In a world where kindness and compassion can be lacking, and happiness is non existent on the news, West Ottawa stood out and showed the world that caring and supporting one another is important this week in their PINK OUT game. With so much focus in the sporting world on players and their individual accomplishments, a game like the Panther’s game this past Wednesday are important. The players all received pink jerseys, tape, and socks to use for the game. Each jersey that the players wore where sponsored by someone in their lives who have been affected, or have passed away, from cancer. The money that these jerseys raised was then donated to the Van Andel Institute For Cancer Research. This special night was capped by a win for the Panthers as they roared past Jenison 4-1, improving their record to 10-7-1 with six of those wins coming in a row. Alex Zimmerman, one of the teams top three leaders in terms of points, had this to say about the game:

“ The atmosphere for this game was incredible. We had a lot more people at our pink out game then our usual crowd, and the fans were awesome and definitely got us pumped up.”

The game was a good example of hope and the fight for a better life without cancer, and there couldn’t have been a team more deserving to host the game. With 10 wins this season, West Ottawa has already won more games than the last two seasons combined. Their resilience has finally paid off and rewarded them with good success this season. They hope to continue their resilience as the season goes on. I asked Zimmerman what he thought was the teams keys to success so far this season and what the team needs to improve on in order for this season to continue well. This is what he had to say:

“Our team strength in definitely our high powered offense and our penalty kill. Our weakness is definitely our tendency to take more penalties than we need to. As the season winds down we just need to play as a team and play panther hockey like we know how to. Also our goalie, Michael Ewing, needs to keep playing hows he’s been. He’s been on fire making a huge contribution to our 6 game win streak.”

The Panthers will look to carry the moment from their Pink Out Game into their next game as they face off against Northview/Sparta/Comstock Park tonight.

Photos are Courtesy of  Laura Veldhof and information about game came from Alex Zimmerman.

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.

1.) Grand Haven (8-0) OK Conference Tier 1

Undefeated Grand Haven is showing everyone they belong at the top of the rankings. No one can deny them the top spot for a second consecutive week. Look for them to stay at the top of the rankings as they play Mona Shores again on Wednesday 7pm @ Lakeshore Sports Centre.

2.) Grand Rapids Catholic Central (5-0-1) OK Conference Tier 1

With five solid wins and a tough tie so far this season, the Cougars show why they have been one of the top teams in the area for years now.

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

The Pioneers struggled last week against Mona Shores, but they managed to pull out win as the game began to wind down. They will definitely be hoping to do better after a nice break this holiday season. They face Grand Rapids CC on January 6.

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

Another solid win (6-1) last week keeps the Knights in our top five.

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

The Huskies/Hawks managed to squeak out a win again Forest Hills Central this past week in double overtime. They face a tough Rockford team on Wednesday at Griffs Ice House @ 8pm.

6.) Rockford (4-3) OK Conference Tier 1

The Rams are having a solid season considering the strength of their opposition. They were handed a sound defeat last week by GRCC but will be looking to redeem themselves in the following weeks.

7.) Grand Rapids Northview/Comstock Park/ Sparta(5-2-1) OK Conference Tier 3

The Cats put up a good fight last week but fell short to Hudsonville. However, it was the fact that they had a strong showing against the Tier 2 Hudsonville Eagles that gives them the seventh spot on our rankings this week.

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

Although they beat Northview / Comstock Park / Sparta this week, the Eagles failed to do so in a manner that showed they were truly the better team. The Cats came back from a 3-2 second period deficit to make it a close game in the third before Hudsonville finally put the game away for good.

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

After topping Grand Rapids Ice Hawks 10-0 on December 10^th, Jenison was unable to continue their winning ways as they dropped to the Bay City Wolves last week.

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

The Falcons picked themselves up last week and got their team to five hundred. The only problem is that the competition has stepped up as well. This leaves them a tough road to travel in order to get higher up in the rankings.

Honorable Mention

11.) Lowell-Caledonia (4-1) OK Conference Tier 3

Lowell /Caledonia picked up another win this week by scoring ten goals against the Kalamazoo Blades.

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

The Kalamazoo Blades didn’t fare much better against the Panthers this week as the Panthers shut them out 4-0.

13.) Grand Rapids West Catholic / Cedar Springs (3-4) OK Conference Tier 2

A two loss week really hurt the Falcons last week. They look to do better this week as they play back to back nights against Reeths-Puffer and Grand Rapids West Catholic on Thursday and Friday.

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

The Rangers put up a good fight against Forest Hills Northern/ Eastern this week, but they came up short for the sixth time this season.

15.)Mona Shores (2-5)

Mona Shores has been beaten down quite of few times this season, but they still have a chance to turn things around. They take to the ice against our number one team this week Wednesday

1.) Grand Rapids Christian (5-0)

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

2.) Rockford (4-1)

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

3.) East Grand Rapids (4-1)

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

4.) Muskegon (4-1)

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

5.) Lowell (4-1)

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

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

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

7.) Zeeland West (5-0)

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

8.) Grand Haven (4-1)

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

9.) West Ottawa (4-1)

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

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

Honorable Mentions (in no order)

Shelby (5-0)

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

Holland (4-1)

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

Oakridge (4-1)

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

Montague (4-1)

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

Northview (4-1)

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

West Catholic (3-2)

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

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

1.) Lowell (4-0)

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

2.) Muskegon (4-0)

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

3.) Rockford (3-1)

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

4.) Grand Rapids Christian (4-0)

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

5.) Holland (4-0)

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

6.) East Grand Rapids (3-1)

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

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

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

8.) Zeeland West (4-0)

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

9.) Oakridge (4-0)

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

10.) West Catholic (3-1)

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

Honorable Mentions (in no order)

Shelby (4-0)

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

Comstock Park (3-1)

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

West Ottawa (3-1)

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

Montague (3-1)

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

Northview (3-1)

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

Grand Haven (3-1)

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

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

1.) Lowell (3-0)

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

2.) Muskegon (3-0)

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

3.) Rockford (2-1)

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

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

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

5.) Grand Rapids Christian (3-0)

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

6.) Holland (3-0)

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

7.) East Grand Rapids (2-1)

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

8.) Comstock Park (3-0)

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

9.) Zeeland West (3-0)

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

10.) Oakridge (3-0)

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

Honorable Mentions (in no order)

West Catholic (2-1)

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

West Ottawa (3-0)

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

Montague (2-1)

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

Hudsonville (1-1)

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

Northview (3-0)

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

Grand Haven (2-1)

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

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

Holland used a 14-10 quarter to pull within three heading into the fourth. In the final seconds of the quarter Corey Willis stole the ball for Holland and passed the ball to Colin Meadowcroft who nailed a buzzer beating three to bring Holland to within three heading into the fourth. Hudsonville used an 11-2 run to put Holland away. The final score was 49-37 in favor of Hudsonville. Blake Hibbitts scored 23 points and B.J. Vanloo scored 13 of his own. Coreontae DeBerry led the Dutch with 15 of his own.

Hudsonville will face Zeeland East in the second round of district play. Hudsonville should be able to defeat East and advance to the district championship.

Our next game tonight was the host team- West Ottawa v. Grandville; West Ottawa was able to defeat Grandville last week in overtime thanks to Jorddan Myrick. Grandville was out for revenge and early on it did not look like they would be able to achieve it. West Ottawa jumped out to a quick 4-3 lead but soon found themselves down 10-6 after the first quarter thanks to the excellent play of Ben Lanning. A 3 pointer by Grandville and a quick dunk by Lanning put Grandville up 15-6. From there on our Grandville would cruise for the quarter as they were able to hold onto their lead and led 27-12 after one half.

West Ottawa continued to fight but were never able to cut the lead to single digits. Frustration continued to mount for Myrick who had been on the short end of the stick for the majority of the season as far as favorable calls go. In the third Jorddan was given a technical as he “let my emotions get the best of me.” Grandville held on to win 55-41. Grandville was led by Ben Lanning who had 15, Caleb Cook who had 11, and Devin Booker who added 12. Lanning was also able to snatch 8 rebounds.

West Ottawa was led by Jorddan Myrick who had a game-high 20 points as well as 5 rebounds. Marquise Hatter and Austin Getz both added 4 for the Panthers.

Grandville will now play Jenison in round two which should be an interesting matchup as they both have solid low post players. Look for Jenison to be able to end Grandville‘s run.

In the opening minutes of the game you could definitely tell that these two teams didn’t want to show everything they had, in a sense it was a scrimmage. But at the same time, it was one physical, intense scrimmage. Two threes and a couple of other shots propelled the Panthers into a 10-10 tie with the Bulldogs after one. Ben Lanning opened up the game impressively as he dominated the glass and knocked in two shots. Fresh into the starting lineup for the Panthers, senior Barry DeGraaf was able to score his 9th point on the season as he rattled in his first shot of the game, a three.

The second quarter started off slow as well as the first bucket for either team came courtesy of Jorddan Myrick as he nailed a two with 6:35 left in the quarter. Ben Lanning answered back for the bulldogs and Myrick replied with a two of his own. A two by Jake Blauwkamp knocked in a two for the Bulldogs. Then West Ottawa went on quite the run as the three ball continued to be key as they rattled off as 15-3 run in the second, all 15 coming from three. Jake Blauwkamp closed the quarter with a buzzer beater to end the half which put the score at 29-21 in favor of West Ottawa.

After going back and forth for several possessions, two free throws by senior Andrew Maxey put the Panthers up by 9. Grandville went on an 8-4 run to end the quarter which was sparked by big man Ben Lanning. The score after 3 was 39-34, West Ottawa.

In the fourth quarter both teams broke the game open as they finally started showing some life. 2 points by Lanning and two free throws by Blauwkamp brought Grandville to within 1 point. Then Caleb Bosch was fouled on a three point attempt and went to the line to shoot three, he was successful on two of the attempts which put the Panthers up by 3. After going back and forth for several minutes Grandville found themselves up 52-51, that’s when Andrew Maxey knocked down a three that would prove to be huge. The three put the Panthers up by 2, Lanning received the ball in the post for Grandville and he nailed the shot with under a minute remaining. With the score tied at two, Myrick dribbled the ball around for awhile and after what appeared to be two “hack-a-Shaq” foul attempts, which resulted in two no calls, Myrick pulled up from the elbow and fired off a jumper that rimmed out at the buzzer.

This was the first time West Ottawa found themselves in overtime this season and only the second time Grandville found themselves in overtime. Overtime opened up with Jorddan Myrick taking a questionable charge. After coming up with a defensive stop, Austin Timmer was fouled for the Bulldogs. Unfortunately he was unable to make either free throw and so the score remained at 54 all. After coming up with yet another defensive stop, Austin Timmer found himself at the free throw line yet again, with the same result as the previous time so the score remained at 54 all. Myrick was fouled on West Ottawa’s next possession and he was able to nail both free throws to put the Panthers up by two. Blauwkamp was fouled on the ensuing possession for Grandville and fortunately for the Bulldogs their free throw line woes did not continue. Blauwkamp was able to go 1 for 2 from the line to bring the Bulldogs to within one. A floater in the lane for Myrick put the Panthers up by three. Lanning pulled up from three on Grandville‘s next possession and nailed the shot to tie it at 58. Myrick dribbled around for about 30 seconds and pulled up from roughly the free throw line and nailed the buzzer beating, game winner in overtime.

This victory in overtime for the Panthers ends their 9 game losing streak which may provide just the momentum they need to make a run at the district championship. Myrick finished the game with 21 for West Ottawa and Josh Wisbang chipped in 15 of his own.

Grandville now falls to 8-12 overall. Grandville has also now lost two in a row which may prove costly heading into districts. Grandville faces off against West Ottawa in the same building on Monday night for the round one opener of district play. Lanning was able to rattle in an impressive 21 points for Grandville.

While tonight’s game doesn’t mean much as neither team showed everything they have planned for Monday night’s showdown, it is still a big victory for West Ottawa. Be sure to vote for our 1st and 2nd team all stars by following these directions. Also “like” us on facebook if you haven’t already in order to receive updates about our game coverage as we head into district play. As always, feel free to comment below.