See a shot you like?  Want info on how you can own a copy?  Visit Matt’s website to contact him for details!

Rockford took on a talented Romulus squad in today’s state semifinal game, and the Rams once again did what they’ve done all year– found a way to win.  Matt Philpott Photography was proud to bring you this selection of photos from this afternoon’s victory!

Be sure to visit Matt’s website to learn more about the services he offers, or to make contact if you’d like to purchase a copy of a picture seen here!

Grandville was host to back-to-back nights of intense basketball action, as Rockford High School took home the rights to advance to the Class A State Quarterfinals.

Matt Philpott Photography is proud to present you fans a collection of images from these two great games:

Like what you see?  Be sure to visit Matt’s website, to contact the photographer and learn how you can order copies!

Hockey playoff action continues to sizzle as teams find themselves one step closer to playing in Plymouth for a state title.  WMA’s Chris Carlisle and son Joshua recently took in a heated game between the East Kentwood Falcons and Rockford Rams.  Joshua was behind the pen and paper, and Chris was behind the lens, for the following coverage:

On Saturday night the MHSAA playoffs continued, with the Region 1 Finals, between the Rockford Rams and East Kentwood Falcons.  As the game started and  could barely tell the two teams apart, both with skill and speed,and right away it looked like it was going be a close game.  Rockford’s Zach Schwandt drew first blood with 11:02 left in the first period.  Hard as it was to believe early on, this would turn out to be Rockford’s only goal of the night.  Throughout the rest of the first period the game was very back-and-forth.  Despite the 1-0 score, the Falcons out-shot the Rams 11-5 in the first period, and the Falcons seemed to all of the momentum going into the locker room.

Midway through the second period East Kentwood’s Brett White was able to tie up the game, with what would turn out to be his first of two goals in the game.  Less than one minute after White’s goal, Tyler Collins pulled the Falcons ahead, putting another puck into the Rockford net.  Also adding to East Kentwood’s lead in the second was Austin Adams, scoring with 4:51 left in the period.  As the second period closed East Kentwood had out-shot Rockford 13-9, and more importantly, crawled to a 3-1 lead.

In the third period, East Kentwood added two more goals to their already comfortable lead.  Brett White scored his second goal of the night with 6:19 left in regulation, and Adam Goudelock found the back of the net with1:42 remaining on the clock.  When the final horn sounded, East Kentwood was able to keep their championship hopes alive with the 5-1 final score.

Fans, please be sure to visit Chris on the web, where you can purchase your very own prints of his great hockey photography!

The OK Red boys basketball season provided area fans with nonstop action and thrills week after week.  It was fitting, as such, that everything would build to two intense nights at East Kentwood High School, during which the fate of the conference championship would be decided.

On Tuesday, the Rockford Rams came in to face the East Kentwood Falcons, with a chance to separate themselves from the pack, but the Falcons had different plans, winning a nail biter that nearly saw final-second heroics force overtime.

Matt Philpott Photography was on the scene, providing fans with shots of this exciting game:

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Next, the Eagles from Hudsonville showed up to take on the Falcons.  East Kentwood wins, and they take home the OK Red for a second consecutive year. Hudsonville wins, and they know they share the title with at least East Kentwood, and possibly Rockford, pending their game against West Ottawa who had already beaten the Rams at Rockford (Rockford hung on 48-40 Friday night).

Friday’s battle took the plot of a Hollywood blockbuster– Hudsonville jumped out to an early lead in the first.  They then fell behind big over the next two quarters, only to come storming back in the fourth, eventually finding themselves trading shots back-and-forth in the dying moments, coming away with a one point victory. The OK Red is split between these three great teams whom are all very deserving!

Again, Matt Philpott Photography had a front-row seat for the action, giving you the following images:

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Like what you have seen?  Please take a moment to visit Matt Philpott Photography to learn more about the services he offers, or to contact the photographer about purchasing a print!

West Michigan All Star’s Chris Carlisle made his way to the rink once more, covering a Saturday evening match between Rockford and Manistee.  Along for the show was son Joshua, who provides us with the following recap of the action:

Griff’s IceHouse was the scene for a 5:00 Saturday drop of the puck, in a  game between the Rockford Rams and the Manistee Chippewas.  As the first period got under way both teams played very hard and physical, keeping one another off the score board.  Although the game was deadlocked at zero after the first period, Rockford had command of the shot totals over Manistee, 18-1.  The second got off to a quick start for Rockford when Keegan Knight lit the lamp with 14:47 left in the period.  Also contributing goals for Rockford in the second were Austin Cantu, Justin Ullrey, and Cam Bethum.  At the end of the second period, and very much in control of the game, Rockford once again out-shot Manistee, 23-1.  Going into the third, Rockford had the commanding 4-0 lead, but the Rams would go on to get one more goal before things were through, as Ben Glass  put one in with 5:03 left in regulation, giving us our 5-0 final.  Not to be lost in the score was the performance of Manisee goalie, Austin Wilson.   Despite allowing the five Rockford goals, Wilson still managed to stop 55 shots on net.  Rockford goalie Jake Rekuci had an easy night between the pipes, earning shutout, stopping all six shots that came his way.

Fans, please be sure to visit Chris on the web, where you can purchase your very own prints of his great hockey photography!

Rusty Yonkers was the man on the scene as the Muskegon Big Reds travelled to Rockford, hoping to play spoiler to the Rams and their conference title hopes.  Here is Rusty’s recap of the action from the court!

Rockford rammed in a three pointer right at the beginning to start the game with vengeance. That was the start of a night where Rockford kept sinking one basket after another from the three point line. When Muskegon was on the offensive they were constantly stopped by the two massive Rockford centers. Rockford often denied a basket attempt and would recover just about every rebound. Rockford was definitely setting the tempo of the game by the end of the half. The Rams ended the half with a score of 31-12. When the two teams came back out on the court for the second half the Big Reds seemed to have more energy and desire. But they just could not seem to stop the thundering herd of Rams on the court, especially those centers. Not only did Rockford out-rebound Muskegon, but they had ball handling and passing skills that were sensational. Many times the ball was flicking back and forth across the court in some of the most amazing feats of basketball acumen and skill. The Rockford players seemed to have a sixth sense of where others were that is reminiscent of Pistol Pete Maravich. Although the Big Reds were able to put points on the board in the second half they just were not able to catch up and Rockford ended with a 57-41 win for the night.

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Rusty was also on hand to cover the girls action, here is his breakdown of the ladies!

Rockford took a commanding lead at the beginning of the game. Muskegon was constantly plagued with turnovers and an inability to make their shots the entire first half. Rockford definitely controlled the court. The first half ended with the score 35 to 6. In the second half Muskegon came back fighting hard. They were energetic, and were able to start putting points on the board. Although they were able to get the ball in the net often and were able to answer Rockford baskets with scores of their own, they simply could not make up the deficit. Rockford won with the final score 64-36.

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For more from Rusty, please visit his website!

Our very own Chris Carlisle took to the roads last night to catch the Rockford Rams as they hosted the East Grand Rapids Pioneers in some spirited hockey action.  Joining him, and providing the following commentary was Chris’s son, Joshua.

Traversing the treacherous roads on Friday night was worth the effort, as two power house hockey teams from West Michigan took to the ice– with the Rockford Rams hosting the East Grand Rapids Pioneers at Griff’s IceHouse.  The game started off slowly as the two teams battled, feeling each other out.  At the end of the first period the scoreboard sat frozen at 0-0, with Rockford getting the upper hand in shots, 12-4 over East Grand Rapids.  The second period started like a mirror image of the first, until Rockford’s Nate Hill scored with 5:58 left in the period.  As the second period drew to a close, Rockford already had the advantage on the scoreboard, but the Rams also controlled the tempo of the game, once again out shooting East Grand Rapids, with a two-period tally of 24-11.  The third period of play started off with a bang when Rockford’s Ben Glass scored the second goal of the game for the Rams, with 12:43 left in regulation.  Rockford found the net twice more in the third with Cam Bathum and Zack Schwandt scoring, respectively.  When the final horn blew, the score was 4-1 in favor of Rockford, with the Rams out shooting the Pioneers 37-19.

Chris Carlisle was proud to bring coverage of this OK Conference battle.  Chris has photos from this, and many other events, available for purchase.  Please visit his website to order your shots today!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Honorable Mention

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

We here at West Michigan Allstar hope you had a great Christmas this year! Now that it is past however, we are ready to jump right back into the hockey mayhem. Here are your week three rankings. There was a lot of movement this week so make sure to check last weeks rankings to see who rose and who fell in the rankings.

1.)Grand Rapids Catholic Central (6-0-1) OK Conference Tier 1

Thanks to Grand Haven joining the loss column last week the Cougars have finally taken the top spot. They once again show their dominance as they have yet to lose a game this year.

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

The biggest story of the week was the fall of Grand Haven at the Hand of the Mona Shores Sailors. Although it may just be a little stumble, it was just the opening that GRCC needed to push the Bucs down to the second spot.

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

The Pioneers are enjoying a nice holiday break until January 6th when they play GRCC at Patterson Ice Arena. The game will be at 6:00pm.

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

The Knights won another game as they consistently continue to prove they have a very good hockey team this year.

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

The Huskies/Hawks beat Rockford soundly in our game of the week last week and added another win to their record. Their speed was the difference against the Rams, and it will continue to cause problems for their opposition as the season goes on. Make sure you check out the detailed coverage of the game here.

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

Mona Shores is alive once again! The Sailors did what few people expected them to do as they beat Grand Haven last week in convincing fashion, topping the Bucs 5-2. The Sailors managed to score 3 goals in the final period to give themselves their third victory of the year.

7.)Rockford (4-4) OK Conference Tier 1

The Rams came out flat last week Wednesday losing to Forest Hills Eastern/Northern. They will face Jackson Lumen Christi on December 28th in hopes of getting back over .500

8.)Jenison (5-4) OK Conference Tier 2

Since topping the Grand Rapids Ice Hawks 10-0 on December 10th, Jenison has yet to play another game. They will face South Christian/ Calvin Christian on January 7th at the Kentwood Ice Arena. The game will be at 2:00pm.

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

After a quick talk with the coach, we found out that Lowell-Caledonia has had a great season so far posting 8 wins and only one loss so far. This great record propels them up a few spots in our standings this week.

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

East Kentwood has been off since they beat East Grand Rapids 3-2 on December 16th, and will look to beat the awakening Mona Shores Sailors on January 6th.

Honorable Mention

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

A extremely hard fought loss to Forest Hills Central puts Hudsonville’s record at 4-5. Although they have struggled against some lower ranked teams, the eagles continue to play extremely close scoring games against their competition and show they have what it takes to win close games down the stretch.

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

Although it is a long shot until the Rangers hit .500 again, they took another step towards it with a win against Hudsonville on the eve of Christmas Eve.

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

Another loss last week is not what GRWC/Cedar Springs was hoping for. They fell 6-2 against Catholic Central.

14.)Northview/Comstock Park/Sparta(5-3-1)OK Conference Tier 3

The Cats picked up another loss last week pushing them down in the rankings this week. They will try to rebound when they play Wayland–Middleview-Hastings on the 6th of January.

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

Another loss was added to the Panther’s record last week by the hands of the Grand Rapids Christian Eagles. They stand at the bottom of our standings this week.