1. Rockford (2-0): The Rams avenged their lost to Holt in the Division 1 regional finals last year on a last-second field goal by junior Steve Mette. Little things like having a reliable kicker go unnoticed a lot in high school football. There’s little chance of the Rams falling down the rankings until October 1^st when Muskegon rolls into town. Linebacker Brett Egnatuck continues to lead the Rams defense with 14 tackles last week.

2. Lowell (2-0):  Lowell plays leap frog with East Grand Rapids, but don’t read much into it. Looking at the numbers, quarterback Gabe Dean couldn’t be any more balanced. The junior QB is 23-for-33 passing for 286 yards and three TDs and has rushed for 290 yards and two TDs on 30 carries. The Red Arrow’s defense has looked stellar so far.

3. East Grand Rapids (2-0): Make that 21 consecutive victories. Like I said, take the Lowell and East swap with a grain of salt. Coach Pete Stuursma does a great job of spreading playing time so that players get the experience they need. They’re in no danger of losing a game until they visit Lowell.

4. Muskegon (1-1): 1^st year head coach Shane Fairfield picked up his first win in convincing fashion last week with a 59-6 stomping of Ottawa Hills last week. Everything seemed to click for the Big Reds. Defensively, Muskegon had no problem containing dual threat quarterback Jalen Couch and fighting off the Bengal’s large offensive line.  Offensively, everything worked beautifully. Quarterback Kevonte Keyes only had passed twice and connected on both attempts while still rushing for 101 yards.

5. Grand Haven (2-0): The ‘Bucs pillaged all of Traverse City the last two weeks and now it’s time for Dalton Stenberg to unleash his bruising body against the OK-Red. Stenberg already has five rushing touchdowns and another blocked punt for a score. Friday night at West Ottawa is just the test the ‘Bucs need to judge their chances against Muskegon and Rockford.

6. Grand Rapids Christian (2-0): No team in the OK Conferences has scored more points than the Eagles (110) in their first two games. New head coach Don Fellows kept his fairly balanced in both games. Big, bruising fullback Andre Davis already has six touchdowns to his name while quarterback Matt Grasmeyer has passed for six scores.

7. Zeeland East (2-0): The new-look Chix are overpowering teams early with their size and speed. Quarterback T.J. VanDyken looked excellent in week one going 10-for-10 with 99 yards while running back Brad Horling continues to impress with his lower body strength and five scores this season.

8. Kenowa Hills (2-0): The Knights have scored at least a touchdown in the last seven quarters of play, and have not missed an extra point yet. Running backs Kitwana Clark and Tito Wingfield have split the season evenly on the ground. If they can get by Lowell this Friday and Grand Rapids Christian next Friday, the Knights are in the clear.

9. West Ottawa (2-0): Things don’t get any easier for the Panthers, thou. With three top-ten teams on their plate in the coming weeks, West Ottawa has a lot to prove. Yes, they pummeled Jackson and Holland Christian 99-9, but both teams didn’t bring much of an aerial threat. Their linebacker corps led by Desmond Morgan and Garrett Daniel has played stellar while running back Zac Boersema continues to shift up the field efficiently.

10. Byron Center (2-0): The ‘Dogs have a very good chance at repeating as conference champs, but only if they get passed both Zeeland West and Zeeland East. Mark October 22^nd on your calendar: Zeeland East at Byron Center. That should determine who wins the conference.

Bubble teams: Catholic Central, Zeeland West, Hudsonville, and Ottawa Hills

Week 2 Top 10 Teams

Week 1 Top 10 Teams

Read the full story with The Grand Rapids Press: “East Kentwood’s volleyball success…”

What is it about the opponents that teams face that gives us the most accurate picture of where each conference ranks?

Weeks one and two of the high school football season give us the only true glimpse of how each conference stacks up.  Think of it as interleague play in major league baseball. If the AL only played the NL in the World Series, how would we ever know the distribution of talent and power between leagues?

Now, let’s take a look at how each conference faired in week one.

Conference	W-L (week one)	Scores (week one)	Conference Record in 09	Opponents’ Record in 09
Black	2-6	141-199	22-33	27-34
Blue	3-4	148-188	34-31	40-31
Gold	5-3	204-141	38-40	34-44
Green	6-2	231-126	44-35	34-39
Red	5-3	236-196	46-34	57-29
Silver	1-6	78-199	33-34	34-34
White	4-2	179-111	42-22	29-28

Bar a few exceptions, most games were played against opponents in the same class (A, B, or C). What do these numbers tell us?

Undoubtedly, the OK-Red had the strongest strength of schedule. That doesn’t even take into account Rockford’s win over Davison who, until last season, hadn’t won less than eight games since 2001. Or Grand Haven dominating Traverse City West who also played less than their usual self last season. Muskegon narrowly lost to Macomb Dakota, another playoff regular, while East Kentwood beat yet another playoff team in Caledonia.

It doesn’t even stop there. West Ottawa gave Jackson their worst thrashing in school history while Jenison fought mightily with East Grand Rapids.

The OK-Red teams aren’t just beating any teams, they’re beating good teams. If week one doesn’t have you convinced, take a gander at their opponents in week two: Detroit Catholic Central (14-0 Class A), Holt (11-2 Class A), Inkster (9-4 Class A), Caledonia (8-3 Class A), Holland Christian (9-3 Class B), Ottawa Hills (6-4 Class A), Traverse City West (4-5 Class A), and Traverse City Central (3-6 Class A).

I need to pull my calculator out for this one. And wow. The OK-Red conference faces week two opponents with a combined 64-27 record in 2009. Combined that with their week one opponents and that’s 121-56.

I can’t say enough about the competitiveness of the OK-Red in and outside the conference. But how do you think the rest of the conferences stack up against each other? Let’s hear it in our conference ranking poll.

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

1. Rockford (1-0): The Rams remain at number one after a stellar performance against the always-talented Davison Cardinals. Junior kicker Steven Mette gives them another scoring threat even at 46 yards. It’s Rams vs. Rams this week, but Rockford should prevail after Holt’s sputtering loss in week one. Quarterback Mark LaPraire played mistake-free football so there’s no reason for the Rams to move out of this spot.

2. East Grand Rapids (1-0): Boy would they have fallen if Sam Nystrom didn’t wake them up. East came out slow, but Nystrom’s 70-yard fumble return for a touchdown lit a fire under the Pioneers. Running back David Drummond’s 152 yards rushing and two touchdowns along with quarterback Ryan Elble’s 127 yards passing and two touchdowns are proof that East is still a powerhouse.

3. Lowell (1-0): The Red Arrows also started out slow in their season opener, but quarterback Gabe Dean brought out his bow and launched a few at wide receiver Matt Houston to bring Lowell back. Dean went 14-of-20 passing for 191 yards and ran for another 117 yards. Slow starts happen, so week two at Forest Hills Central should help us better evaluate.

4. Muskegon (0-1): They played one of the best and came out on the losing side. A three-point loss to Macomb Dakota doesn’t knock the Big Reds out of the top-five based on their strong pedigree. Muskegon will get rid of the turnovers and we’ll see the Big Reds of old. But they’re facing a tough Ottawa Hills team. I doubt Muskegon goes 0-2, but if you’re in the area, check out that game.

5. Grand Haven (1-0): Dalton Stenberg is a load to take down. The senior running back scored five touchdowns to lead the ‘Bucs past Traverse City West in week one. Stenberg broke two long touchdown runs of 78 yards and 62 yards to give Grand Haven a 474-285 advantage in total offense.

6. East Kentwood (1-0): The Falcons flew high in their battle against the Scots for arguably the best game of week one. We all knew it would be close, but a late game interception by Chris James to give East Kentwood the victory was sweet. Had the Falcons lost, Caledonia would be sitting here, but they drop to our outside bubble.

7. Kenowa Hills (1-0): Second half comebacks were a theme in week one, but wins are wins. Kitwana Clark and Tito Wingfield combined for 328 rushing yards, and that should set the tone for the Knights. The OK-Black is theirs to lose.

8. Byron Center (1-0): The Bulldogs were one of only two team to shutout an opponent to open the 2010 season. Derek Sievers was their go to guy as expected, but their defense clamped down hard. The ‘Dogs don’t have a rough schedule so this could easily be another nine win season.

9. Ottawa Hills (1-0): Week two against Muskegon will be a fun game to watch. Devon Ivy, Javon Phillips, and quarterback Jalen Couch are an exciting trio to watch. Their defense needs to play up this week if they want a victory over Muskegon.

10. Grand Rapids Christian (1-0): Two words: Andre Davis. The 265-pound running back just knocked the Eagles into our top ten. The Eagle’s 583 total yards of offense is incredible. Coach Don Fellows has us hungry for a Christian vs. Lowell or East battle. Just four more weeks until we see the trio meet. First it’s East on September 24^th and Lowell October 1^st

Bubble teams: Coopersville, Caledonia, Holland Christian, Zeeland East

“Read the full story with The Grand Rapids Press: “Rockford beats Lakewood in finals…”

2. East Grand Rapids: Chasing football history are the East Grand Rapids Pioneers. All the pieces are set for their fifth consecutive state championship. Returning quarterback Ryan Elble has plenty of weapons and a strong offensive line.

3. Muskegon: The Big Reds have several explosive weapons around quarterback Ka’Vonte Keyes either by air or on the ground. Lowell knocked them out of the playoffs last year, but every indication points to the two meeting again.

4. Lowell: We should see junior quarterback Gabe Dean running through opponents deep in the playoffs again this year. The Red Arrows made it look too easy against Inkster last year. They lost some pieces, but like several teams on our top ten list, they retool every year.

5. Grand Haven: With their speed and physicality, the Buccaneers sit at number five. Running back Dalton Stenberg is a load to take down, and wide receiver Alec Smith gels well with quarterback Adam Poel. Grand Haven also has its former defensive coordinator now as head coach so their defense is not a concern.

6. East Kentwood: The only team to give Rockford trouble (besides Holt) were the Falcons. They lost a lot from last year’s squad, but they have plenty of athletes to fill the gaps.

7. Caledonia: Caledonia and East Kentwood face off in week one, and it’ll definitely be a nail bitter. Cal has two many weapons in their backfield to not be a solid program this year. An experienced offensive line should help the Fighting Scots rack up the rushing yards.

8. Kenowa Hills: The Knights aren’t a sleeper team but newcomers at several positions keep me reserved. Junior running back Kitwana Clark and senior Tito Wingfield are explosive, game changing players who could set some records this year. The talent is there at all positions so a slide up the rankings is possible.

9. Byron Center: A nice run in 2009 has the Bulldogs on the radar. With Derek Sievers, Zac Cross, and Austin Haight all returning this year, The ‘Dogs could have another break out season.

10. Ottawa Hills: Rounding out our top ten are the Bengals led by speedy Devon Ivy. Ivy is an outstanding athlete who can carry an offense. Big Danzell Maze also returns on the offensive and defensive line.

Surprise teams: Grand Rapids Christian, Forest Hills Eastern, Zeeland East, and Zeeland West.

• Brett Egnatuk, Rockford
• Trent Voss, East Grand Rapids
• Gabe Dean, Lowell
• Danzell Maze, Ottawa Hills
• Alec Smith, Grand Haven
• Ryan Eble, East Grand Rapids
• Desmond Morgan, West Ottawa
• Carl Roscoe, Kelloggsville
• Derek Sievers, Bryon Center
• Dan Pittman, West Catholic

Teams:

• East Grand Rapids
• Lowell
• Rockford
• Grand Haven
• West Catholic
• Kenowa Hills
• Caledonia
• Ottawa Hills
• Kelloggsville
• Zeeland West

Read the full story with The Grand Rapids Press: “High school football preview…”

Read the full story with The Grand Rapids Press: “Rockford linebacker Brett Egnatuk…”

ROCKFORD PREVIEW (11-1):  Rockford enters 2010 as the longest running playoff team in all of the OK Conferences. Led by head coach Ralph Munger, the Rams go for their 16th consecutive playoff appearance and fourth state championship. A powerful senior offensive line (left tackle Parker Ehinger, guards T.J. Jacobs, center Thomas Bonney, and right guard Tyler Webb) should easily make room for returning running backs Nick Smythe and Zach Schmuck.

The 6’7” 260 lbs. Ehinger committed to the University of Cincinnati earlier this year becoming the third D1 signing from the 2009 team.

On defense, the Rams are led by all-state middle linebacker Brett Egnatuk (6’1” 210 lbs.). Egnatuk recorded 113 tackles last year before breaking his leg against East Kentwood in the first round of the playoffs. The healthy and bigger linebacker should sledgehammer teams again this year along with senior linebackers Tyler Pratt and Colin Remtema. Zach Nelson and Adam Kroll return on the defensive line.

Side note, ESPN ranked Rockford #35 in the nation on its Powerade Fab 50 rankings.

GRAND HAVEN PREVIEW (9-2): The ‘Bucs plan to make winning a habit in Grand Haven. Senior quarterback Adam Poel leads the charge on offense with an array of weapons to choose from. Senior Dalton Stenberg (6’2” 215 lbs.), senior Trent Hitsman (5’8” 170 lbs.), and junior Dakota Smith (5’8” 170 lbs.) will all see time at runningback.

“Dalton has incredible vision and makes great cuts,” said Poel. “Dakota and Trent are both shifty runners.”

Poel also has a big, fast receiver in senior Alec Smith (6’3” 210 lbs.). Smith should be able to separate from defensive backs with his size and speed.  A young line led by Josh Geldersma (6’2” 240) and sophomore center Matt Mulcahy hopes to give Poel plenty of time to put the ‘Bucs deep into the playoffs.

“Matt’s a little pit bull. He held his own against our all-state defensive tackle [Jordan Goetz].”

Goetz will be missed on the defensive front but with eight returners, Grand Haven hopes to not miss a beat from last year. Seniors Everett Ingalls, Jerry Westerman, and Stenberg all return at linebacker with Tyler Rose, Nick Whalen, and Quintin VanDoorne plugging the defensive line. Erik Johnson and Alec Smith also give the ‘Bucs good coverage in the secondary.

MUSKEGON PREVIEW (7-4): First-year head coach Shane Fairfield is excited about continuing the winning tradition for the Big Reds. But practice scrimmages only say so much; he wants to see what they do on the field.

“They need to earn respect the right way,” said Fairfield. “They need to know the competitiveness of this conference.”

There’s no lack of competiveness in junior running back Juwan Lewis. During Oklahoma drills, Lewis collided so hard that it required stitches for the other player.

Senior Ka’Vonte Keyes returns at quarterback with Lewis and senior wide receiver TJ Michaels and senior fullback Mike Thomas as potential options. He’ll also have a healthy Justin Means who’s been on watch-lists since his freshmen year. Newcomer Darren Briggs also opens up Muskegons options with his blazing speed. They’ll also have another running back in Clayton Turner, a transfer from Reeths-Puffer.

Keyes has a young line in front of him, but a trimmer senior left tackle in Najee Brown-Duren can protect his backside.

“Our offensive line, their small but strong,” said Keyes. “They give you a good punch.”

Defensively, the Big Reds are set with their front seven with Brown-Duren and Damon Knox causing a lot of pressure at defensive end.

Competition continues in the secondary where Keyes and Deon Bailey have both impressed coach Fairfield.

EAST KENTWOOD PREVIEW (5-5): Second-year head coach Greg Hudkins is without most of his Falcons team who made the playoffs for the first time in five years. They gave Rockford a run for their money twice last year with a 13-14 loss late in the season and a 20-30 nail-biter in the first round. But without quarterback Jon Henry, fullback Jamaal Thomas, and running back Deonte Hurst, coach Hudkins has a lot of rebuilding to do.

First, he’ll have to pick between a trio of quarterbacks. He can go with sophomore scrambler Alex Browley, or pick between conventional junior quarterbacks Jason Dickey and Aaron Hunt. Either way, seniors Christian Craft (6’2” 210 lbs.) and Blake Price (6’ 190 lbs.) are possession receivers ready to do their job.

On defense, have linebackers JonDale Freeman and Chris James and defensive end Justin Wheeler returning to lead their young defense.

“Our D-line, they’re some dogs,” said James. “They get in there and get the job done.” “We just have to make sure we execute and make good breaks on the ball and finish.”

HUDSONVILLE PREVIEW (4-5): A coaching switcheroo for the Eagles hopes to fly them back to the playoffs behind junior running back Cameron VanOoyen. VanOoyen came on strong last year, especially against Rockford where he rushed for 3 touchdowns. He’ll face another very strong team in week 2: defending division 1 state champion Detroit Catholic Central. That’ll be a fun game. quarterback Shane Trevino returners along with junior tight-end Hunter Prince, senior center Stephan Opaski, and senior tackle Brennen Verhage.

GRANDVILLE PREVIEW (4-5): The Bulldogs will have to gnaw their way through the OK-Red without quarterback Jake Blauwkamp who tore an ACL over the spring. Senior Currey Thomas steps in at quarterback behind a new offensive line and play catch with speedy senior wide receiver Austin Reminga.

“Currey’s a very good baseball player and doesn’t force any throws,” said Blauwkamp.

Another weapon has emerged in sophomore running back Courtney Meyers (6’ 190 lbs.).

“He’s a big boy,” said senior linebacker Clark Vredevoogd. “Powerful runner with some speed. I look to him for the future. He can only get stronger and faster.”

“During the scrimmage, two or three guys hit [Meyers] and he just shook them off.”

On defense, Grandville returns most of its linebacker in Vredevoogd, senior Jared Dinkel, and senior Mike Seitz. The ‘Dogs go from a 3-5 to a 4-4 to accommodate it’s stronger, larger defensive line led by senior defensive tackle Mike Cross.

“Once they get going, it’s hard to stop them.”

WEST OTTAWA PREVIEW (4-5): Senior Desmond Morgan moves from fullback to quarterback in the revamped Panther offense. Senior running back Zac Boersma returns to lead the rushing attack behind a line led by junior guards Connor Schilling and Dan Vorpagel. Tight end Garrett Daniels moves to center to give the Panthers a more athletic front.

“[Desmond] has impressed everybody. He just understands the offense very well and gets guys in the right spot,” said Boersma.

The Panthers have a lot of guys playing both ways again this year with Morgan, Daniel, and Boersma all back at linebacker, but with a larger roster this year, they’ll have much needed depth.

“We’re really looking forward to the Holland Christian game. They’re a very good team every year but now we can finally settle who’s better [in Holland.]”

JENISON PREVIEW (2-7): A senior-heavy Wildcat’s team looks to bring Jenison back to the playoffs for the first time in seven years. They hope to run over a few opponents with the now-healthy senior fullback Tyler Hoezee (6’ 190 lbs.) and senior running back Ian Hamilton (6’ 190 lbs.). A decision hasn’t been made at quarterback between the speedy senior Zech Keen and thrower Jordan VanDyk. Senior right tackle David Carlisle (6’4” 295 lbs.) and senior left guard Matt VanOpstall (6’5 220 lbs.) both return to protect whoever’s calling the plays. Senior Caleb Knol (6’3” 240 lbs.) looks to take over at center.

Defensively, the Wildcats are pretty balanced but there’s a lot of competition to fill the void at linebacker. Trevor Dunham does not return but sophomore Logan Johnson (5’9” 185 lbs.) hopes to fill that void.

“He’s strong for his age and as a football player in general,” said senior tight-end and wide receiver Gus Penning (6’5” 220 lbs.). Penning also returns at outside linebacker along with senior defensive back Kenny Marr (5’8” 175 lbs.).

“We’re bringing a lot back. It’s just preparing mentally. All the teams in the conference can win or lose.”

1. David Veen leads Grand Rapids Christian golfers to program-best third at Division 2 boys finals -The Grand Rapids Press
2. Forest Hills Central gracious after second-place finish at Division 1 boys golf state tournament -The Grand Rapids Press
3. Forest Hills Central boys lacrosse team seals deal with Division 2 state title -The Grand Rapids Press
4. Rockford wins school’s first girls lacrosse state championship -The Grand Rapids Press
5. West Catholic’s bats erupt en route to Division 2 baseball regional title -The Grand Rapids Press 
6. Cale Hand’s arm and bat lift West Ottawa past Forest Hills Central for baseball regional title -The Grand Rapids Press
7. Tough pitching frustrates Portage Northern baseball team in Division 1 regional semifinal loss versus Holt -Kalamazoo Gazette
8. North Muskegon confident against No. 1-ranked and perennial softball power Unionville-Sebewaing -The Muskegon Chronicle
9. Taylor Johnson sets state mark as Belding softball team coasts to regional crown -The Grand Rapids Press
10. Shelby players deliver to give veteran baseball coach Brian Wright his first regional championship -The Muskegon Chronicle
11. Hudsonville softball team blanks Lowell for regional crown, reaches 40 wins -The Grand Rapids Press
12. Kalamazoo Hackett boys golf team rallies from 15 shots back to earn repeat Division 4 state title -Kaamazoo Gazette
13. Taylor Kamps’ position change pays off for Unity Christian in girls soccer regional win against South Christian -The Grand Rapids Press
14. Megan Putnam sets tone for Kalamazoo Hackett girls soccer team in Division 4 regional final win -Kalamazoo Gazette

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