK Conference Tier 1

Two more wins this week show that the Sailors are well over their slump. They drop the puck with Traverse City West on Friday. The game will begin at 7:00pm

5.) Kenowa Hills (14-7) OK Conference Tier 2

The Knights had a busy week and paid for it last week as they dropped three games in just as many nights. They will get a nice chance to recover against Forest Hills Central on their home ice tomorrow at 8:00pm.

6.) Rockford (11-9) OK Conference Tier 1

Rockford beat EGR 4-1 last week and will have a huge challenge when they face GR Catholic Central on Friday.

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

The Falcons will play West Catholic on Wednesday after being off for a while. They should be able to beat West Catholic as they have struggled so far this season and have a fairly poor record.

8.)Reeths Puffer (14-6-1) OK Conference Tier 2

Dean Griffin scored a hat trick to lead the Rockets on their way to a win over Forest Hills Central on Wednesday. They have a nice break until they play Rockford on the 24th.

9.).Lowell-Caledonia (17-4) OK Conference Tier 3

Lowell-Caledonia won three games this past week. They managed to pull out a close one against Jenison in a high scoring thriller with a final score of 8-6. They also beat Sparta in one of our games of the week last week.

10.)Jenison (10-8) OK Conference Tier 2

 Jenison scored three goals on three shots in the third to pull close to Lowell-Calendonia, but they still ended up losing. A hard fought game with negative results will be very hard to overcome in the following week.

Honorable Mention

 11.)East Grand Rapids (11-9) OK Conference Tier 1

The Pioneers lost to Rockford 4-1 on friday, but Beat Big Rapids 3-1 the following day. They face Forest Hills Eastern-Northern. Jenison (10-8) OK Conference Tier 3

12.)West Ottawa (14-9-1) OK Conference Tier 3

West Ottawa had a good week this past week as they beat Grand Rapids Christian in a close game 4-3 They will play South Christian Friday.

13.) Hudsonville (6-14-1) OK Conference Tier 2

Hudsonville tried for three periods and an overtime to win this past week but ended up tieing with South Christian 3-3 on Friday. Their will need to recover their energy in order to beat a fast moving Kenowa Hills team this Saturday.

14.)Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central (7-13) OK Conference Tier 2

The struggling Rangers lost again this past Wednesday at the hands of Reeths Puffer. The final score was 7-5.

15.)Northview/Comstock Park/Sparta(8-11-2) OK Conference Tier 3

The Cats tied with West Ottawa but lost to both Hudsonville 5-4 and Lowell Caledonia 7-2 this past week.They will face non conference opponent Royal Oak Shrine on Thursday.

]]> http://westmiallstar.com/2012/02/week-10-rankings/feed/ 3 http://westmiallstar.com/2012/02/best-of-the-west-week-10-2/ http://westmiallstar.com/2012/02/best-of-the-west-week-10-2/#comments Mon, 13 Feb 2012 17:19:23 +0000 Justin Arbogast http://westmiallstar.com/?p=11806

What a great week for WM basketball! Thanks to all of our fans! We’re ready for the playoffs to see even more great games through March. 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 (16-0)

Greenville backed up their new #1 ranking with a great win over GR Christian on Friday night. Chris Mickey is cold blooded and this team has a ton of heart.

2.) Godwin Heights (16-0)

The Wolverines took advantage of their opportunity to take down one of the top teams in the area and solidify their standing. We sat down with these guys last week and look forward to watching them make a March run.

3.) Shelby (14-0)

One more week and two more wins for the Tigers who remain a quiet unbeaten over in the WMC.

4.) Tri Unity Christian (14-1)

Dropping their first game in a year can’t be easy to swallow for the Defenders but losing to Godwin Heights is nothing to be ashamed of, Class D is theirs until someone takes that away and I don’t see that happening.

5.) Zeeland East (15-1)

A dominating week for the Chix earned Coach Mickey Cochran his 400^th career victory and now East will look towards games with Wyoming Park, Hudsonville Unity and Tri Unity all before Distircts.

6.) Rockford (12-4)

I told you last week that Grand Haven was sneaky, they proved me right with their win over Rockford on Tuesday as they Rams allowed the OK Red to become open again.

7.) East Kentwood (14-2)

A solid week by the Falcons have them back in line to defend their OK Red title. A week from Tuesday they get Rockford at home and follow that up with Hudsonville in the Falcon’s Nest on Friday the 24^th.

8.) Ottawa Hills (11-4)

Ottawa let one get away last week at Caledonia but the Bengals are still sitting pretty in the OK Gold and will be a force come tournament time.

9.) Sparta (13-3)

A quick stop in the Lakes 8 with Fremont and Grant resulted in some good wins for the Spartans. The Fremont game was a thriller and now the focus turns to wrapping up the OK Blue.

10.) Grand Rapids Christian (11-4)

The Eagles nearly came back to steal one from Greenville on Friday but came up just short allowing Greenville to take their first league crown since 1993. Christian will tip off against Muskegon Heights on Saturday in what should be another great game for WM fans.

Honorable Mentions (in no order)

Hudsonville (11-5)

A dangerous Muskegon team jumped up and nabbed one from Hudsonville this week to essentially dash the Eagles hopes for a league title. As the Eagles know however there is plenty of season left after conference play.

Caledonia (12-4)

After two nail-biting wins last week the Scots are peaking for a March run. Look out!

Muskegon Heights (10-5)

Again Heights takes on a big time team in the state with 2-time defending Class A champ Kzoo Central but another loss has shaken the Tigers swagger, Christian on Saturday will be another measuring stick.

Fremont (9-3)

A bad week for the Packers saw them drop back-to-back games against Shelby and Grant and now the Lakes 8 has opened back up.

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!

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.

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