People are so focused on the playoffs these days.
It’s like nothing matters but winning a state championship, and anything less is a failure.
I don’t buy into that, particularly since I’m really old, and still very much into local rivalries.
I remember the days when there were no high school playoffs – and yes, we walked 10 miles uphill to school every day (lol). It really wasn’t all that long ago. Back then the big local showdown games meant everything, because that’s all there was.
Well I think local showdown games are still the best part of high school football, and the biggest one in this area comes on Friday, when the Big Reds visit the Sailors for the O-K Green conference title and local bragging rights.
In the long run the outcome won’t matter that much. Regardless of who wins, both teams will regroup and start focusing on their ultimate goal of reaching Ford Field again. And don’t think the loser can’t make it that far. Remember two years ago, when Muskegon throttled Mona Shores 53-0? The Sailors went on to win their first state title a few weeks later.
But local bragging rights are important. Conference championships are important.
This is the Muskegon County Bowl. Other local rivalries – like next week’s Montaague-Whitehall showdown – are great, but these are the two best teams we have, and they are both among the best in the state. It’s going to be a great game with talented local kids going head-to-head in front of a packed house, and I don’t think it gets any better than that.
Picking a winner was really, really tough. I have a tremendous amount of respect for both Shane Fairfield and Matt Koziak, and I think they both have great teams with lots of talent. I have been busting my brain all week trying to figure out who might be better – and I still don’t know.
There are other good matchups to watch this week, as well. I think Ravenna at North Muskegon is going to be a barnburner, with two great throwing quarterbacks going head-to-head. Caledonia at Spring Lake and Hudsonville at Grand Haven are also intriguing games. Be sure to log on to MuskegonSports.com for all the results and the best analysis on Friday night or Saturday morning.
In the meantime, check out my picks below:
[1]Chippewa Hills (0-6) at FREMONT (0-6) – The Packers came oh-so-close to winning last week, and they’re going to get it done this Friday. I’m putting that in writing.
FRUITPORT (2-4) at Holland Christian (1-5) – The Trojans got a new lease on life after Cody Nash’s brilliant five-touchdown performance last week. This is a good matchup, but the Trojans have a lot of catching up to do in the win column.
Hudsonville (3-3) at GRAND HAVEN (3-3) – The Bucs have demonstrated that they can bounce back from tough losses before, and I think this resilient team will do it again.
Hesperia (0-5) at HOLTON (3-3) – They say you can throw out the records in neighborhood brawls like this one – but I don’t think that’s the case here. Holton has a very good offense, and the Red Devils are eager to beat someone after a tough loss to Kent City.
WHITEHALL (5-1) at Hart (2-4) – The Vikings will use this challenge as a final tune-up for the showdown with Montague next week. The only question is whether Hart, which can put up some points, will break Whitehall’s four-game shutout streak.
KENT CITY (3-2) at White Cloud (4-2) – The Eagles showed everyone at Holton last week that their forced two-week COVID layoff did not make them rusty. Add another win to Kent City’s playoff resume.
BELDING (4-2) at Ludington (2-4) – The hot and cold Orioles looked good beating Muskegon Heights two weeks ago, then took a hard loss against Whitehall. The Black Knights, meanwhile, lost a close one last week and are pushing for the playoffs. Belding is the best bet.
Muskegon (5-1) at MONA SHORES (5-1) – Honestly, you could flip a coin and have the same chance of picking a winner in this one. Two great teams, two great head coaches, lots of incentive on both sides. I’ll take the Sailors by a whisker, just because they are home, but who knows what might happen with all that talent on one field?
Manistee (4-2) at MUSKEGON CATHOLIC (5-1) – Now that the Crusaders have that 500th win in the books, they will focus on sharpening up for the playoffs. I think Czerwon and Co. are very hungry to get back to Ford Field.
Ravenna (4-2) at NORTH MUSKEGON (2-4) – This is another coin-flipper. If the West Michigan Conference two-tier system was already in place, this would be a championship game. They are the two best after the bigs, and this is probably going to be a great contest. I’ll say the Norse will pull off the slight upset this week, after nearly knocking off Oakridge last week.
Holland (1-5) at REETHS-PUFFER (2-4) – After taking their predictable lumps at Mona Shores last week, I think the Rockets will bounce back with a win.
Coopersville (5-1) at SPRING LAKE (5-1) – Yet another great matchup. The Lakers couldn’t keep up with Unity Christian, particularly with Christian Folkert out of the lineup. Both teams are angry after losing their first games last week, but my guess is that the Lakers will be a bit more motivated, particularly playing at home.